The teenage Syreeta Wright had been singing with some local Detroit outfits when she was employed at Motown as a secretary. Before long, she began recording demos for the Supremes. This led to her first single, “I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You”, which was released under the name of Rita Wr...
[Verse 1]
Here's a tear for a souvenir
And a dream torn at the seams
Here's a promise that you made to me
Of the tomorrow that I'll never see
And then you're free to go
[Chorus]
But I can't give back the love I feel for you
Gonna be stuck with it, no matter what I do
[Post-Chorus]
Take these eyes that once could see
Now reflections of my misery
The happiness I thought would last
Is now a becoming just a thing of the past
[Chorus]
But I can't give back the love, that's a part of me
If you want just a little bit, you have to take all of me
'Cause it will grow 'til the world don't go 'round no more
[Verse 2]
Here's the ring that didn't mean a thing
And letters you wrote that gave my young heart hope
Take the pillow where my dreams were made
And the mind where the thought of you stayed
But baby, you should know
[Chorus]
That I can't give back the love I feel for you
Gonna be stuck with it, no matter what I do
[Post-Chorus]
Take these arms that held you close
And thought I was the one you needed the most
Take these hands, they're no good to me
That used to touch you so tenderly
[Chorus]
But I can't give back the love that's a part of me
If you want just a little bit, you have to take all of me
No, I can't give back the love that I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it, no matter, no matter what I do
No, I can't give back the love that's a part of me
I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You was written by Ashford & Simpson & Brian Holland & Valerie Simpson & Nickolas Ashford.
I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You was produced by Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier & Holland-Dozier.
Syreeta released I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You on Thu Jan 11 1968.
When I recorded ‘I Can’t Give’ it was really funny because I was so scared. They handed me a set of earphones and to me the whole atmosphere was so cold, I mean just sterile.
—Syreeta, Black Music, 1974
“I Can’t Give” was a hip record, but the style was all wrong.
—Syreeta, Soul, 1975