In September 1976, a warrant was issued for Gaye's arrest after he failed to pay alimony; this made him feel vulnerable during the recording sessions, causing the singer to hide from the public for several days.

But as Gaye lived with the notion of doing an album for his soon-to-be ex-wife, the more it fascinated him, stating he felt he "owed the public my best effort.

"[4] According to PopMatters journalist Mike Joseph, Here, My Dear's music was "largely midtempo funk, with elements of traditional soul, gospel, and doo-wop mixed together with a slight hint of disco".

"I Met a Little Girl" includes doo-wop drenched harmonies with its lyrics and music producing a "thick mixture" of sincerity and sarcasm.

was recorded shortly after Gaye returned from a day in divorce court, humming the song's melody and some lyrics.

[4] An AllMusic reviewer later wrote of the music: ...the sound of divorce on record—exposed in all of its tender-nerve glory for the world to consume... Gaye viciously cuts with every lyric deeper into an explanation of why the relationship died the way it did... Musically the album retains the high standards Gaye set in the early '70s, but you can hear the agonizing strain of recent events in his voice, to the point where even several vocal overdubs can't save his delivery.

[4] The back cover features a temple with the word "matrimony" collapsing around a mock-Rodin sculpture of a romantic couple.

David Ritz described the juxtaposition of images reflected Gaye's turbulent state of mind at the time.

When Here, My Dear was released in the end of 1978, it received mostly positive reviews and modest sales, with critics calling the album "bizarre" and "un-commercial.

Upon hearing the album, a visibly upset Anna Gordy considered suing Gaye for invasion of privacy but, according to People, later reconsidered that decision.

Gaye is at such pains to realize, his rhythmic undulations and whisper-to-a-scream timbral shifts can engross the mind, the body, and above all the ear.

[13]The Bay State Banner noted that "Gaye really did a fine job of arranging the horn charts, keeping them actively involved without dominating or clashing.

In 1994, the album was re-released due to increased attention on Gaye's life to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the singer's death, and reached number-one on Billboard's R&B catalog chart.

[16][17][18] On February 15, 2008, Hip-O Select reissued Here, My Dear as a two-disc Expanded Edition including a song cut from the original album, "Ain't It Funny How Things Turn Around", which was remixed by funk legend Bootsy Collins.

Disc two featured remastered and alternate versions of the songs from the album remixed by contemporary soul producers such as Salaam Remi, Questlove, Prince Paul, DJ Smash, Mocean Worker, and others.