The Temptations – Ain’t Too Proud to Beg: A Soulful Plea for Love’s Embrace
Ah, The Temptations! And among their vast catalogue of hits, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” stands out as a landmark recording, a soulful ballad that lays bare the vulnerability and desperation of a love-struck heart.
Background
Released in 1966, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” marked a turning point for The Temptations. Following the departure of their main songwriter, Smokey Robinson, the group ventured into a more raw and emotional direction under the production of Norman Whitfield.
This gamble paid off in spades, with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topping the Billboard R&B Singles chart for a staggering eight non-consecutive weeks.
The song’s narrative follows a man desperately pleading with his lover to stay. The lyrics, penned by Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr., are a poignant exploration of vulnerability and self-abasement in the face of potential heartbreak.
Video
Lyrics
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
I know you wanna leave meBut I refuse to let you goIf I have to beg and plead for your sympathyI don’t mind, ’cause you mean that much to meAin’t too proud to beg and you know it (sweet darlin’)Please don’t leave me girl (don’t you go)Ain’t too proud to plead, baby, babyPlease don’t leave me, girl (don’t you go)Now I heard a cryin’ manIs half a man, with no sense of prideBut if I have to cry to keep youI don’t mind weepin’ if it’ll keep you by my sideAin’t too proud to beg, sweet darlin’Please don’t leave me girl (don’t you go)Ain’t too proud to plead, baby, babyPlease don’t leave me girl (don’t you go)If I have to sleep on your doorstepAll night and dayJust to keep you from walkin’ awayLet your friends laugh, even this I can stand‘Cause I wanna keep you, any way I canAin’t too proud to beg (sweet darlin’)Please don’t leave me girl (don’t you go)Ain’t too proud to plead, baby, babyPlease don’t leave me girl (don’t you go)