Welcome to Music Friday, when we spotlight songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we revisit Martha and the Vandellas and their 1967 ditty, “Third Finger, Left Hand,” a joyful ode to the timeless symbolism of the wedding band.
Released as the B-side to the group’s smash hit “Jimmy Mack,” the song captures the excitement of a bride on her wedding day as she proudly recounts the moment her groom slipped a ring onto the “third finger, left hand.” The upbeat Motown tune transforms a simple jewelry tradition into a celebration of romance, commitment and dreams fulfilled.
Penned by Motown’s legendary songwriting powerhouse — Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Eddie Holland — the song carried the unmistakable sound that helped define an era. The Holland-Dozier-Holland team was responsible for countless Motown classics recorded by The Supremes, Four Tops and many others.
In “Third Finger, Left Hand,” lead singer Martha Reeves delivers a heartfelt performance filled with optimism and excitement. Against the Vandellas’ signature harmonies, she describes the magical walk down the aisle and the life-changing moment when she says, “I do.”
She sings, “At last my dreams come true / Today he said “I do” / Friends said it couldn’t be done / But all his love I know I’ve won / ‘Cause third finger, left hand / That’s where he placed the wedding band.”
Though “Jimmy Mack” became the chart-topping sensation — reaching #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 — “Third Finger, Left Hand” developed a devoted following of its own. Reeves later recalled in interviews that the B-side likely received nearly as much turntable play as the hit itself during the heyday of vinyl 45s, when listeners often discovered hidden treasures on the flip side of their favorite singles.
The jewelry imagery in the song centers on the wedding band, one of history’s most enduring symbols of eternal love. Traditionally worn on the ring finger of the left hand, the placement traces back to the ancient belief that a “vena amoris,” or vein of love, ran directly from that finger to the heart.
Now 84 years old, Reeves continues to charm audiences with appearances throughout the US. Earlier this month, she appeared at the New Orleans Jazz Market for “Come & Get These Memories: An Intimate Conversation with a Motown Legend,” proving her connection with fans remains as strong as ever.
Fun trivia: “Third Finger, Left Hand” was also the title of a popular 1940 romantic comedy starring Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas. The film follows a successful female magazine editor who invents a fictional husband to fend off suitors in the workplace.
Please check out the audio track of Martha and the Vandellas singing “Third Finger, Left Hand.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Third Finger, Left Hand”
Written by Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland. Performed by Martha and the Vandellas.
At last my dreams come true
Today he said “I do”
Friends said it couldn’t be done
But all his love I know I’ve won
‘Cause third finger, left hand
That’s where he placed the wedding band
He walked right up to me
And pledged his love for me
I longed to hear him say
The sweet words he spoke that day
Made me feel so good inside
The tears came to my eyes
I love him above the rest
‘Cause in my book he’s the best
‘Cause he did something that no one else did
Friends said it couldn’t be done
But all his love I know I’ve won
‘Cause third finger, left hand
That’s where he placed the wedding band
His words were precious few
But all along my heart knew
That no other boys in line
Could ever change my mind
Other boys, I sent away
I locked my heart till our wedding day
I love him above the rest
‘Cause in my book he’s the best
‘Cause he did something that no one else did
Friends said it couldn’t be done
But all his love I know I’ve won
‘Cause third finger, left hand
That’s where he placed the wedding band
Third finger, left hand
That’s where he placed the wedding band
Third finger, left hand
That’s where he placed the wedding band
Third finger, left hand
That’s where he placed the wedding band
Third finger, left hand
That’s where he placed the wedding band
Credit: Image (cropped) by Aug856, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
