"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 single from the funk/soul band the Commodores, from their 1978 album Natural High. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the Commodores and it was the most popular track of the album.
Lionel Richie reportedly wrote the song about his love for his daughter, wife, and mother hence 'Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady'. It became the Commodores's first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit, topping the chart for two weeks on August 12, 1978. It was also the only Motown song to reach the Top 10 that year. It was one of only a few Motown singles to reach the top spot in the UK. In the 4 years the Commodores had started in 1974 it has been one of the most emotional/soul songs since "You Don't Know That I Know" from the album Caught In the Act in 1975.
The chorus of the song was parodied on Saturday Night Live. Eddie Murphy, in the Buckwheat persona, would use numeric hand gestures and yell, "Unce! Tice! Fee tines a mady!"
Comedian Bill Bailey performed a German translation of the song in his Part Troll set, perhaps suggesting that German isn't the most romantic language. According to Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, the song is about Richie professing his love for fat women.
The song was covered in 1986 by country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock on his album Crash Craddock and in 2007 by Cobra Starship as an iTunes bonus track for their album ¡Viva La Cobra!. In 2001 it was covered by Anglo-Norwegian boy band a1 and featured on Motown Mania and as a bonus track on their hit single "No More".
