Don't Leave Me This Way – English Lyrics

• By: Thelma Houston
• Album: Any Way You Like It

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the soulful depths of Thelma Houston's iconic hit, "Don't Leave Me This Way." This song is more than just a disco classic; it's a powerful lesson in expressing raw emotion and vulnerability. By exploring its lyrics, you'll gain insight into the art of conveying heartfelt pleas and the universal longing for connection, all while grooving to a timeless beat.

[English]

Don't leave me this way

I can't survive, I can't stay alive

Without your love, oh baby

Don't leave me this way, now

I can't exist, I will surely miss

Your tender kiss, don't leave me this way

Oh baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you

Now, 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?

Then come on, satisfy the need in me

'Cos only your good loving can set me free

Set me free, set me free

Don't, don't you leave me this way, no

Don't you understand, I'm at your command?

Oh baby, please, please don't leave me this way, no, baby

Don't leave me this way, now

I can't survive, I can't stay alive

Without your love, baby

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, satisfy the need in me

'Cos only your good loving can set me free

Set me free, set me free

Need your loving, baby, need, need

Satisfy the need in me, satisfy the need in me

Oh baby, come and satisfy the need in me

Oh baby, come and satisfy the need in me

Oh baby, Don't leave me this way

Don't leave me this way, no

Don't leave me this way, no

Don't leave me this way, baby

Don't leave me, don't leave me this way, baby

Oh baby, oh, don't leave me this way, no

Don't leave me this way

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - to go away from
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood
full /fʊl/ A2	adjective - containing or holding as much as possible
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of wanting something verb - to strongly wish for or want something
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A2	noun - a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ B1	adjective - producing or characterized by intense heat
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	noun - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events verb - to have power over; to manage
need /niːd/ A2	noun - something required or wanted verb - to require (something) because it is essential or very important
loving /ˈlʌvɪŋ/ B1	adjective - feeling or showing love and affection
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not under the control or power of someone else; able to do or say what you want verb - to release from captivity or constraint
command /kəˈmænd/ B2	noun - an authoritative order verb - to give an authoritative order
survive /sərˈvaɪv/ B1	verb - continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship
tender /ˈtendər/ B2	adjective - gentle and loving
miss /mɪs/ A2	verb - to feel sad about the absence of (someone or something)

Key Grammar Structures

• Don't leave me this way

  ➔ Imperative

  ➔ Uses the imperative verb form "Don't leave" to express a direct request or command, specifically a negative one.

• I can't survive, I can't stay alive

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't'

  ➔ "can't" is the contracted form of "cannot," expressing an inability to do something (survive, stay alive). Demonstrates the singer's dependence on the subject of the song.

• Without your love, oh baby

  ➔ Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The phrase "Without your love" acts as an adverbial modifier, expressing a condition under which the singer cannot survive. It emphasizes the necessity of the listener's love.

• My heart is full of love and desire for you

  ➔ Subject-Verb-Complement

  ➔ Basic sentence structure. "My heart" is the subject, "is" is the verb (linking verb), and "full of love and desire for you" is the complement describing the subject.

• You started this fire down in my soul

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ The verb "started" is in the simple past tense, indicating a completed action in the past. It highlights the origin of the singer's intense feelings.

• Now can't you see it's burning out of control?

  ➔ Question with contraction and present continuous

  ➔ "Can't you see" is a question using a contracted form of "cannot". "It's burning" utilizes the present continuous tense to describe an ongoing action (the fire burning out of control).

• 'Cos only your good loving can set me free

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction 'cos and modal verb 'can'

  ➔ 'Cos' is a shortened form of 'because', introducing a reason. The modal verb 'can' expresses the ability or possibility: only the listener's love has the power to free the speaker.