"I'm Going Down"
Side A of US vinyl single
Single byRose Royce
from the albumCar Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side	"Yo Yo"
Released	September 1976
Recorded	1976
Genre	Soul R&B soft rock
Length	3:37
Label	Whitfield/MCA
Songwriter	Norman Whitfield
Producer	Norman Whitfield
Rose Royce singles chronology
"I Wanna Get Next to You" (1977) "I'm Going Down" (1976) "Do Your Dance" (1977)

"I'm Going Down" is a song written and produced byNorman Whitfield, and performed by Americansoul andR&B groupRose Royce in 1976. It is from the filmCar Wash and is featured onits soundtrack. In 1994, it was covered by American singerMary J. Blige.

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TheRose Royce (original) version received moderate success. It peaked at number seventy on theUSBillboard Hot 100 and reached number ten on theR&B singles chart. In the filmCar Wash, the song serves as adouble entendre, as it complements the screen time of Maureen, a forlornprostitute who desperately seeks a chance at true love with Joe, even as sheturns tricks.

"I'm Goin' Down"
US retail cassette variant of standard artwork
Single byMary J. Blige
from the albumMy Life
Released	January 18, 1995 (1995-01-18)
Genre	R&B soul
Length	3:44
Label	Uptown MCA
Songwriter	Norman Whitfield
Producers	Sean "Puffy" Combs Chucky Thompson
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"Be Happy" (1994) "I'm Goin' Down" (1995) "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" (1995)
Music video
"I'm Goin' Down" onYouTube

In 1994, AmericanR&B singer-songwriterMary J. Blige covered "I'm Going Down", titled "I'm Goin' Down", for her second studio album,My Life (1994). Her version was produced bySean "Puffy" Combs andChucky Thompson. Released in January 1995 byUptown andMCA as the album's second single, Blige's version peaked at number thirteen on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number twenty-two on the USBillboard Hot 100. In mid-1995, Blige released a remix featuringMr. Cheeks ofThe Lost Boyz featuring co-production from "Prince" Charles Alexander and Mark "Led" Ledford, and contains portions of "The What" (1994) by American rappersThe Notorious B.I.G. andMethod Man. "I'm Going Down" is frequently performed at many of Blige's concerts and as well as live sets.

Dave Sholin from theGavin Report felt "I'm Goin' Down" "offers this awesome vocalist a chance to give one of her most soulful performances. It sounds great anywhere, but it's even more incredible on the air."^[4] In his weekly UK chart commentary,James Masterton remarked that Blige "sparkles" on "a rather fabulous cover" of the oldRose Royce song.^[5]James Hamilton from theRecord Mirror Dance Update described it as an "exceptional ultra soulful sparse dramatic 61.7bpm Rose Royce remake in authentic mid-Sixties slowStax/Volt type" in his weekly dance column.^[6]

Jonathan Bernstein fromSpin named it "a storming slice of down-on-my-knees, stop-start soul originally found on theCar Wash soundtrack, and you realize any previous praise for the record has been barely felt because you know the difference between the proficient material that went before and agreat song. And this is agreat song."^[7] In 2025,Billboard magazine ranked the song number 72 in their list of "Top 100 Breakup Songs of All Time", writing that Blige's cover "gets increasingly heart-wrenching from start to finish, with the Queen ofHip-Hop Soul going from spiraling about her breakup to fully pleading with her ex to take her back."^[8]

The accompanying music video for Blige's "I'm Goin' Down" was directed from January 14–15, 1995, by American artist, photographer and directorMatthew Rolston, and was shot inblack and white, with Blige as a lounge singer performing the song in a club, and wearing an-all black suit with a matching hat, walking downstairs (being duplicated over and over again). In the end, the bar patrons applaud her as she drops the microphone and walks offstage.^[9]

• US cassette single^[10]

1. "I'm Goin' Down"(Album version) – 3:43
2. "I'm Goin' Down"(Remix) – 3:48

• UK CD and 12-inch single^[11][12]

1. "I'm Goin' Down"(album version) – 3:43
2. "You Bring Me Joy"(Smoove's soul mix) – 5:24
3. "You Bring Me Joy"(E-Smoove's Joyous club mix) – 10:12
4. "You Bring Me Joy"(Smoove Funk mix) – 4:38

• UK cassette single^[13]

1. "I'm Goin' Down"(album version) – 3:43
2. "You Bring Me Joy"(Smoove's soul mix) – 5:24

• Australian CD single^[14]

1. "I'm Goin' Down"(album version) – 3:43
2. "You Bring Me Joy"(E-Smoove's Joyous club mix) – 10:12
3. "You Bring Me Joy"(Smoove Funk mix) – 4:38

Credits are adapted from theMy Life liner notes.^[15]

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"Oh, Boy" off ofCam'ron's third albumCome Home with Me samples the original Rose Royce song.Mariah Carey also sampled the song on her 2002 albumCharmbracelet for the song "Boy (I Need You)". Both songs were composed by hip-hop producer Justin "Just Blaze" Smith and are almost identical.

On the episode season 3 finale ofSister, Sister, Tamera (Tamera Mowry) covered the song for a talent show, winning a bet that her sister Tia (Tia Mowry) had with her enemy—and Tamera's opponent, Marva.

• Female R&B groupY?N-Vee released a cover version from their self-titled 1994 album, just a few weeks before Mary J. Blige released her version of the song.
• Marcus Canty performed this song on season one ofThe X Factor (U.S.) during "Movie Week" and the elimination.
• Megan Hilty performed the song in the "Tech" episode ofSmash.
• Sera Hill performed the song in "Episode 5: The Blind Auditions, Part 5" on the second season ofThe Voice (U.S.)
• In the filmLittle, Jordan and April perform the Mary J. Blige version of the song inside an upscale restaurant, with (13-year old) Jordan starting the performance while lying on a bar.
• Paige Thomas performed this song as her audition for the second season ofThe X Factor (U.S.)
• Taylor Beckham performed this song on "Episode 3: The Blind Auditions, Part 3" on the fourth season ofThe Voice (U.S.)
• Beyoncé covered this song on herRenaissance World Tour.

• 1976 songs
• 1977 singles
• 1995 singles
• Rose Royce songs
• Mary J. Blige songs
• Music videos directed by Matthew Rolston
• Songs written by Norman Whitfield
• Soul ballads
• Song recordings produced by Norman Whitfield
• Whitfield Records singles
• MCA Records singles
• Uptown Records singles
• Black-and-white music videos
• Torch songs
• Songs about heartache
• Rhythm and blues ballads
• 1970s ballads

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