Somethin' Goin' On
Blood Sweat & Tears Lyrics


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You know I woke up this mornin' people
The first thing I did was to look into your eyes
And in that space where I used to find so much truthfulness
There was a stone cold pack of lies

You know that somethin' goin' on
Somethin' goin' on but I don't know what it is
Somethin's goin' on people
All right

I went on down to the mailbox
Seems I got the phone bill yesterday
Charging me for some hour conversation
From someone in L.A.

I know there’s somethin' goin' on
Somethin' goin' on, but I don’t know what it is
Somethin' goin' on, behind my back
I better get to the bottom of this

Now wait a minute, I wanna hear you blow now

Go ahead, go ahead, I want you to blow for all the men
Whose women who don't keep a true love now
I want you to blow for all the people who have to face an empty bed now
Go ahead, blow one for yourself blow one for me too

Yeah, listen, you got to love your woman in the morning
You got to love your woman every night
You got to love your woman all the time, and make her feel all right
You got to give her what she wants

When she wants it, how she wants it
And anytime she might think she wants it
Ah, when your lovin' your woman people
Both you know the score
You know it makes a long-time man suspicious

To come home, to an unlocked door
Your bound to know, somethin' goin' on
Somethin' goin' on, but you don't know what it is




Somethin' goin' on people
I better get to the bottom of this, look out

Overall Meaning

Blood Sweat & Tears’ song “Somethin’ Goin’ On” is a soulful rendition about the singer’s profound suspicion that his partner is being unfaithful to him. The song begins with the singer awakening in the morning and searching for truth in his partner’s eyes. The singer, however, finds a pack of lies instead, which hints that all is not well in his relationship. The lyrics build up the suspense with the use of repeated phrases “Somethin’s goin’ on people” and “but I don’t know what it is.” These phrases suggest that there is a mystery afoot, and the singer wants to get to the bottom of it.


The lyrics illustrate the singer’s efforts to uncover the truth to dispel his suspicions. He checks his mailbox and finds an exorbitant phone bill, which leads him to suspect that his partner is in a long-distance relationship with someone in Los Angeles. The vibe and rhythm of the song get more intense as it evolves. The horn sections take turns to give voice to the singer’s rising suspicion and lead us to the bridge of the song. The bridge explicates the importance of loving your woman every day and night, making her feel happy and fulfilled. It emphasizes that the lack of love can create suspicion in any man’s mind and lead to the deterioration of any healthy relationship.


In conclusion, Blood Sweat & Tears’ song “Somethin’ Goin’ On” uses soulful tunes and powerful lyrics to express the singer’s suspicion of his partner's infidelity. The repeated phrases and horn sections build tension, and the bridge suggests that the well-being of any relationship lies in loving and fulfilling one’s partner's desire.


Line by Line Meaning

You know I woke up this mornin' people
I woke up this morning, but something feels off


The first thing I did was to look into your eyes
I looked into my partner's eyes, hoping for honesty


And in that space where I used to find so much truthfulness
I used to find truth in their eyes, but now it seems like something has changed


There was a stone cold pack of lies
I found only lies in their eyes and not the truth I was hoping for


You know that somethin' goin' on
I'm sure something is not right


Somethin' goin' on but I don't know what it is
I know something is wrong, but I don't know what it is


Somethin's goin' on people
Something is happening, and I'm not sure what it is


All right
Okay


I went on down to the mailbox
I checked my mailbox


Seems I got the phone bill yesterday
I received yesterday's phone bill


Charging me for some hour conversation
It charged me for an hour-long conversation


From someone in L.A.
With someone in Los Angeles


I know there’s somethin' goin' on
I know there's something wrong and not just my phone bill


Somethin' goin' on, but I don’t know what it is
Something is happening, but I'm still unsure what it could be


Somethin' goin' on, behind my back
Something is going on without my knowledge


I better get to the bottom of this
I need to find out what's going on


Now wait a minute, I wanna hear you blow now
Hold on, I want to hear the music now


Go ahead, go ahead, I want you to blow for all the men
Play your instrument for all of the men who have been betrayed by their unfaithful partners


Whose women who don't keep a true love now
Their women don't stay loyal to them anymore


I want you to blow for all the people who have to face an empty bed now
Play your instrument for all the people who feel alone and abandoned in bed now


Go ahead, blow one for yourself blow one for me too
Play your instrument for yourself, and play one for me too


Yeah, listen, you got to love your woman in the morning
In order to avoid suspicion, treat your partner with love and respect in the morning


You got to love your woman every night
Treat your partner with love and respect every night


You got to love your woman all the time, and make her feel all right
You must show your partner love all the time and make them feel happy


You got to give her what she wants
Make sure to give your partner what they want


When she wants it, how she wants it
Give your partner what they want, when and how they want it


And anytime she might think she wants it
Always be willing to give your partner what they want, even if they just think they want it


Ah, when your lovin' your woman people
When you're loving your partner


Both you know the score
Both of you understand the situation and the level of satisfaction


You know it makes a long-time man suspicious
When things are not adding up, a person can become suspicious


To come home, to an unlocked door
To come home and find the door unlocked


Your bound to know, somethin' goin' on
You become aware that something is going on


Somethin' goin' on, but you don't know what it is
Something is happening, but you don't know what's causing it


Somethin' goin' on people
Something is happening, and you're still unsure what it could be


I better get to the bottom of this, look out
I need to find out what's going on, so be warned




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL KOOPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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