"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" is a soul song written by Stax Records songwriters Homer Banks, Carl Hampton and Raymond Jackson. It has been performed by many singers, most notably by Luther Ingram, whose version topped the R&B chart for four weeks and rose to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972, and Barbara Mandrell, whose 1978 cover of the song topped the U.S. country singles charts, and reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Meaning

The song is about an illicit love affair, from the point of view either of the mistress or the cheating husband, depending on the performance. Both parties involved express their desire to maintain the affair, though both agree that it is morally wrong.

Notable performers

Although it was first recorded by The Emotions and Veda Brown, these recordings were never released. Other notable singers to record it include Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson, Rod Stewart, Percy Sledge, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Renée Geyer, Ramsey Lewis, reggae singer Glen Washington and Tom Jones. Barbara Mandrell's version of the song hit number one on the country charts and number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1979, and Cassandra Wilson included a jazz arrangement of the song in her 2003 album Glamoured. Additionally, the Millie Jackson recording was sampled by Etienne de Crécy in his 2000 track "Am I Wrong." It was also performed with a different melody by Faithless in the movie Forces of Nature. This song was also used in the 1997 movie, "A Very Brady Sequel".

Language influence

The song's title is notable for its adoption as a snowclone in informal speech. That is, its phrasal structure is appropriated for humorous effect, as in "If corporal punishment is wrong, I don't want to be right" or "If naked Twister is wrong, I don't want to be right."

Succession