It was the last single that was written and produced by Motown president Berry Gordy for well over a decade, and the last released during the period of the "Original 5" lineup (before member Elbridge "Al" Bryant was fired).
However, their next single, the Smokey Robinson-produced "The Way You Do the Things You Do", would reach the Top 20 of the U.S. pop chart, breaking the group's streak of being "hitless".
This is the third of the small handful of pre-psychedelic era songs the group recorded that had more than two members singing lead at one point; the previous were "Isn't She Pretty" and "Check Yourself".
Bass singer Melvin Franklin starts the song with do-wop harmonies and later repeats Williams' line, "Why couldn’t you be true?"
Although second tenor/baritone singer and leader Otis Williams doesn't have any solos, he is most heard prominently in the chorus and has some ad-libs in the outro of the song.