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Pet_Sounds · 03-17-2014, 08:55 PM

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. For tonight's entertainment, I will be critiquing some lyrics. Specifically, the lyrics to a soul tune that Rolling Stone ranked as the 500th greatest song of all time, called...

Shop Around - The Miracles (featuring Bill "Smokey" Robinson)

These lyrics are as straightforward as you can get. A mother is advising her recently come-of-age son not to fall for the first pretty face he sees, but to "shop around" and find a true love. No hidden meanings, no double entendres. Which is to be expected: Shop Around was released on October 15, 1960, long before the psychedelic experimentations of the likes of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix that would define the '60s. But that single was not the song's first exposure. It had been released on September 27 in the Detroit area, before Berry Gordy, its producer and co-writer, decided a poppier re-recording, featuring a more prominent vocal by Robinson, was necessary to ensure Shop Around's appeal to consumers outside Motown. The result was a run of 16 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at #2, and a eight-week stay at #1 on the R&B chart, but more importantly, the Motown Record Corporation's first million-seller.

Ultimately, I rate the lyrics 6/10. They don't turn me off the song, but I don't come away with an overwhelming desire to hear it, either. I could probably write some equivalent lyrics myself, which isn't exactly a compliment.

Tomorrow I take a look at Weezer's Buddy Holly, a song title that rather intrigues me... But until then, my fellow Music Banterers, I wish you a good night.

03-17-2014, 08:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
Pet_Sounds Remember the underscore Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: The other side Posts: 2,489	#500... Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. For tonight's entertainment, I will be critiquing some lyrics. Specifically, the lyrics to a soul tune that Rolling Stone ranked as the 500th greatest song of all time, called... Shop Around - The Miracles (featuring Bill "Smokey" Robinson) These lyrics are as straightforward as you can get. A mother is advising her recently come-of-age son not to fall for the first pretty face he sees, but to "shop around" and find a true love. No hidden meanings, no double entendres. Which is to be expected: Shop Around was released on October 15, 1960, long before the psychedelic experimentations of the likes of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix that would define the '60s. But that single was not the song's first exposure. It had been released on September 27 in the Detroit area, before Berry Gordy, its producer and co-writer, decided a poppier re-recording, featuring a more prominent vocal by Robinson, was necessary to ensure Shop Around's appeal to consumers outside Motown. The result was a run of 16 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at #2, and a eight-week stay at #1 on the R&B chart, but more importantly, the Motown Record Corporation's first million-seller. Ultimately, I rate the lyrics 6/10. They don't turn me off the song, but I don't come away with an overwhelming desire to hear it, either. I could probably write some equivalent lyrics myself, which isn't exactly a compliment. Tomorrow I take a look at Weezer's Buddy Holly, a song title that rather intrigues me... But until then, my fellow Music Banterers, I wish you a good night. __________________ Everybody's dying just to get the disease Last edited by Pet_Sounds; 03-18-2014 at 05:25 AM.