Your Heart Belongs To Me

Annotation

The pop-soul song "Your Heart Belongs to Me" (Motown Records # 1027) took the 'soldier boy' perspective, as a woman missed her sweetheart who had "gone to a faraway land, serving your country" - in Berlin? Vietnam? Like a whole bunch of 'soldier boy' tracks from the early 1960s, it presented soldiering as a common activity. The sweetheart sent the soldier "a picture to carry with you all the time" for when he was "feeling lonely" and so that he did not forget her. It featured the vocals of the Detroit, Michigan girl group as a quartet - Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Barbara Martin. Smokey Robinson composed and produced the song. The Supremes signed to Motown in 1961 and it took several years before becoming a top-charting success with twelve number one singles. This song, recorded in December 1961 and released on 8 May 1962, only reached # 95 in the Billboard charts (18 August 1962) - the first of their songs to chart.1 It may have been hampered by the The Shirelles' hugely successful "Soldier Boy" (above), released several months before (March 1962), on exactly the same theme. Or, perhaps the successful of the Shirelles single boosted this into the charts?2 Marvin Gaye released the single "Soldier's Plea" on the same day, 8 May 1962, discussed below.Also see covers: The Extentions - "Your Heart Belongs to Me" (Nickel # N-113) The Velvelettes - "Your Heart Belong to Me" (1966: unreleased)Sources1Billboard, 18 August 1962↩2Billboard, March 1962↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US Domestic Perspective Songs

The pop-soul song "Your Heart Belongs to Me" (Motown Records # 1027) took the 'soldier boy' perspective, as a woman missed her sweetheart who had "gone to a faraway land, serving your country" - in Berlin? Vietnam? Like a whole bunch of 'soldier boy' tracks from the early 1960s, it presented soldiering as a common activity. The sweetheart sent the soldier "a picture to carry with you all the time" for when he was "feeling lonely" and so that he did not forget her. It featured the vocals of the Detroit, Michigan girl group as a quartet - Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Barbara Martin. Smokey Robinson composed and produced the song. The Supremes signed to Motown in 1961 and it took several years before becoming a top-charting success with twelve number one singles. This song, recorded in December 1961 and released on 8 May 1962, only reached # 95 in the Billboard charts (18 August 1962) - the first of their songs to chart.1 It may have been hampered by the The Shirelles' hugely successful "Soldier Boy" (above), released several months before (March 1962), on exactly the same theme. Or, perhaps the successful of the Shirelles single boosted this into the charts?2 Marvin Gaye released the single "Soldier's Plea" on the same day, 8 May 1962, discussed below.The Extentions – "Your Heart Belongs to Me" (Nickel # N-113) The Velvelettes – "Your Heart Belong to Me" (1966: unreleased)Sources1Billboard, 18 August 1962↩2Billboard, March 1962↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs

The pop-soul song "Your Heart Belongs to Me" (Motown Records # 1027) took the 'soldier boy' perspective, as a woman missed her sweetheart who had "gone to a faraway land, serving your country" - in Berlin? Vietnam? Like a whole bunch of 'soldier boy' tracks from the early 1960s, it presented soldiering as a common activity. The sweetheart sent the soldier "a picture to carry with you all the time" for when he was "feeling lonely" and so that he did not forget her. It featured the vocals of the Detroit, Michigan girl group as a quartet - Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Barbara Martin. Smokey Robinson composed and produced the song. The Supremes signed to Motown in 1961 and it took several years before becoming a top-charting success with twelve number one singles. This song, recorded in December 1961 and released on 8 May 1962, only reached # 95 in the Billboard charts (18 August 1962) - the first of their songs to chart.1 It may have been hampered by the The Shirelles' hugely successful "Soldier Boy" (above), released several months before (March 1962), on exactly the same theme. Or, perhaps the successful of the Shirelles single boosted this into the charts?2 Marvin Gaye released the single "Soldier's Plea" on the same day, 8 May 1962, discussed below.The Extentions - "Your Heart Belongs to Me" (Nickel # N-113) The Velvelettes - "Your Heart Belong to Me" (1966: unreleased)Sources1Billboard, 18 August 1962↩2Billboard, March 1962↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Lover of mine, gone to a faraway land / Serving your country on some faraway sand / But you should get no name / Remember that your heart belongs to me / I'm sending you a picture to carry with you all the time / So when you're feeling lonely it's something to remind you / I'm thinking of you constantly / Remember that your hearts belongs to me / If a pretty girl should pass you by I won't mind if you give her the eye / Or even if you give her a smile sometimes / But keep your heart because your heart is mine... / Lover of mine, if I could tell you how I yearn / For the day to come when you will return / From far across the sea, so remember that your heart belongs to me

Notes

Motown 1027 picture sleeve, "Your Heart Belongs to Me" / "(He's) Seventeen", with a black-and-white photograph of the three Supremes in matching cardigans and pearl necklaces. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Formed 1961, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Disbanded 1977, London, Greater London, UK

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Soldier Boy

In collections

US Domestic Perspective Songs [War Years] · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs