Download Instrumental    This is an odd little song. For one thing, the title is too long to fit comfortably on a 45 record label (if you remember 45’s). And the singer persists in comparing his lady love to inanimate objects: a broom, a candle, some perfume, some money, a school book, and a handle…, among other things. Even refers to her at one point as a “cool crook”. No high romance here, but the song works because it’s got a great beat and you can dance to it – as Dick Clark used to say.  The biggest selling point of this tune is it was recorded by The Temptations – those guys could record an old song like “Night and Day” and make it sound brand new.  Oh, wait…they did!

The Temptations recorded “TWYDTTYD” in January of 1964.  They had already released five other singles, all flops.  Berry Gordy, head of Motown Records, begged his writers to come up with a song that would fit their style and launch their career.  Smokey Robinson stepped in with this little gem (Smokey wrote most all of their songs) and it was an immediate hit.  It was followed by such classics as “My Girl” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”.

Goofy as the lyrics are, this one still makes for a winner onstage.  It’s recognizable and, as I said before, you can certainly dance to it.  Would be nice for you young singers out there to resurrect this one.  It occurs to me that the lyrics are just a series of ridiculous pick-up lines that a pathetic loser might use in a bar.  “You’ve got a smile so bright, you know you could have been a candle” (Yeah, light my fire, Romeo).  Or, “As pretty as you are, you know you could have been a flower” (Aren’t you sweet – now go away).  “You make my life so rich, you know you could’ve been some money” (Unless you have some money, move on down the road, Casanova).  You see how easy it is to make fun of this song, but you should still do it.  Nobody listens to the lyrics anyway.