Released: September 30, 1970
Songwriter: Al Cleveland Johnny Bristol Smokey Robinson
Producer: Al Cleveland Smokey Robinson Johnny Bristol
[Intro]
Burn, burn, burn, burn (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
You might get burned (Burn, burn)
Backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Caught in the middle (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Burn, burn)
Backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Second fiddle (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Burn, burn)
[Verse 1]
Now all you girls
With your pretty, pretty faces
You got one guy giving you
Silks and laces
Another guy who takes you to
Exquisite places
You can still lose the hand
Though you're holding all the aces, 'cause
[Pre-Chorus]
You can bite off more than you can chew
And get choked on a thought that the fool is you
[Chorus]
'Cause the plans of the sweetest liar (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Still backfire (Burn, burn)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Burn, yeah)
You might get burned (Caught in the middle)
Burn, burn, burn, you might get burned (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Sometimes the accuser (Burn, yeah)
Can still be the loser (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
And it burn, burn, burns, you might get burned
[Verse 2]
Oh, sometimes we fellas get
Just a little bit slick (Ooh)
And think we know all the ropes (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
And we know all the tricks (Doo)
We'll keep one girl in the city (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
And another in the sticks (Doo)
One thing that I know that we can (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Find out pretty quick is that
[Pre-Chorus]
Too many girls in too many places
Makes it hard to remember all the names and faces
[Chorus]
'Cause the plans of the smoothest liar (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Still backfire (Burn, burn)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burned (Burn, yeah)
You might get burned (Caught in the middle)
Burn, burn, burned, you might get burned (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
You might get caught up in the middle (Burn, yeah)
And be playin' second fiddle (Caught in the middle)
And get burn, burn, burned, you might get burned
(Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Backfire (Burn, yeah)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(You might get burned)
[Bridge]
Ooh, ooh
[Verse 3]
Don't you think it can't happen to you (Ooh)
'Cause it happen every day (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
To somebody who (Ooh)
No, I'm not just a little too late (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
That they have crossed the wires (Ooh)
It's just because they have too many (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Irons in the fire
[Pre-Chorus]
You better not make things too hot
'Cause you might get burned when the tables turn
[Chorus]
'Cause the plans of the smoothest liar (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Yeah, still backfire (Burn, burn)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burned (Burn, yeah)
You might get burned (Caught in the middle)
Burn, burn, burned, you might get burned (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
No, the plans of the smoothest liar (Burn, yeah)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(You might get burned)
Backfire (Burn)
Burn, burn, burn
Burn, burn, burn, burn (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
You might get burned (Burn, burn)
Backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Caught in the middle (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Burn, burn)
Backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Second fiddle (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Burn, burn)
[Verse 1]
Now all you girls
With your pretty, pretty faces
You got one guy giving you
Silks and laces
Another guy who takes you to
Exquisite places
You can still lose the hand
Though you're holding all the aces, 'cause
[Pre-Chorus]
You can bite off more than you can chew
And get choked on a thought that the fool is you
[Chorus]
'Cause the plans of the sweetest liar (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Still backfire (Burn, burn)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Burn, yeah)
You might get burned (Caught in the middle)
Burn, burn, burn, you might get burned (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Sometimes the accuser (Burn, yeah)
Can still be the loser (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
And it burn, burn, burns, you might get burned
[Verse 2]
Oh, sometimes we fellas get
Just a little bit slick (Ooh)
And think we know all the ropes (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
And we know all the tricks (Doo)
We'll keep one girl in the city (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
And another in the sticks (Doo)
One thing that I know that we can (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Find out pretty quick is that
[Pre-Chorus]
Too many girls in too many places
Makes it hard to remember all the names and faces
[Chorus]
'Cause the plans of the smoothest liar (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Still backfire (Burn, burn)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burned (Burn, yeah)
You might get burned (Caught in the middle)
Burn, burn, burned, you might get burned (Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum)
You might get caught up in the middle (Burn, yeah)
And be playin' second fiddle (Caught in the middle)
And get burn, burn, burned, you might get burned
(Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Backfire (Burn, yeah)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(You might get burned)
[Bridge]
Ooh, ooh
[Verse 3]
Don't you think it can't happen to you (Ooh)
'Cause it happen every day (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
To somebody who (Ooh)
No, I'm not just a little too late (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
That they have crossed the wires (Ooh)
It's just because they have too many (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Irons in the fire
[Pre-Chorus]
You better not make things too hot
'Cause you might get burned when the tables turn
[Chorus]
'Cause the plans of the smoothest liar (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(Burn, burn)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
Yeah, still backfire (Burn, burn)
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burned (Burn, yeah)
You might get burned (Caught in the middle)
Burn, burn, burned, you might get burned (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
No, the plans of the smoothest liar (Burn, yeah)
Can still backfire (Bum-bum-bum-bum)
(You might get burned)
Backfire (Burn)
Burn, burn, burn
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- Satisfaction
- California Soul
- Come Spy With Me
- Swept for You Baby
- Since You Won My Heart
- Your Mother’s Only Daughter
- I Care About Detroit
- Give Her Up
- Oh Be My Love
- Save Me
- I Gotta Thing For You
- All That’s Good
- That Girl
- Crazy About the La La La
- Oh Baby Baby I Love You
- Crazy About the La la La (Stereo Promo Version)
- My Business, Your Pleasure
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