“Me and Mrs. Jones” is not just a song; it is a powerful 1972 soul classic that unravels the clandestine world of forbidden love. Penned by the legendary team of Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert, and brought to life by the velvet-voiced Billy Paul, this track captures the intense, secretive affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. Every detail brims with emotional tension, from their daily encounters at the same café at 6:30 PM to their desperate acknowledgment, “We got a thing going on / we both know that it’s wrong / but it’s much too strong / to let it go now.”
Released on the Philadelphia International imprint under CBS Records as part of Billy Paul’s album 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, this single stormed the charts to become his only #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reigning for three weeks in December 1972, and dominating the R&B Singles chart four weeks. As it claimed its spot atop the charts, it replaced Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” and was eventually succeeded by Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”—a testament to the song’s cultural impact during that era. It even reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, further solidifying its global resonance. Billy Paul’s emotionally charged performance earned him the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 15th Grammy Awards, while the song itself was enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.
The lyrics invite listeners into the shadowy world of the lovers’ rendezvous with vivid imagery: they hold hands and plot their secret plans under the innocent guise of playing their favorite songs on the jukebox. Yet beneath this quiet facade lies a huge moral conflict—“We both know that it’s wrong, but it’s much too strong to let it go now.” The song’s soulful melody carries a haunting saxophone intro that controversially quotes Doris Day’s “Secret Love,” leading to a major lawsuit that ultimately split the song’s royalties, underscoring the complexities behind its creation.
Critics have lauded and critiqued the song’s craftsmanship. Tom Breihan of Stereogum, in a 2019 review, described it as “a finely observed song, one that never judges its characters,” though he noted it lacked the rhythmic drive that would later define the disco era, calling it a “lush and lazy sprawl.” Meanwhile, The New York Times’ obituary of Billy Paul praised the lush string arrangements and punchy horn sections that seamlessly intertwined with Paul’s “velvety, husky baritone,” which climaxes at poignant moments with a wrenching shout of the title phrase.
The music video amplifies this story, depicting Billy Paul intensely playing piano in a recording session, cigar in hand, with dancers swirling around, visually echoing the song’s smooth yet secretive allure.
Through its deeply emotional storytelling and unforgettable melody, “Me and Mrs. Jones” remains a haunting portrayal of the painful allure of love that is as wrong as it is irresistible. This song, beyond the charts and awards, reaches into the core of human experience, laying bare the secret passions that many dare not speak aloud. Billy Paul’s voice and the songwriters’ mastery immortalized a moment in time when love’s forbidden dance was set to one of soul’s most unforgettable tunes.