The Communards: Don’t Leave Me This Way

Remarks:

This song went to #1 in both the US and UK, but in different decades done by different artists:

• 1977: Thelma Houston: #1 US, #13 UK
• 1986: The Communards: #40 US, #1 UK

It was the number one song in the UK for 1986 as a whole.

Both are covers of a Philly Soul song written by Gamble & Huff for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

The Communards changed up some of the words and made it into a duet. They cannot hold a match to Thelma Houston’s singing, but I like their instrumental music better, especially the piano. Somewhere between the two there is an even better song.

See also:

• songs: the 1980s
• also Gamble & Huff:
  • Billy Paul: Me and Mrs Jones
  • The Three Degrees: When Will I See You Again
  • Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes: If You Don’t Know Me By Now
  • Patti LaBelle: If Only You Knew
• Hal Davis (Motown music producer):
  • Diana Ross: Love Hangover
  • Thelma Houston: Don’t Leave Me This Way – same studio and many of the same musicians as “Love Hangover”
  • Jackson 5: I’ll Be There

Lyrics: 

Don’t leave me this way
I can’t survive
I can’t stay alive
Without your love, no baby

Don’t leave me this way
I can’t exist
I will surely miss your tender kiss
So don’t leave me this way

Oh baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
So come on down and do what you’ve got to do
Your started this fire down in my soul
Now can’t you see it’s burning out of control
So come on down and satisfy the need in me
‘Cos only your good loving can set me free

Don’t leave me this way
I don’t understand how I’m at your command
So baby please, so don’t you leave me this way

Oh, baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
So come on down and do what you’ve got to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can’t you see it’s burning out of control
So come on down and satisfy the need in me
‘Cos only your good loving can set me free
Set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free
Come, satisfy me, come satisfy me
Don’t you leave me this way

Don’t leave me this way
I can’t exist, I will surely miss your tender kiss
So don’t leave me this way

Oh, baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
So come on down and do what you’ve got to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can’t you see it’s burning out of control
So come on down and satisfy the need in me
‘Cos only your good loving can set me free
Set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free

Don’t you know by now, don’t you know by now

I’m losing control

Source: Genius Lyrics.