Just Be Good to Me

Just Be Good to Me

The S.O.S. Band

“Just Be Good To Me” was a hit single released by The S.O.S. Band in 1983. Lead vocals were handled solely by Mary Davis. The single did well on the Billboard charts reaching #2 at R&B, #3 at Dance, and #55 on the Hot 100.

Lyrically, the song describes a woman who appears determined to stay in a relationship with her admittedly unfaithful boyfriend. However, in a more modern context, the song seems to describe a woman agreeing to a polyamorous relationship where multiple partners are accepted and sometimes even shared.

Producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis were moonlighting on their gig as keyboardist and bassist in funk band The Time. While working on the song in Atlanta, GA, a snowstorm caused them to miss a gig with The Time and as a result, Prince fired them from the band.

The timing worked out perfectly though as this hit song made a splash everywhere. Richard Pryor tapped the song as the main theme music for his comedy film Richard Pryor: Here and Now that year. It even became a hit for other artists as covers by Deborah Cox and Beats International both experienced their own rounds of success.