It’s fitting that ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ makes an appearance in the middle of my 80s countdown, as my first experience of the song came through Phil Collins’ 1982 cover version. I was vaguely aware that the tune wasn’t his, but I didn’t know the classic Supremes’ version at all.
It’s funny how many of these old Motown songs (particularly Supremes songs) were covered in the 80s. I think cover versions were to that era what sampling is to the 90s and 00s. These days you don’t see many artists straight up covering old songs, but you hear plenty of beats and melodies of old songs showing up piecemeal in new ones.
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
No, you just have to wait
You got to trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes
But how many heartaches
Must I stand before I find a love
To let me live again
Right now the only thing
That keeps me hangin’ on
When I feel my strength, yeah
It’s almost gone
I remember 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
How long must I wait
How much more can I take
Before loneliness will cause my heart
Heart to break?
No I can’t bear to live my life alone
I grow impatient for a love to call my own
But when I feel that I, I can’t go on
These precious words keeps me hangin’ on
I remember 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
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes
No, love, love, don’t come easy
But I keep on waiting
Anticipating for that soft voice
To talk to me at night
For some tender arms
To hold me tight
I keep waiting
I keep on waiting
But it ain’t easy
It ain’t easy
But mama said:
You can’t hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said to trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes
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
Meet Me In Montauk 
Had to include the Phil Collins’ version, as its one of my favorite covers ever. Not sure why, though I do remember loving that video, too 🙂 Let’s face it – this must be one of the most important sentiments ever to be put to music. And mama is never wrong. 🙂
Covers are still being made, you just have to spend more time on Radio Disney or watching teen movies to hear them. Most of the covers today are from classic 70’s and 80’s songs. Recent ones include Selena Gomez doing “Magic.” (As in, oh, oh, oh, it’s magic, ya know…) and some remake of “U Can’t Touch This.”
I also am fond of Collins’ cover of today’s song, but the original is truly classic.
great song and beat, and it’s true about Mama too! 😉