“How Long Has This Been Going On”

Bubbling up through a suspicious and wounded pride, “How Long Has This Been Going On” is a song from Ray Charles’ 1977 album True To Life. A slower-paced ballad, it finds our Ray yet again demanding answers from an unfaithful lover.

Ray’s singing is especially fine on “How Long Has This Been Going On”. It’s in a lower-than-usual register, more restrained but also with some sawdust in it. The song features several interesting lyrical moments — “I know how Columbus felt”, “what a dunce I was” — that Ray nails with just the right mix of humor (as a singer) and indignation and shame (as the protagonist).

Ray plays electric piano and “How Long Has This Been Going On” is overall sparse in feel, except when horns kick in at points. He seems to really be enjoying himself as a singer, too – walking the highwire between tenderness and vulnerability. He’s also the cocky and hip leader of the band, shouting encouragement to his musicians and just generally loving the song as much as his listeners.

Listen to “How Long Has This Been Going On”

Get your own “How Long Has This Been Going On” on LP or MP3 from Amazon.