Released: September 23, 1997

Songwriter: Diane Warren

Producer: David Foster

[Verse 1: Maxine Jones]
Did I hear you say that
You want another chance
You need another try
You're ready to reclaim your prize
So, you want my love back
(You want my love back)
Why'd you let it slip away?
Why'd you ever let me go?
Your change of heart has come too late

[Pre-Chorus: En Vogue]
Well, the door is locked
You can't get in
The game has changed
You've been

[Chorus: En Vogue]
Too gone, too long, baby
To ever get back again
In my heart
Too gone, too long, baby (Too long)
You're too many tears too late
To ever come back, to get back in my arms
Been gone
Too gone, too long

[Verse 2: Terry Ellis]
Didn't you hear me say that
You'd be a fool to leave
You'd regret the road you chose
You'd come running right back to me
(Running right back to me)
You had such a good love, sugar
You'll never find with no one else
But what I knew all the time
You had to find out for yourself

[Pre-Chorus: En Vogue]
And now you'll never know
That love again
You're on your own
You've been

[Chorus: En Vogue]
Too gone, too long, baby
(Ooh, much too long, baby)
To ever get back again
In my heart
Too gone, too long, baby (Too long)
You're too many tears too late (Just too late)
To ever come back, to get back in my arms
Been gone
Too gone, too long

[Bridge: Maxine Jones & Terry Ellis]
Did you really think I'd take you back
Let you back in my life
Oh, baby, just like that?
Someone new is loving me
Loving you is what used to be
Baby, you're too late
To win my heart again

[Chorus: En Vogue]
Too gone, too long, baby (Too gone)
To ever get back again (Ever)
In my heart
Too gone, too long, baby
You're too many tears too late (Too late)
To ever come back, to get back to me ever
Too gone, too long, baby
To ever get back again (No, never)
In my heart (Oh)
Too gone, too long, baby (Just too long, baby)
You're too many tears too late
To ever come back, to get back in my arms again

[Outro: Terry Ellis]
I don't need you (Too long)
I don't want you (Too long)
Later for you, baby (Too long)
Oh, oh (Back in my arms)
Hit the road, Jack (Too long)
And don't you come back (Too long)
No more (Too long)
No more (Too long...back in my arms)
Oh oh oh oh oh yeah yeah (Too long)
Oh oh yeah, oh oh yeah (Too long, too long, too long)
Oh, hey, hey, hey (Back in my arms)
(Too long) Too-ooh-ooh (Too long) Too-ooh-ooh
(Too long) Oh oh yeah (Too long)

En Vogue

Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis, Maxine Jones, and Dawn Robinson are the original members of the R&B girl group En Vogue. The group was put together by producers Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster after a talent search in Oakland, California in 1989. Their debut album Born to Sing was released in 1990 and featured the #1 R&B hits “You Don’t Have To Worry,” “Lies,” and their platinum debut single “Hold On,” which also peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won a Billboard and Soul Train Music Award. Their 1992 follow-up album Funky Divas hit #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 on its way to triple platinum status. The lead single, “My Lovin' (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” helped propel that success as it hit #1 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also featured the #1 R&B hit cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” as well as the Top 10 pop single “Free Your Mind.”

In 1993, they released the EP Runaway Love and made appearances on the TV shows In Living Color, Roc and A Different World. In 1994, they collaborated with Salt-N-Pepa on their Top 3 platinum single “Whatta Man” and in 1996 they contributed to the Set It Off soundtrack with their hit single “Don’t Let Go (Love)” which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the R&B Singles chart.

While working on their third album, Dawn Robinson decided to leave the group due to issues with management. The group decided to go on as a trio and released their third platinum album EV3 in 1997 featuring the Top 10 R&B/Top 20 pop hit “Whatever,” which was produced and co-written by Babyface. They went on to release three more albums—Masterpiece Theatre in 2000, The Gift of Christmas in 2002, and Soul Flower in 2004. During that time, Maxine Jones left the group in 2001 and was replaced by Amanda Cole, and Cole was later replaced in 2003 by Rhona Bennett. While the original four members have reunited for performances throughout the years, the current lineup consists of Herron, Ellis, and Bennett, and they released the single “Déjà Vu” in 2016 and released their album Electric Café in 2018.