If You Don't Want Me
Patty Loveless · Up Against My Heart [1991]
(Emory Gordy - Monte Warden)
Never really felt like I belonged
Just about that time you came along
Led me to expect your love and your respect
But lately you don't let those feelings show.
I don't really want somebody else
But I won't be your prize upon a shelf
I'd rather feel this emptiness
Than be something you possess.
If you don't want me let me go
Can't we both admit we made the most of it and we were wrong
Don't you realize the best years of our lives
Will soon be gone if you hold on.
I know there must be more to life than
this neglected vows wrapped in a token kiss
Lonely and ignored I can't take it anymore
If you don't want me, if you don't love me
If you don't want me let me go...
Never really felt like I belonged
Just about that time you came along
Led me to expect your love and your respect
But lately you don't let those feelings show.
I don't really want somebody else
But I won't be your prize upon a shelf
I'd rather feel this emptiness
Than be something you possess.
If you don't want me let me go
Can't we both admit we made the most of it and we were wrong
Don't you realize the best years of our lives
Will soon be gone if you hold on.
I know there must be more to life than
this neglected vows wrapped in a token kiss
Lonely and ignored I can't take it anymore
If you don't want me, if you don't love me
If you don't want me let me go...
If You Don't Want Me
Patty Loveless delivers a quintessential country-rock anthem on 'Up Against My Heart,' a 1991 album that solidified her status as a master of the honky-tonk genre. The track exemplifies her signature style, blending raw vocal power with driving instrumentation to explore themes of heartbreak and resilience. As a staple of her discography, the song captures the emotional intensity characteristic of her work from the early 1990s, resonating deeply with fans of traditional country and rock. Its enduring appeal lies in Loveless's ability to craft memorable recordings that balance personal vulnerability with the broad, anthemic quality typical of her era's best-selling albums.