"Me and Mrs. Jones" (On 360 Degrees of Billy Paul)

Paul, Billy

On one level, this 1972 single is just another page in the overstuffed cheating hearts songbook—that sad tome filled with accounts of ordinary folks falling victim to forbidden desire. But unlike many of those songs, it's the chronicle of a transgression that doesn't stand in judgment of anybody. Quite the opposite: Billy Paul sings "Me and Mrs. Jones" as one who's trapped in a situation that's escalated way beyond his imagining, and finds himself powerless inside its illicit lure. One verse in, and Paul is saying how "we both know that it's wrong," presenting his case in such a way that empathy is the natural reaction. He makes you feel the seductive pull of the situation—and really, everything about "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a seduction. The guitars give off a cognac-and-candlelight richness. The music beckons from some opulent lounge, where an orchestra plays music sneaky lovers can grind to. Then there's Paul, who came up in jazz. He translates the torture of the situation into engrossing ad-libs, torn-apart twists, and turns so powerful they can be understood in any language.

This song remained on the top of the Billboard singles chart for three weeks despite the fact that some stations wouldn't play it because it "glorified" adultery. In some ways "Me and Mrs. Jones" was the first great cheating song of a duplicitous decade, that time of Watergate dirty tricks and cover-ups. Paul's confessional hit transcends its era—while also sidestepping the clichés of the sneaking-around genre. Other tunes examine adultery in greater detail, but none make the vast gray area between "right" and "wrong" sound so alluring.

Genre: R&B
Released: 1972, Philadelphia International
Appears On: 360 Degrees of Billy Paul.
Next Stop: Teddy Pendergrass: The Best of Teddy Pendergrass
After That: Luther Vandross: The Ultimate Luther Vandross.
Book Page: 585

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