Automatic

Album: Break Out (1984)
Charted: 2 5
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by Brock Walsh and Mark Goldenberg, this song is an amusing take on the way technology was becoming an increasingly dominant part of music in the 1980s. The singer is no more than a controlled automaton in the hands of her lover.
  • The eldest Pointer Sister Ruth sang lead on this song. Her deep vocals played a prominent part in the success of this track. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for above 2
  • This won the 1984 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement for Two or More Voices.
  • On the 2018 Black-ish episode "Bow Knows," the character Ruby Johnson (Jenifer Lewis) declares this the best song ever made. "It has everything," she says. "You've got Ruth Pointer's amazing alto, that funky guitar line, those synthesizers..."

Comments: 2

  • Toneyjon from North CaliforniaThe song “Automatic “ is timeless and so are the Pointer Sisters. I never get tired of listening to their tunes, vibes, and beats.
  • AnonymousWas ''The Pointer Sisters' singing about death in the song "Automatic"? Answers Please !
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.