Who's Making Love – English Lyrics

• By: Johnnie Taylor
• Album: The Very Best Of Johnnie Taylor

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the soulful sounds of Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love," a classic that uses a cautionary tale of infidelity to explore relationship dynamics. Learn about the nuances of classic soul music and consider the song's impact on both Johnnie Taylor's career and Stax Records.

[English]

All you fellows, gather 'round me

And let me give you some good advice

What I'm gonna, gonna ask you now

You better think about it twice

While you're out cheating on your woman

There's something you never even thought of, and that is

Who's making love to your old lady

While you were out making love (hear me now)

Who's making love to your old lady

While you were out making love

I've seen so, so many fellows

Fall in that same old bag

Thinking that a woman is made to,

To be beat on and treated so bad

Oh, fellows, let me ask you something

I'm sure that you never even dreamed of,

Who's making love to your old lady

While you were out making love

Who's making love to your old lady

While you were out making love

I know there are some women gives the other excuse

I'm not tryin' to run your life, boy it's up to you

Oh, you oh, you,

...

Reason why I ask this question

I used to be the same old way

When I decided to straighten up

I found it was a bit too late

Oh, that's when it all happened

Something I never, never dreamed of

Somebody was-a lovin' my old lady

While I was out making love

Somebody was-a lovin' my old lady

While I was out making love

Now who's making love to your old lady

While you were out making love

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fellows /ˈfel.oʊz/ B1	noun - men or boys
advice /ədˈvaɪs/ B1	noun - guidance or recommendations
cheating /ˈtʃiːtɪŋ/ B2	verb - act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage
woman /ˈwʊm.ən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - feel deep affection for
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time
lady /ˈleɪ.di/ A2	noun - a woman
many /ˈmen.i/ A1	adjective - a large number of
fall /fɑːl/ A2	verb - to drop down unintentionally
bag /bæɡ/ A1	noun - a container
beat /biːt/ B1	verb - to hit repeatedly
treated /ˈtriː.tɪd/ A2	verb - to behave towards someone
sure /ʃʊr/ A2	adjective - certain
dreamed /driːmd/ B1	verb - experienced dreams during sleep
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
question /ˈkwes.tʃən/ A2	noun - a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information
reason /ˈriː.zən/ B1	noun - a cause, explanation, or justification
straighten /ˈstreɪ.tən/ B2	verb - to make or become straight
late /leɪt/ A1	adjective - after the expected or usual time

Key Grammar Structures

• All you fellows, gather 'round me

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase "gather 'round me" is a direct command or request. The imperative mood is used to give orders, instructions, or make requests.

• And let me give you some good advice

  ➔ Use of "let" to express permission/suggestion

  ➔ "Let me give" expresses a willingness to offer advice. "Let" functions as a permission or a gentle command.

• What I'm gonna, gonna ask you now

  ➔ Informal contraction "gonna"

  ➔ "Gonna" is a colloquial contraction of "going to," used to express a future intention. It's common in spoken English and informal contexts.

• You better think about it twice

  ➔ "Had better" contraction to "better"

  ➔ "You better" is a contraction of "You had better," expressing a strong suggestion or warning with a negative consequence if ignored. It implies a sense of obligation.

• While you're out cheating on your woman

  ➔ Present continuous tense to describe an action happening around now/habitual action

  ➔ "You're out cheating" uses the present continuous to describe an action that is happening repeatedly or around the present time. It creates a sense of ongoing behavior.

• There's something you never even thought of, and that is

  ➔ Existential "there is/there are"

  ➔ "There's something" introduces the existence of something previously unconsidered. The contraction "there's" is commonly used.

• Thinking that a woman is made to, To be beat on and treated so bad

  ➔ Passive voice ("is made to be beaten")

  ➔ The phrase "is made to be beat on and treated" utilizes the passive voice to emphasize that the woman is the recipient of the actions (beating and mistreatment), rather than the actor.

• I know there are some women gives the other excuse

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement error

  ➔ The correct form should be "give" since the subject is "women" which is plural.