The Pointer Sisters, He’s So Shy | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 168th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “He’s So Shy” by the iconic sister collective, The Pointer Sisters. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 168^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “He’s So Shy” performed by The Pointer Sisters.

“When I first saw him standing there / I longed to speak but did not dare.” Aww, the shyness! However, it was NOT June Pointer (1953 – 2006) or the rest of The Pointer Sisters (Ruth Pointer and the late Anita Pointer) who were the shyest! Adding in the first verse of “He’s So Shy”, June asserts, “And then he smiled and turned away / That told me all he could not say / That’s when I knew he wanted me too / But I had to do some breaking through.” “He’s So Shy” is the second track from the Grammy-winning collective’s seventh album, Special Things. One of seven top 10 hits by The Pointer Sisters, “He’s So Shy” peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow wrote the gold-certified single. Richard Perry produced.  It was nominated for a Grammy at the 23^rd Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.  Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb ultimately won the award in a stacked category for “Guilty”.

The sound of “He’s So Shy” is to die for.  The musical accompaniment is sleek.  The keys and synths are warm, the riffs are tight, and the groove is S-T-R-O-N-G 💪.  The sound is idiomatic of 1980s pop and R&B. The melodies are tuneful in the verses, as evidenced by the first verse, particularly the chorus. The chorus is infectious melodically and lyrically:

“He’s so shy

He’s so shy

That sweet little boy who caught my eye

He’s so shy

He’s so shy

And he’s much too good to let get by.”

There are lyrical variations with the chorus, as well as some ad-libs.  Regardless of the lyrics, The Pointer Sisters paints a picture of how special and sweet this man is.  Yes, he’s shy and it took some work  (“And I’m glad I took the time / That I had to take to make him mine”), but it was well worth it.  Not only is the dedication sweet on “He’s So Shy”, but the song is utterly sweet too.  Did The Pointer Sisters ever miss? Nope. ICONIC!

The Pointer Sisters // Special Things // Sony Music Entertainment // 1980

The Pointer Sisters, He’s So Shy: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 168 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment; OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]