You Can't Hurry Love

Album

Supremes A' Go-Go

Label

Motown

Genre

Rhythm & Blues

Composer(s)

Brian Holland;Lamont Dozier;Eddie Holland Jr.

Entered Chart

Aug 13, 1966

Peak Date

Sep 10, 1966

Released

July 25, 1966

Recorded

June 11 and July 5, 1966 Studio Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A)

Catalog #

Motown 1097

B-Side

Put Yourself In My Place

This was written by the prolific songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. It was based on a gospel song entitled "You Can't Hurry God," which was sung by Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes, a gospel group based in Birmingham, Alabama. >> Eddie Holland came up with the title to Brian Holland's melody for this song. Lamont Dozier recalled in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: "We were trying to reconstruct 'Come See About Me' and somehow it turned into 'You Can't Hurry Love.' It was basically a gospel feel we were after." This was the first of a second string of consecutive #1 American hits for the Supremes. At the end of 1964 and into 1965, they charted five consecutive #1s. In 1966, starting with "You Can't Hurry Love," they charted four more. A cover by Phil Collins reached US #10 and UK #1 in late 1982. His version was used as the main theme for the 1988 film of the same name, and inspired Andy Rourke's bass in The Smiths' "This Charming Man." Such was his love for the label that Phil inscribed "Motown, we salute you" on the sleeve of the album Hello, I Must Be Going, which included "You Can't Hurry Love." In addition, his black-and-white video showing three Phil Collinses standing in a line was a homage to The Supremes. Collins would later enlist Lamont Dozier to co-write the song "Two Hearts," which was used in a movie Collins starred in called Buster that was set in the '60s. That song went to #1 US, giving Dozier his 14th Hot 100 chart-topper as a songwriter. The Dixie Chicks covered this for the soundtrack of the 1999 movie Runaway Bride. Report this ad The working title for this song was "This Is Where I Came In." >> Phil Collins explained to Mojo magazine February 2009 that he covered this track as "a tribute to Motown." He added: "We needed to get everything right on it, but we didn't really succeed. There were no naff strings on the original to start with. Motown is where I lived musically when I was growing up. I was a regular at the Marquee Club in Wardour Street (London) in the '60s. I always went to see The Action and The Who, and they both did great Motown covers. The Motown tracks were always an inspiration. The opening chords and groove of 'Heatwave' always sounded like sun had come out to me. It was so uplifting and positive. Even the names - The Supremes, the Four Tops, The Marvelettes, The Miracles - sound like their glasses are half full! The musicians on all the Motown tracks, they didn't play like the other Pop session guys. Benny Benjamin, James Jamerson - all of them were really Jazz musicians. And every day they would go to work and know they'd be playing on a huge hit record and it would be classic material; it must have been wonderful." Asked by Music Business Worldwide what he thought of Phil Collins' version, Lamont Dozier replied: "I think he was being respectful because he loved the song and he loved Motown. He had his own interpretation and his own style. I thought it was well done."

I need love, love to ease my mind
I need to find, find someone to call mine
But mama said you can't hurry love
No you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
You gotta trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes
But how many heartaches must I stand
Before I find a love to let me live again
Right now the only thing that keeps me hanging on
When I feel my strength, yeah, it's almost gone
I remember mama said

(You can't hurry love)
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
How long must I wait? How much more can I take?
Before loneliness will 'cause my heart, heart to break
No, I can't bear to live my life alone
I grow impatient for a love to call my own
But when I feel that I, I can't go on
These precious words keeps me hanging on
I remember mama said

(Can't hurry love)
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes (gotta wait)

No love, love don't come easy
But I keep on waiting, anticipating for that
Soft voice to talk to me at night
For some tender arms to hold me tight
I keep waiting, I keep on waiting (give and take)
But it ain't easy, it ain't easy when mama said

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
Mama said just give it time