(You Caught Me) Smilin'

"(You Caught Me) Smilin'"
Single by Sly and the Family Stone
from the album There's a Riot Goin' On
Released	April 22, 1972
Genre	Funk soul pop
Length	2:54
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Sylvester Stewart
Producer(s)	Sly Stone
Sly and the Family Stone singles chronology
"Runnin' Away" (1972) "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" (1972) "If You Want Me to Stay" (1973)

"(You Caught Me) Smilin'" is a song by American band Sly and the Family Stone from their fifth studio album There's a Riot Goin' On (1971). It was released April 22, 1972 as the album's third single.

Content

The song revolves around Sly Stone feeling sad and lost despite smiling. He is implied to be taking drugs to suppress his emotional pain. ^[1]

Critical reception

Reviewing There's a Riot Goin' On for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine cited "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" as an instance of when "Sly's songwriting remains remarkably sharp". ^[2] Stevie Chick of BBC Music described the song as "winningly vulnerable, a brief flash of joy". ^[3]

Charts

Chart (1972)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100 [4]	42
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [5]	21

References

1. Simpson, Dave (2 December 2021). "'A nation's fabric unravelling': stars on Sly Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On at 50". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 June 2025.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (April 1, 2002). "Review: There's a Riot Goin' On". AllMusic . Retrieved 2025-06-18.
3. Chick, Stevie (2009). "Review of Sly & the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On". BBC Music . Retrieved June 18, 2025.
4. "Sly the Family Stone Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
5. "Sly the Family Stone Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2025.