Today’s song is “The Way You Do the Things You Do” by The Temptations and is one of their most notable songs, which has gone on to enjoy a great deal of influence.

Fun Facts 

• “The Way You Do the Things You Do” was the first time that The Temptations charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The group didn’t learn about this until they had returned home to Detroit, MI, where a Motown executive told them that they had a hit. Two of the members Otis Williams and David Ruffin started crying on the spot when they saw the listing for the song in Billboard magazine.
• The song was quite influential on the internal dynamics of The Temptations. Previously, the baritone Paul Williams had been considered the lead singer. However, the success of the song caused the falsetto, Eddie Kendricks, to take the lead for the next two singles.
• It is entertaining to note that “The Way You Do the Things You Do” went on to become an American Top 40 hit in not just the 1960s but also the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. This is because of subsequent covers done by Rita Coolidge in 1978, Hall & Oates featuring both David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks in 1985, and UB40 in 1989.

 

Lyrics:

(Musixmatch)

 

You’ve got a smile so bright

You know you could have been a candle

I’m holding you so tight

You know you could have been a handle

The way you swept me off my feet

You know you could have been a broom

The way you smelled so sweet

You know you could have been some perfume

Well, you could have been anything that you wanted to

And I can tell the way you do the things you do (the way you do the things you do)

Ah baby (the way you do the things you do)

As pretty as you are

You know you could have been a flower

If good looks was a minute

You know that you could be an hour

The way you stole my heart

You know you could have been a cool crook

And baby, you’re so smart

You know you could have been a schoolbook

Well, you could have been anything that you wanted to

And I can tell the way you do the things you do

Ah, baby (the way you do the things you do), yeah

You made my life so rich

You know you could have been some money

And baby, you’re so sweet

You know you could have been some honey

Well, you could have been anything that you wanted to

And I can tell the way you do the things you do (the way you do the things you do)

You really swept me off my feet (the way you do the things you do)

You made my life complete (the way you do the things you do)

You made my life so bright (the way you do the things you do)

You make me feel all right (the way you do the things you do)

You make me feel all right