About the Song
Background
- Release: Released in 1965, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” became a massive hit for The Supremes, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- Songwriters: The legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland writing team crafted the song, responsible for many of The Supremes’ greatest hits.
- Motown Sound: The song exemplifies the signature Motown sound – a blend of pop, soul, and R&B with a driving beat, catchy melodies, and powerful vocals.
Themes
- Unresolved Love: The central theme is the frustration and pain of being stuck in a dead-end relationship. The narrator feels strung along by a partner who doesn’t fully commit.
- Empowerment: While expressing vulnerability, the lyrics also hint at a desire for self-worth and moving on.
- Female Agency: The song can be seen as an anthem for women who are taking charge of their emotional well-being and demanding clarity in their relationships.
Lyrics
The lyrics are simple yet powerful, using strong verbs and repetition to convey the emotional turmoil:
- Repeated Lines: “You keep me hangin’ on” becomes a desperate plea throughout the song, highlighting the narrator’s constant state of limbo.
- Directness: Lines like “Set me free, why don’t cha, babe?” and “Why don’t you be a man about it and set me free” directly confront the partner’s lack of commitment.
- Contradictions: The lyrics express both a desire for the relationship to work (“Although we broke up, you still wanna be just friends”) and a frustration with its limitations (“But how can we be friends when seeing you only breaks my heart again?”).
Video
Lyric
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’ onWhy do you keep a-comin’ around
Playin’ with my heart? Why don’t you get out of my life And let me make a new start? Let me get over you The way you’ve gotten over me, heySet me free, why don’t cha, baby?
Let me be, why don’t cha, baby? ‘Cause you don’t really love me You just keep me hangin’ on Now you don’t really want me You just keep me hangin’ onYou say, although we broke up
You still wanna be just friends But how can we still be friends When seein’ you only breaks my heart again? And there ain’t nothin’ I can do about itset me free, why don’t cha, baby?
(Whoa-oh-oh) get outta my life, why don’t cha, baby? (Ooh-ooh) Set me free, why don’t cha, baby? Get outta my life, why don’t cha, baby?You claim you still care for me
But your heart and soul needs to be free 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, hey-eyWhy don’t you be a man about it
And set me free? (Ooh-ooh) Now if you don’t care a thing about me You’re just using me (ooh-ooh) Go on, get out, get out of my life And let me sleep at night (ooh-ooh) ‘Cause you don’t really love me You just keep me hangin’ on