Songfacts®:

• To the uninitiated, this group composition, which includes the phrase, "you're acting like a girl with a false pregnancy," might appear to be about a man who is disenchanted with his girlfriend, but the smooth dancer in question is Ritchie Blackmore. In his biography of the time serving Deep Purple lead guitarist, Jerry Bloom reveals that Ian Gillan was taking a swipe at the often temperamental man in black. "Smooth Dancer" begins: "Black suede, don't mean you're good for me..."
  
  This was Blackmore's preferred mode of dress at the time, and it is difficult to credit that he was unaware of the lyricist's true intent. Gillan quit shortly after Who Do We Think We Are was released, though he stayed with the band until June 1973 to fulfill touring commitments, but his bark was obviously worse than his bite because he and Blackmore were reunited for the 1984 Perfect Strangers album when Deep Purple was reformed with its Mark II lineup. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander Baron - London, England