In the mid-60s, Terrell released a series of minor R&B chart hits, among them "I Can't Believe You Love Me", "Come On and See Me", and "This Old Heart of Mine" (putting on her own spin on The Isley Brothers' classic). In 1967, she was selected to replace Kim Weston as Marvin Gaye's recording partner, with Gaye being one of Motown's biggest singer-songwriters and being hungry to try more. This teaming produced Gaye's most successful duets, and the pair issued a stream of hit singles between 1967 and 1969. Tracks such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need To Get By" epitomized their style, as Gaye and Terrell wove around each other's voices, creating an aura of romance and eroticism that led to persistent (yet false) rumors that they were in a secret relationship.
Being such close friends and strong admirers of each other's talents, the partnership's non-singles and b-side releases have attracted critical praise as well, with many commenting that both of them sing like passionate actors on a stage totally into their roles. Most of the Gaye/Terrell duets were crafted by two songwriting/production teams: Ashford & Simpson and Harvey Fuqua & Johnny Bristol. Though productions could be intense, given the number of talented musicians in one space at one time, the duo recorded track after track. Yet it all would come to a sudden end soon.
While on tour with Gaye in Virginia during the summer of 1967, Terrell fainted onstage. She was diagnosed as suffering from a brain tumor, much to the shock of her and her friends. Despite a series of major operations over the next three years, her health steadily weakened to the point that she could barely sing. By 1969, Terrell was too weak to perform in public or in the studio, and the duo's co-producer, Valerie Simpson, subbed for Terrell on many of the duo's final recordings. Ironically, one of these tracks, called "The Onion Song", proved to be the most successful of the Gaye/Terrell singles in the U.K.
Tammi Terrell died on March 16, 1970. Her burial service attracting thousands of mourners, including many of her Motown colleagues, numerous musicians in Motown and elsewhere felt shocked. Over the years since, her work with Gaye has proved deeply influential on many later soul and rnb artists. As well, Marvin Gaye's spiritual wanderings and self-reflection upon the passing of such a beloved friend proved a significant life event, and he would soon release his critically acclaimed 'What's Going On' album soon afterward.
Official Motown artist page: http://classic.motown.com/artist_pages/marvin-gaye-tammi-terrell/
Somethin’ Stupid
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To spend an evening with me
And if you go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance
You won't be leaving with me
And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place
And have a drink or two
And then I go and spoil it allBy saying something stupid like "I love you"
I can see it in your eyes, that you despise the same old lies
You heard the night before
And though it's just a line to you, for me it's true
You never seemed so right before
I practice every day to find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through
But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late
And I'm alone with you
The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red
And, oh, the night's so blue
And then I go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid like "I love you"
The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red
And, oh, the night's so blue
And then I go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid like "I love you"
And then I go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid like "I love you"
I love you
I love you
I love you
The lyrics of "Somethin' Stupid" by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell are about a man who has fallen in love with a woman and is trying to express his feelings to her without sounding clichéd. He knows that he has to be patient and wait for the opportune moment to present itself. He stands in line and waits patiently for her to make time for him. He is aware that there is a chance that she might not leave the venue with him after they go out to dance somewhere. However, if she agrees to go somewhere quiet for a drink, he feels that he has finally gotten his chance to make a move and tell her how he really feels.
The man is clearly trying hard to make an impression and win the woman over. He observes that she despises the same old clichéd lines and tries to come up with something clever to say. He practices every day in the hopes of finding the right words to make her feel special. Despite his efforts, he realizes that he often ends up spoiling the moment by saying something stupid like "I love you." While it may be just a line to her, he means it sincerely and believes that his feelings for her are true. The song highlights the delicate balance between being patient and taking a risk, as well as the importance of sincerity and authenticity in expressing romantic feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I stand in line, until you think you have the time
I am willing to wait for you until you are ready to spend time with me.
To spend an evening with me
To dedicate an evening for us to be together.
And if you go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance
If you decide to go dancing, there is a possibility
You won't be leaving with me
That you may not want to be with me anymore.
And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place
We will then retire to a peaceful place.
And have a drink or two
Sipping a beverage, just me and you.
And then I go and spoil it all
But I ruin it.
By saying something stupid like "I love you"
When I say something foolish like, 'I love you.'
I can see it in your eyes, that you despise the same old lies
I can perceive from your eyes that you detest hearing the same lies.
You heard the night before
That you heard from me last night.
And though it's just a line to you, for me it's true
Although it may sound cliché, to me it's my genuine emotion.
You never seemed so right before
I've never felt so certain about you before.
I practice every day to find some clever lines to say
I practice every day to come up with witty things to tell you.
To make the meaning come through
So that the depth of my feelings can be conveyed.
But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late
But then again, I think it's best to wait until the night is quiet.
And I'm alone with you
When I'm alone with only you.
The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red
The atmosphere is perfect, with the scent of your perfume filling my senses and the sky darkening.
And, oh, the night's so blue
The night is deep and serene.
And then I go and spoil it all
And then I mess everything up.
By saying something stupid like "I love you"
By uttering a foolish statement like, 'I love you.'
And then I go and spoil it all
And then I ruin everything.
By saying something stupid like "I love you"
By saying something foolish such as, 'I love you.'
I love you
I hold sentiments of love for you.
I love you
I hold sentiments of love for you.
I love you
I hold sentiments of love for you.
Lyrics © GREENWOOD MUSIC COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Carson Parks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Boogieman94
I know I stand in line
Until you think you have the time
To spend an evening with me
And if we go some place to dance
I know that there's a chance
You won't be leaving with me
And afterwards we drop
Into a quiet little place
And have a drink or two
And then I go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid
Like I love you
I can see it in your eyes
You still despise the same old lines
You heard the night before
And though it's just a line to you
For me it's true
And never seemed so right before
I practice everyday
To find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come true
But then I think I'll wait
Until the evening gets late
And I'm alone with you
The time is right, your perfume fills my head
The stars get red
And oh, the night's so blue
And then I go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid
Like I love you
The time is right, your perfume fills my head
The stars get red
And oh, the night's so blue
And then I go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid
Like I love you
@HunterGamingHD
Legend anyone?
@thirstymage812
HunterGamingHD smokes cigar I mumble mumble fucken love this song. Shootout!?
@comenrum5537
Wut... bobs his head i love dat part
@jojolyneee
Yep😅
@thedarkone6034
Thirsty Mage its like a western complete waste of my Time lol
@javiergrimaldo2306
yep
@wendiemorell2543
Legend,....just rewatched! Loved Ron dancing!
@micheller.7792
Have this song stuck in my head after watching Legend smh
@johnnyberetta9533
Me too. Great movie !
@jackelliott861
he was getting down