Recorded by The Chiffons
In a hurry? Do you like short bridges? This might be the shortest! Let’s get right to it!
We start with our protagonist warning her fellow ladies that this Sweet Talking Guy is nothing but a lying, cheating player, and if you fall for his sweet lies, all you’ll get is hurt. Sure, he’ll romance you, but keep in mind that “he'll send you flowers and paint the town with another girl.”
This all seems like good advice – such good advice that you’d assume she knows enough to stay away, but by the end of the second chorus, she declares that “he's my kind of guy.” Hmm. Is she ignoring her own good advice? Or is the talk just too sweet to resist? Let’s see what she has to say in the bridge:
Why do I love him like I do?
I knew it, the talk is just too sweet to resist! She can’t help herself. At least she’s honest about it. I respect that. And I love this succinct, confessional, breakdown-style bridge. Once again, the bridge has illuminated a side to our protagonist unavailable elsewhere in the song.
While “Sweet Talking Guy” remains in rotation on the Oldies stations, The Bronx’s The Chiffons scored even bigger hits with “He’s So Fine” and “One Fine Day.” And both of these fine songs have fantastic bridges. Perhaps we’ll cover those soon – until then, talk sweet to me!
-MJK