Holland-Dozier-Holland

Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music. The trio wrote, arranged and produced many songs that helped define the Motown sound in the 1960s.

Song lyrics

Note: The artists listed are the original performers of the songs, although many of the songs were subsequently covered by other artists.

• The love of a women is a wonderful thing (oh yeah),
  Yeah, the way you treat 'em is a crying shame (oh yeah),
  I tell you, fella, yeah, it won't be long (oh yeah),
  Yeah, before these women they all have gone (oh yeah).
  • Leaving Here, sung by Eddie Holland (1962).

• Hello loneliness, goodbye love
  I'm tired of being abused & being misused
  I've had my share of romance, no more for me
  I'm lockin' up my heart & throwin' away the key.
  • Locking Up My Heart, sung by The Marvelettes (1963).

• Here's our old favorite record
  I can't stand to hear it anymore
  Here's some old lingering love
  It's in my heart and it's tearing it apart.
  • Come and Get These Memories, sung by Martha and the Vandellas (1963).

• 'Cause now he's hangin' around my door
  More happier than before
  Now you're in misery 'cause you lost him to me
  Now the hurt's on you, now the hurt's on you
  Your little scheme backfired, it's true
  You made bets, any boy you could get.
  • You Lost the Sweetest Boy, sung by Mary Wells (1963).

• Whenever I'm with him
  Something inside
  Starts to burning
  And I'm filled with desire,
  Could it be the devil in me?
  Or is this the way love's supposed to be?
  • (Love Is Like a) Heat Wave, sung by Martha and the Vandellas (1963).

• Lum de Lum de la ey
  Lum de Lum de la ey
  This cat named Mickey came from out of town
  He been spreading this new dance all around
  And in just a matter of a few days
  This dance became the new teen craze.
  • Mickey's Monkey, sung by The Miracles (1963).

• But when the love light starts shining through his eyes
  Made me realize I should apologize
  And when he placed a kiss upon my face
  Then I knew, oh then I knew that he won my heart.
  • When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes, sung by The Supremes (1963).

• Gather round you swingers and friends
  Help me forget my hurt within
  About the only girl I ever loved
  The only one I'm thinkin' of and
  I've gotta dance to keep from crying.
  • I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying, sung by The Miracles (1963).

• You're like quicksand
  Sinking me deeper in love with you
  The more I fight it, the deeper in love I get
  Each time you hold me
  I feel nothing but happiness
  It's not safe loving you this way
  But from your arms, I can't stay.
  • Quicksand, sung by Martha and the Vandellas (1963).

• Tired of abuses and excuses
  I've made up my mind
  Gonna tell him this time
  We're through, yeah.

  But everything I plan to say
  Just seems to fade away
  Every time I see his face
  My eyes light up
  Sparks start to flying.

  • Live Wire, sung by Martha and the Vandellas (1963).

• Don't be fooled, by the shyness in his eyes
  Don't you know, he's just a devil in disguise
  So you better run, run, run, run, run, run
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
  • Run, Run, Run, sung by The Supremes (1963).

• Listen everybody especially you girls
  Is it right to be left alone while the one you love is never home?
  I love too hard my friends sometimes say
  But I believe, I believe that a woman should be loved that way.

  But it hurts me so inside
  To see her treat me so unkind
  Somebody somewhere tell her it's unfair.

  • Can I Get a Witness, sung by Marvin Gaye (1963).

• I saw the saddest thing, other day.
  When an old man pass my way.
  Walking the streets so all alone.
  All because he had no home.
  But the saddest thing I've ever seen,
  Is a tear from a woman's eye.
  • A Tear from a Woman's Eyes, sung by The Temptations (1964).

• But in my lonely room
  Tears I don't have to hide
  Cause I just lock my door
  And let myself go and
  Lay right down and cry.
  • In My Lonely Room, sung by Martha and the Vandellas (1964).

• Baby, baby, baby
  Baby don't leave me
  Ooh, please don't leave me
  All by myself.

  I've got this burning, burning, yearning
  Feelin' inside me
  Ooh, deep inside me
  And it hurts so bad.

  • Where Did Our Love Go, sung by The Supremes (1964).

• Ooh, baby, baby
  Where did our love go?
  Ooh, don't you want me
  Don't you want me no more? Ooh, baby.
  • Where Did Our Love Go.

• Don't you break my heart
  'Cause I sacrifice to make you happy
  Get nothin' for myself
  Now you wanna leave me
  For the love of someone else
  My pride is all gone, whether right or wrong
  I believe, baby, you'd better keep on keepin' on.
  • Baby Don't You Do It, sung by Marvin Gaye (1964).

• Baby, I need your loving
  Got to have all your loving.
  • Baby I Need Your Loving, sung by the Four Tops (1964).

• Darlin' I can't go on without you
  (and I need you and I want you, baby)
  This emptiness wont let me live without you
  (And I need you and I want you, baby)
  This loneliness inside me darlin'
  (And I need you and I want you, baby)
  Makes me feel half alive
  (And I need you and I)
  • Baby I Need Your Loving.

• Baby love, my baby love
  I need you, oh how I need you!
  But all you do is treat me bad
  Break my heart and leave me sad
  Tell me, what did I do wrong?
  To make you stay away so long?
  • Baby Love, sung by The Supremes (1964).

