“Motown in Love”
edited by Herb Jordan
Pantheon Books, 2006
184 pages

“Dreamgirls,” a new movie starring Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and American Idol reject Jennifer Hudson, aims to capture the magic of Motown. Based on the musical of the same name, “Dreamgirls” is an almost-true-to-life account of female singing trio The Dreamettes (based on The Supremes) and their climb to the top of the pop charts. The recently published book “Motown in Love” is the perfect companion to the movie, as Hollywood is sure to leave out some of the more important political moments of the era in favor of another close-up of Beyoncé. Aside from a well-crafted introduction by composer Herb Jordan, all 184 pages of the book contain only lyrics from Motown love songs. Unlike bona fide poetry that is meant to be read on the page or out loud, the song lyrics leave a bit to be desired without the brilliant and unorthodox music that went along with them.

However, the lyrics are an excellent record of the changes that occurred in Detroit and across the entire U.S. during the 1960s, such as youthful optimism (the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love”) turning to bitterness and discontent (Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”) as race riots, the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Robert Kennedy made the music get serious.  

Coming out of inner-city Detroit, Motown was the type of scene for which music lovers today yearn. The spirit of soul music was bursting out of churches, street corners, basements and makeshift stages set up in supermarket parking lots. Under the watchful eye of producer Berry Gordy, professional songwriters labored over the notes that became hit songs.  

When lyrics are written out on a page, the cheesy rhyme that is otherwise masked by the music comes out in full force (all lyrics are guilty of this, it’s not just Motown). However, the language is supposed to be simple and easy to understand, which is one of the reasons why Motown’s music became so popular. Everyone could identify with it, even the suburban white kids who turned a musical anomaly into an unstoppable powerhouse.

Upon first glance, “Motown in Love” seems like a book no one would actually read.

Broken up into 10 sections, the lyrics are arranged according to theme, i.e. “Lessons of Love” and “Under Your Spell.” Jordan’s editing makes it easy to see how all the songs are related and why they’re important as a historical body. “Motown in Love” is definitely not a beach read, but it does have its moments.

“Sugar pie, honey bunch,/ you know that I love you./ I can’t help myself,/ I love you and nobody else,” begins “I Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops. It’s hard to read the words without humming the melody along with them. The catchy chorus of Smokey Robinson’s “Tracks of My Tears” recalls his rich, soulful voice: “So take a good look at my face./You’ll see my smile looks out of place./If you look closer, it’s easy to trace/The tracks of my tears.” Reading these lyrics will definitely make you run to your CD player or iTunes to listen to the familiar songs once more.

Valuable as a reference book and a must have for die-hard fans, “Motown in Love” successfully packages an entire movement into a dust jacket, along with a few pictures and a lot of nostalgia.