"Jimmy Mack" was the final Top 10 hit for the Vandellas in the United States, peaking at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967 and at #1 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart.
The song, with lead vocal by Vandellas' lead singer Martha Reeves, is narrated by a woman who longs for her boyfriend, named "Jimmy Mack", to return to her. The narrator is being courted by another suitor, whom she notes "talks just as sweet as" her long-gone Jimmy, and hopes for him to return before her resistance is worn down.
The inspiration for this song came from a 1964 music industry awards dinner, which Lamont Dozier attended. At the ceremony the mother of the songwriter Ronnie Mack accepted an award for her son, who had recently died, for his composition He's So Fine. Under pressure to come up with a hit for Reeves and the Vandellas, Dozier and the team penned this song in part a tribute to Mack the writer.
"Jimmy Mack" was originally recorded in 1964 when Annette Beard was still a part of the group. The song was shelved because the Motown Quality Control team felt the recording was not suitable for release with the Vietnam War going on. Like Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' later hit, "The Tears of a Clown", "Jimmy Mack" was pulled from the vault two years later and released as a single in early 1967.
By that time, the Vietnam War had become a highly debated issue among the American public. Thus, Reeves' sentiment that her "Jimmy Mack" return took on a different meaning for many listeners, particularly those stationed overseas.
"Jimmy Mack" was a success, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the second and final Vandellas single to top the Billboard R&B chart. The song had been included on the Vandellas' LP Watchout!, issued a month before the single release. For nearly forty years, "Jimmy Mack" was presented in either monaural sound or in a mix culled from an alternate take. A true stereo mix of the original single master was not done until 2006, for the compilation Martha & the Vandellas: Gold.
Jimmy Mack
Martha Reeves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh Jimmy Mack when are you comin' back.
Jimmy Mack Jimmy,
Oh Jimmy Mack when are you comin' back.
My arms are missing you,
My lips feel the same way too.
I tried so hard to be true, like I promised to do.
tryin' to wear my resistance down.
Hey Jimmy, Jimmy,
Oh Jimmy Mack, when are you comin' back.
Jimmy, Jimmy, Oh Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back.
He calls me on the phone about three times a day.
Now my heart's just listening to, what he has to say
But this loneliness I have within,
Keeps reaching out to be his friend
Hey Jimmy, Jimmy,
Oh Jimmy Mack, when are you comin' back.
Jimmy, Jimmy, Oh Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back.
Need your loving, need your loving.
I wanna say I'm not getting any stronger,
I can't hold out very much longer
Trying hard, to be true,
But, Jimmy he talks just as sweet as you.
Hey Jimmy, Jimmy,
Oh Jimmy Mack, when are you comin' back.
Jimmy, Jimmy, Oh Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back.
The song “Jimmy Mack” by Martha Reeves is a classic tale of longing and heartache. In the lyrics, the singer is waiting for her lover, Jimmy Mack, to return to her. She expresses how her arms and lips miss him, and how she is trying so hard to be true to him, but another boy keeps trying to wear her resistance down. Despite her intentions, she can't seem to resist the sweet talk of the other boy who calls her three times a day. The singer is torn between her loyalty to her absent lover and her desire for the attention and love the other boy offers.
The chorus of the song reinforces the message of the lyrics as it repeats the plea to Jimmy Mack to return as soon as possible. The song conveys a desperate need for the love of Jimmy Mack, and it depicts the struggle one goes through when trying to remain true to a lover who is not around. The song is not just about love but is also about loyalty and commitment in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Jimmy Mack Jimmy, Oh Jimmy Mack when are you comin' back.
The singer is pleading for her lover Jimmy Mack to return to her.
My arms are missing you, My lips feel the same way too.
The singer misses Jimmy Mack both physically and emotionally.
I tried so hard to be true, like I promised to do.
The singer has been faithful to Jimmy Mack despite other men pursuing her.
But this boy keeps comin' around, tryin' to wear my resistance down.
Another man keeps trying to seduce or woo the singer, making it difficult to stay faithful to Jimmy Mack.
He calls me on the phone about three times a day. Now my heart's just listening to, what he has to say.
The other man keeps contacting the singer frequently and she is starting to listen to his words and be influenced by him.
But this loneliness I have within, Keeps reaching out to be his friend.
The singer is lonely and wants companionship, which the other man is offering.
Need your loving, need your loving. I wanna say I'm not getting any stronger, I can't hold out very much longer
The singer needs Jimmy Mack's love and is struggling to resist the other man's advances.
Trying hard, to be true, But, Jimmy he talks just as sweet as you.
The singer is trying to stay loyal to Jimmy Mack, but the other man is just as charming and persuasive.
Jimmy, Jimmy, Oh Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back.
The singer is becoming increasingly desperate for Jimmy Mack's return.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD CLINT GOODMAN, TROY HAROLD SEALS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ronald8780
How did we ever get away from great music like this?
@elosasanchez1243
The music today stinks . The music back then actually had lyrics that made sense . I don't like the music they play today and the 60's and 70's I love and probably always will.
@timmyporter359
probably because 8 crazy nights....
@josephnatoli3935
1:22. Woke progressive morons!
This is what I call music.
Amen.❤
@VickiHillyard
@@elosasanchez1243l
@numbnuts511
One of my wifes favourite ,I bought this for her in our courting days .she used to change the "Mack" bit to my surname. She passed away very recently.I love you ,I miss you. Jimmy xxxxxxx
@BOBLLASHRAM
We all feel the same don't we? This song gives me goose bumps when I hear it just like loads of that Motown stuff. It brings back so many memories of the times when music was just fabulous!
@Realmusiclover1957
We were lucky to be born at the time we were born to witness the greatest music in the history of the world.
@cajayson8301
Amazing, underrated song. Wish they still played this on radio today...such a classic dance hit
@neilhunter495
They do constantly on absolute and smooth radio.