• I've been crying, 'cause I'm lonely for you
  Smiles have all turned to tears
  But tears won't wash away the fears
  That you're never ever gonna return
  To ease the fire that within me burns.
  • Come See About Me, sung by The Supremes (1964).

• You are so wonderful
  That being near you is all I'm living for
  You show me more kindness in little ways
  Than I've ever known in all my days
  Tell me we'll stay together
  Let me love you forever
  'Cause you're a wonderful one
  You're a wonderful one.
  • You're a Wonderful One, sung by Marvin Gaye (1964).

• I needed the shelter of someone's arms
  And there you were
  I needed someone to understand my ups and downs
  And there you were.

  With sweet love and devotion
  Deeply touching my emotions
  I want to stop and thank you baby
  I want to stop and thank you baby.

  • How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), sung by Marvin Gaye (1964).

• Stop, in the name of love
  Before you break my heart
  Stop, in the name of love
  Before you break my heart.
  Think it over, think it over.
  • Stop! In the Name of Love, sung by The Supremes (1965).

• Each night as I sleep
  Into my heart you creep
  I wake up feeling sorry I met you
  Hoping soon that I'll forget you

  When I look in the mirror
  And comb my hair
  I see your face
  Just a-smiling there.

  • Nowhere to Run, sung by Martha and the Vandellas (1965).

• Oh, but now he's back in my arms again
  Right by my side
  I got him back in my arms again,
  So satisfied.
  • Back in My Arms Again, sung by The Supremes (1965).

• Sugar pie, honey bunch
  You know that I love you
  I can't help myself
  I love you and nobody else.

  In and out my life
  You come and you go
  Leaving just your picture behind
  And I kissed it a thousand times.

  • I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), sung by the Four Tops (1965).

• You're sweet as a honey bee
  But like a honey bee stings
  You've gone and left my heart in pain
  All you left is our favorite song
  The one we danced to all night long
  It used to bring sweet memories
  Of a tender love that used to be.

  Now it's the same old song
  But with a different meaning
  Since you been gone.

  • It's the Same Old Song, sung by the Four Tops (1965).

• Whenever you're near
  I hear a symphony
  A tender melody
  Pulling me closer
  Closer to your arms.
  • I Hear a Symphony, sung by The Supremes (1965).

• Ooh, this old heart of mine, been broken thousand times
  Each time you break away, I fear you're gone to stay
  Lonely nights that come, memories that go
  Bringing you back again, hurting me more and more.
  • This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You), sung by The Isley Brothers (1966).

• From this old world I try to hide my face
  But from this loneliness there's no hiding place
  Inside this cold and empty house, I dwell
  In darkness with memories I know so well.
  • My World Is Empty Without You, sung by The Supremes (1966).

• Put yourself in my place
  If only for a day
  See if you can stand
  The awful hurt I feel inside

  And, oh, oh
  Put yourself in my place
  For just a little while
  Live through the loneliness
  The endless emptiness I go through.

  • Put Yourself in My Place, sung by The Elgins (1966).

• 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, sung by The Supremes (1966).

• Now, if you feel that you can't go on
  All your hope is gone
  Life is filled with much confusion
  Happiness is just an illusion
  And your world is tumblin' down,

  Darling, reach out,
  Reach out,
  I'll be there to love and shelter you
  I'll be there, I'll always see you through.

  • Reach Out I'll Be There, sung by the Four Tops (1966).

• Set me free, why don't cha, baby
  Get out my life, why don't cha, baby
  '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
  You don't really need me
  But you keep me hangin' on.
  • You Keep Me Hangin' On, sung by The Supremes (1966).

• Standing in the shadows of love
  I'm getting ready for the heartaches to come
  Can't you see me standing in the shadows of love
  I'm getting ready for the heartaches to come.
  • Standing in the Shadows of Love, sung by the Four Tops (1966).

• Oh Jimmy Mack
  When are you coming back?

  My arms are missing you
  My lips feel the same way too
  I tried so hard to be true
  Like I promised I'd do.

  But this boy
  Keeps coming around
  He's trying to wear
  My resistance down.

  • Jimmy Mack, sung by Martha and the Vandellas (1967).

• Bernadette,
  People are searching for the kind of love that we possess.
  Some go on searching their whole life through
  And never find the love I've found in you.
  • Bernadette, sung by the Four Tops (1967).

• Through the mirror of my mind
  Time after time
  I see reflections of you and me.

  Reflections of
  The way life used to be.
  Reflections of
  The love you took from me.

  • Reflections, sung by The Supremes (1967).

• Give me just a little more time
  And our love will surely grow.

  Life's too short to make a mistake
  Let's think of each other and hesitate
  Young and impatient we may be
  There's no need to act foolishly
  If we part our hearts won't forget it
  Years from now we'll surely regret it.

  • Give Me Just a Little More Time, written with Ron Dunbar, sung by Chairmen of the Board (1970).

• Now that you're gone
  All that's left is a band of gold
  All that's left of the dreams I hold
  Is a band of gold
  And the memories of what love could be
  If you were still here with me.
  • Band of Gold, written with Ron Dunbar; sung by Freda Payne (1970).