Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Songwriter: Smokey Robinson

Producer: Smokey Robinson

Give him up
Give him up 'cause, he'll only hurt you (he'll only hurt you)
Take your love like he did mine
Then he'll desert you
He'll leave your heart in pain
Lead you to go insane, he's unfaithful
You can do everything you can for him
And still he'll leave 'cause he's ungrateful

How I can convince you, that he'll leave on the shelf
And that he'll never love anybody
He will never love anybody
He will never love anybody
But himself
So-o give him, oh please give him 'cause
He just won't do right
Let him go, you got to let him go
'Cause he won't treat you right
You'll go to him one day
And he'll turn and walk away
He's untrue
On second thought, oh don't give him up
'Cause I know I'll take him back whenever you do
(I'll take him back whenever you give him up)
Even though he's done me wrong
(I'll take him back whenever you give him up)
I loved him oh too long

Martha Rose Reeves (July 18, 1941 -) was born in Eufaula, AL and is a retired American R&B and pop singer, and the lead singer in the Motown group, Martha and the Vandellas. That group recorded over a dozen hit singles in the 1960s.

Reeves learned to sing in her grandfather’s church and got her big break when she and her backups were chosen to sing backup on a 1963 Marvin Gaye record. They were almost immediately signed to a record deal, renamed “Martha and the Vandellas” and set to work recording hits. The group fell apart because of drug abuse and did their final performance in Detroit in 1972. One of their songs, “Nowhere to Run” got a second life in the 1987 Robin Williams movie, Good Morning Vietnam.

The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

From the album

Come and Get These Memories (1963)

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas popular songs

Give Him UpMartha Reeves & The Vandellas

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas