Music has this weird way of playing tricks on our memory. You’ve probably heard people search for 3 times a woman, humming that slow, soulful melody, only to realize the song they are actually looking for is the 1978 classic "Three Times a Lady" by the Commodores. It happens all the time. People mix up the lyrics. It's a common "Mandela Effect" in the world of R&B and soul.
Honestly, the mistake makes sense. The hook is so iconic, so deeply embedded in wedding playlists and late-night radio, that the specific wording starts to blur. But the history of the song—and why it isn't actually called 3 times a woman—is a lot more interesting than just a simple title mix-up. It involves a speech at a wedding anniversary, a transition from funk to pop, and the genius of Lionel Richie before he became a solo supernova.
The Motown Roots of the Confusion
Back in the late 70s, the Commodores were mostly known for being a high-energy funk band. Think "Brick House." Hard basslines. Sweat. Horn sections that could wake the dead. Then came Lionel Richie’s songwriting shift toward ballads. When he wrote the song many mislabel as 3 times a woman, he wasn't trying to write a chart-topper. He was trying to capture a very specific feeling his father expressed.
The story goes that Richie was at his parents' 37th wedding anniversary. His father, Lionel Sr., stood up to give a toast to his mother, Alberta. During the speech, he said, "I love you. I want you. I need you." He basically told her she was a lady in every sense of the word—at home, as a mother, and as a partner.
Lionel Richie took that sentiment. He went home and processed it. He didn't write about "3 times a woman" in a literal, numerical sense; he wrote it as a tribute to the multi-faceted roles a woman plays in a long-term relationship. It’s about the stages of life.
Why the "3 Times a Woman" Error Persists
Search engines are flooded with people typing in 3 times a woman. Why? Language evolves. In modern slang or even just casual conversation, "woman" and "lady" are used interchangeably, but in 1978, "lady" carried a very specific, dignified weight.
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You’ve got to remember the era. The song was a massive crossover hit. It went number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the soul charts, and even the UK Singles Chart. It was the only Motown song to reach the top ten in 1978. Because it was everywhere, it entered the collective consciousness. Over decades, "lady" felt a bit formal for some, leading to the subconscious swap to 3 times a woman.
Sentence length matters when you're feeling the groove of a song. "Three times a lady" has a rhythmic lilt. "3 times a woman" feels clunkier when you try to sing it to the melody. Yet, the search volume persists because the brain simplifies things. We remember the "three times" part vividly because it's the mathematical core of the hook.
The Musical Structure: Why It Sticks
If you actually break down the track, it’s a waltz. It's in 3/4 time. 1-2-3, 1-2-3. That’s why the "three" is so important.
Most pop songs are in 4/4 time. That’s the standard "thump-thump-thump-thump." By choosing a waltz tempo, Richie made the song feel timeless, almost like a Victorian ballroom piece reimagined for the 70s. This is why people get the title 3 times a woman wrong—they remember the "3" because the entire song is built on the number three. Three beats per measure. Three sentiments in the chorus (Yes, you're once, twice, three times...).
- The tempo: 3/4 time (Waltz).
- The lyrical structure: A progression of appreciation.
- The emotional payoff: A climax that feels earned.
It wasn't just a hit for the Commodores. It saved them. At the time, funk was starting to lose its grip on the mainstream as disco took over. By pivoting to this sentimental balladry, Richie ensured the band stayed relevant. However, it also signaled the beginning of the end for the group. The success of this song was so massive that it essentially forced Lionel Richie into the spotlight, paving the way for his solo career in the 80s.
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Misinterpretations and Cover Versions
Believe it or not, some people think the song is about three different women. It’s not. It’s definitely about one woman who is "three times" the person the narrator expected.
The song has been covered by everyone from Conway Twitty (who took it to the top of the country charts) to Isaac Hayes. Even in these covers, you occasionally hear people misquote it as 3 times a woman during interviews or live intros. Conway Twitty’s version is particularly interesting because it stripped away the R&B polish and turned it into a Nashville staple. It proved that the song’s core—the "3 times" concept—was universal across genres.
When you look at the 2026 data on streaming platforms, the song still pulls millions of plays. It’s a staple of "Yacht Rock" playlists and "Oldies" stations. But the metadata often catches those "3 times a woman" searches and redirects them because the AI behind Spotify and YouTube has learned our human mistakes.
The Influence on Modern R&B
You can hear the echoes of this song in modern ballads. When artists like Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) try to capture that vintage feel, they are looking at the template Richie created. They aren't looking for 3 times a woman; they are looking for that specific "Lady" sophistication.
The song represents a moment where soul music stopped trying to be gritty and started trying to be elegant. It was polished. It was clean. It was, quite frankly, expensive-sounding.
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There's also a bit of a misconception that the song is "sappy." While it's definitely sentimental, it's grounded in a real-world speech from a father to a mother. That gives it a level of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) that modern "manufactured" ballads sometimes lack. It came from a real place of observation.
How to Properly Identify the Song Today
If you are digging through vinyl crates or searching digital archives, stop looking for 3 times a woman. You won't find it under that name on any official Commodores record.
Look for the album Natural High (1978).
That’s the record that changed everything for Motown in the late 70s. It features the song alongside other hits, but "Three Times a Lady" is the crown jewel. If you’re a musician, try playing it in 4/4 time. You'll realize it falls apart. The magic is in the triple meter.
Actionable Insights for Music Lovers
If you've been calling it 3 times a woman, don't feel bad. Even the best of us get "lyric-laps" where our brain replaces a word with a synonym. To get the most out of this classic, here is what you should actually do:
- Listen to the Conway Twitty version: If you want to see how a great melody survives a genre jump, his country rendition is a masterclass.
- Check the Time Signature: If you're a student of music, pull up a metronome and set it to 3/4. Play along. It’s much harder to keep that "sway" than it sounds.
- Watch the 1978 Live Performance: You can find footage of the Commodores performing this live. Seeing Lionel Richie at the piano before the "Dancing on the Ceiling" era gives you a whole new respect for his technical skill.
- Verify the Lyrics: The actual line is "You're once, twice, three times a lady." Notice how "lady" provides a long, soft vowel sound that "woman" lacks. "Woman" ends in a hard 'n' sound that would cut the resonance of the final note.
The song is a landmark of American songwriting. Whether you call it 3 times a woman or by its rightful name, the impact remains the same. It’s a testament to the power of a simple "thank you" translated into music.