Meaningful songs #9 - BILLY PAUL

This is the ninth in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "Me And Mrs Jones", released in 1972, is by a singer called BILLY PAUL.

Hear the song here

This song is a story about conflicted emotions, describing an extramarital affair, transacted in a cafe.

ME AND MRS JONES

Me and Mrs. Jones

We got a thing going on

We both know that it's wrong

But it's much too strong to lit it go now

  

We meet every day at the same café 

Six-thirty, and no one knows she'll be there

Holding hands, making all kinds of plans

While the jukebox plays our favourite song

  

CHORUS

Me and Mrs., Mrs. Jones

Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones

We got a thing going on

We both know that it's wrong

But it's much too strong to let it go now

  

We got to be extra careful

That we don't build our hopes up too high

'Cause she's get her own obligation

And so do I

  

CHORUS

Well it's time for us to be leaving

It hurts so much, it hurts so much inside

Now she'll go her way and I'll go mine

But tomorrow we'll meet at the same place, same time

It's much too strong to let it go now

Me and Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones

Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones

We got a thing going on

We gotta be extra careful (thing going on)

We can't afford to build our hopes up too high

I wanna meet (thing going on)

And talk with you

At the same place

The same café

The same time

And we're gonna hold hands like we used to

We're gonna talk it over, talk it over (thing going on)

We know, they know

And you know and I know that it was wrong

Well I don't think it's wrong

We gotta let it go now

We got a thing going on, a thing going on

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in this series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.