I Second That Emotion – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#4) & R&B (#1); 1967
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Many of Smokey Robinson’s finest lyrics revolved around clever word rhymes and twists on common phrases. I Second That Emotion got its start while Smokey and fellow Motowner Al Cleveland were Christmas shopping in Hudson’s, Detroit’s premier department store.
In the jewelry department, Smokey bought some pearls for his wife, Claudette, and expressed hope that she’d like them. Al’s reply? “I second that emotion.”
The two friends laughed and moved on, however, the verbal slip stayed with Smokey. Within a day Smokey and Al had polished off I Second That Emotion.
Almost a year later, Emotion was released and quickly moved up the charts, giving the Miracles their first Top 10 pop single since Mickey’s Monkey peaked at #8 in 1963.
On the R&B side Emotion expelled another Motown act, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and their version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine, from the #1 position.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Smokey Robinson
Lyrics Written by:
- Smokey Robinson
- Al Cleveland
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).