I Second That Emotion

Album

Single

Label

Motown

Genre

Soul

Composer(s)

William "Smokey" Robinson;Alfred Cleveland

Entered Chart

Nov 4, 1967

Peak Date

Dec 16, 1967

Released

October 19, 1967

Recorded

September 21, 1967 Studio Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A)

Catalog #

Tamla 54159

B-Side

You Must Be Love

"I second that motion" is a common phrase heard at meetings in America where policy is being determined. It's what Motown producer Al Cleveland meant to say when he was on a shopping trip with Smokey Robinson. As Robinson recalls in his 1989 autobiography, he and Cleveland went to a Detroit department store called Hudson's to do Christmas shopping in December 1967. Smokey's wife, Claudette, had recently given birth to twins that didn't survive the premature birth, and he was looking to get her a gift. At the jewelry counter, Smokey picked out some pearls and asked Robinson what he thought. "I second that emotion" was his reply, and later that afternoon the pair wrote a song around the misspoken phrase. Robinson and Cleveland produced the song, and it was released in October 1968, entering the US Top 40 in December, about a year after it was written. The song was also a #1 R&B hit. This was the first Top 10 hit for the group after their 1967 name change from The Miracles. Robinson and Cleveland teamed up to write several more hits for the group, including "Special Occasion" (#26 US, 1968), "Yester Love" (#31 US, 1968), and "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" (#8 US, 1969). Robinson and Cleveland wrote a third verse for this song, which pushed the length to 3:15. Acutely aware that songs longer than 3 minutes were often denied airplay, Motown head Berry Gordy had them eliminate the verse and bring the song down to 2:38, which was much more palatable for radio programmers. Robinson was OK with altering the song, as he had tremendous respect for Gordy's judgment and wanted the song to be a hit. He felt that he could tell a story in a song in whatever time he was allotted - even under 3 minutes. In songwriting circles, this one is often studied for its use of secondary rhymes and melodic intricacy. Smokey Robinson sprinkled in words like "notion" and "devotion" to compliment the title, all while rhyming verses with phrases like "kisses sweet" and "no repeat." The guitar line also perfectly accents the vocal. Robinson credits Berry Gordy for his songwriting evolution. Gordy was a songwriter before he started Motown (he wrote song for Jackie Wilson), and he taught Robinson how to write intricate, yet accessible songs like this one. This was featured on the soundtrack of the 1983 film The Big Chill. >> This song was a favorite of Jerry Garcia; he often performed it with the Grateful Dead and with the Jerry Garcia Band. These versions show up on a variety of bootleg recordings.

Maybe you'll wanna give me kisses sweet
But only for one night with no repeat
And maybe you'll go away and never call
And a taste of honey is worse that none at all

Oh, little girl, in that case I don't want no part
I do believe that that would only break my heart
Oh, but if you feel like lovin' me
If you got the notion
I second that emotion
Said, if you feel like giving me a lifetime of devotion
I second that emotion, oh

Maybe you'll think that love would tie you down
And you don't have the time to hang around
Or maybe you think that love was made for fools
And so it makes you wise to break the rules

Oh, little girl, in that case I don't want no part
I do believe that that would only break my heart
Oh, but if you feel like lovin' me
If you got the notion
I second that emotion
Said, if you feel like giving me a lifetime of devotion
I second that emotion

Oh, oh
Oh, oh

Oh, little girl, in that case I don't want no part
I do believe that that would only break my heart
Oh, but if you feel like lovin' me
If you got the notion
I second that emotion
Said, if you feel like giving me a lifetime of devotion
I second that emotion
(Oh, little girl, I second that emotion)
(Oh)