About the Song

Written and recorded by the legendary Marvin Gaye, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” is a timeless classic that has been enjoyed by generations of music lovers. Originally released in 1964, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became Gaye’s first number-one single. It has since been covered by countless artists, including Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and James Taylor.

The song is a beautiful expression of love and gratitude. Gaye’s soulful vocals and the upbeat Motown sound make it a joy to listen to. The lyrics are simple but powerful, and they speak to the universal experience of being in love.

The song begins with Gaye singing about how he had been searching for love for a long time. He had been through many disappointments, but he had never given up hope. Finally, he found the love of his life, and he is overjoyed.

The chorus of the song is a simple but powerful declaration of love. Gaye sings, “How sweet it is (to be loved by you)/How sweet it is (to be loved by you)/I needed the shelter of someone’s arms/And you came along.” These words express the pure joy and happiness that comes from being loved by someone special.

The rest of the song is filled with Gaye’s expressions of gratitude for his lover. He sings about how she has made his life better and how he can’t imagine his life without her. He also sings about how he will always love her.

“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” is a beautiful and moving song that celebrates the power of love. It is a song that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.

Some other interesting facts about the song:

  • The song was written by the Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
  • It was produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier.
  • The song was featured in the 1965 film “The T.A.M.I. Show.”
  • It was also featured in the 1994 film “Pulp Fiction.”
  • In 2004, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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Lyrics: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by youI needed the shelter of someone’s arms and there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs
and there you were
With sweet love and devotion
deeply touching my emotion
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you babyHow sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you

I close my eyes at night,
wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore,
everywhere I went it seems I’d been there before
But you brightened up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby
I want to stop and thank you baby

How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you

You were better to me than I’ve been to myself
For me, there’s you and there ain’t nobody else
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby

[Repeat and fade:]
How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you

You Missed

Dolly Parton turned a simple handmade coat into one of the most powerful songs of her life because to her, it was never really about the fabric. “Coat of Many Colors” sprang directly from Dolly’s growing-up years in East Tennessee. Her mother, Avie Lee, pieced the jacket together by sewing colorful rags the family already owned. Cash was mighty tight, so there was no running down to the store for brand-new clothes. Instead, Avie Lee took what was on hand and stitched together something warm for her little girl to wear. While the needle flew, she shared the Bible story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, turning an ordinary piece of clothing into something special in Dolly’s eyes. Proudly wearing that coat to school, Dolly felt rich, but the other kids saw it differently. They laughed at the patches and teased her for having so little. Years down the road, Dolly penned those childhood memories into “Coat of Many Colors.” Released in 1971, the tune became a shining example of why her songwriting touched so many souls. She never tried to hide hard times or dress up her youth to look prettier than it was. She simply laid the sting of teasing side-by-side with the deep love that stitched the coat together, letting that honest truth speak for itself. The song eventually grew far beyond that original vinyl record. Its spirit inspired the 2015 television movie Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, followed by Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love the very next year. Those films opened a window into Dolly’s mountain home, introducing folks to the hardworking parents and siblings who shaped her long before the bright lights found her. By then, Dolly had worn glittering stage gowns worth more than her family could ever have dreamed. Yet the garment folks remember best remains that humble little coat stitched by a mother’s loving hands when buying something new simply wasn’t in the cards. That is why the memory stayed alive. The scraps faded away, but the lesson underneath never did.