You Keep Me Hangin' On

Album: The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland (1966)
Charted: 8 1
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  • Set me free why don't cha babe
    Get out my life why don't cha babe
    'Cause you don't really love me
    You just keep me hangin' on
    You don't really need me
    But you keep me hangin' on

    Why do you keep a comin' around playing with my heart?
    Why don't cha get out of my life and let me make a new start?
    Let me get over you the way you gotten over me, yeah

    Set me free why don't cha babe
    Let me be why don't you babe
    'Cause you don't really love me
    You just keep me hangin' on
    No, you don't really want me
    You just keep me hangin' on

    You say although we broke up you still wanna be just friends
    But how can we still be friends when seeing you only breaks my heart again
    (And there ain't nothing I can do about it)

    Whoa, ooh, whoa, ooh, whoa
    Set me free why don't you babe
    Get out, get out of my life
    Why don't you babe
    Set me free why don't you babe
    Get out of my life
    Why don't you babe

    You claim you still care for me but your heart and soul needs to be free
    And now that you've got your freedom you wanna still hold on to me
    You don't want me for yourself so let me find somebody else

    Why don't cha be a man about it and set me free
    Now you don't care a thing about me
    You're just using me

    Go home, get out, get out of my life
    And let me sleep at night
    'Cause you don't really love me
    You just keep me hangin' on

    You don't really need me Writer/s: Brian Holland, Edward Holland Jr., Lamont Dozier
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 15

  • Keith Hutchinson from Northern Territory AustraliaI have been intrigued by the information you compile - I have been using your site to gather information about my favorite songs - I am forever in debt because I am a tragic information junkie - I only read the info on the song I am researching, never scroll to the bottom of the page - this is the very first time - wonderful and thanks.
  • Seventh Mist from 7th HeavenBoth the original and Wilde’s cover were terrific and both deserved to be #1.
  • John from WashingtonOK, so if the singer is saying that her boyfriend is "over her" ("the way you've gotten over me") ( "me" meaning the singer) why is he still keeping her hanging on?? wouldn't he just let her go and find someone else??
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 14th 1968, Vanilla Fudge performed "You Keep Me Hangin' On" on CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    Six months earlier on July 2nd, 1967 their covered version entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a five week stay then fell of the chart...
    And on July 7th, 1968 it re-entered the Top 100 and on August 25th, 1968 it peaked at #6 (for 1 week) and spent a grand total of 17 weeks on the Top 100...
    Three other covered versions have charted on the Top 100; Wilson Pickett (#92 in 1969), Jackie DeShannon (#96 in 1970, in a medley with "Hurt So Bad"), and on May 31st, 1987 Kim Wilde took it to #1 (for 1 week)...
    In 1996 Reba McEntire's covered version peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.
  • Herb from Brooklyn, NyCarmine Appice/"The Vanilla Fudge" did not re-compose "You Keep Me Hangin' On!" What they did was talk a bunch of short-sighted egotists /aka/ "The Rising Suns," into letting them walk out the door of Trude Heller's, (Greenwich Village, NYC) with the rights to record their version. A glance at the single shows..."Arranged by the Guys." "The Guys," are "The Suns!" At the time of the heist..."V.F." was "The Pigeons," who were appearing uptown at Ungano's. They went on to become "Vanilla-(to fake or falsify)-Fudge.) And "The Suns" went on to become "The-(one,(or more) who is easily swindled; a dupe!) Pigeons."
  • Emma from Adelaide, Australiaheard this in glee the cover was AH- MAZING
  • John from Nashville, TnThis song was out of character for the Supremes because they were always whining about wanting their wayward man to stay with them. On "You Keep Me Hanging On" the girls are actually giving the man a kick in the pants out the door.
  • John from Nashville, TnOne of the few songs in which the original version and the remake both hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (The Supremes and Kim Wilde).
  • Kristin from Bessemer, AlThe line where Diana speaks instead of singing "and there ain't nothing I can do about it" - she sounds as if she is very defeated from the influence this guy has on her - no wonder she wants him out of her life!
  • Izzmo from Buffalo, NyThis is the only song that ever hit the American top 40 by four different artists (The Supremes, Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, and Kim Wilde)
  • Mike from Knoxville, TnI thought it was odd that in late 1969, Wilson Pickett had an interpretation of this song having nearly the same arrangement as Vanilla Fudge's rock version. Then again, earlier in 1969, Pickett interpreted another rock record- HEY JUDE by the Beatles. Maybe he was listening to a lot of rock music in the late 1960s.
  • Tony from Charleston, ScOn most recordings of this song you can hear Florence Ballard singing lead with Diana Ross. Motown producers thought her voice was not strong enough to carry the lead.
  • Tony from Charleston, ScApparently in the studio version, Diana Ross voice is paired with Florence Ballard because the producers felt that Diana's voice alone was not enough to carry the song.
  • Fyodor from Denver, CoThis song reflected a shift towards heavier subject matter for the group, following the trends of the times. I'm always amazed at how quickly change spread throughout the entire culture in the sixties. Our culture now seems more segregated into barely changing subcultures, many of which are modeled on various trends from the sixties and early seventies. For better or worse.
  • Dan from Lee, NhVannila Fudge really sucks to listen to, but Carmine Appice inspired Bonham and Bonham changed drumming so it's all part of the circle of life. And Tim Bogert really has his work cut out for himself. But all in all Fudge couldn't right a song for a penny and they were very tedious to listen to.
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