This song popularized the phrase "A little Sumthin' Sumthin'," which is a very utilitarian saying asking for whatever you have that's good. In the hands of Maxwell, the song is a sensual request to lady, asking to get to know her better, and probably a lot more. The song helped him earn a reputation for smooth baby-making music, and it became one of his best known songs.

A track from Maxwell's first album, he wrote it with Leon Ware, who wrote many of the songs on Marvin Gaye's I Want You album. On his VH1 Storytellers appearance, Maxwell said that when he signed with Columbia Records, his first request was to work with Ware, who the label connected him with. The pair holed up in a small room and put the song together.