The lyricist Gerry Goffin and the composer Carole King, husband and wife, formed a prolific songwriting team throughout the 1960s. Their love song “When My Little Girl Is Smiling” was first recorded in October 1961 by The Drifters, an American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group. Released as a single on the Atlantic label in February 1962, it reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, while in Britain it reached number 31 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1962.

Here is a video of the song from the band’s YouTube channel:

This song has since been interpreted by several artists, notably in 1971 by the American singer Steve Alaimo. His recording peaked at number 27 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart.

Here is a video of the song from Alaimo’s YouTube channel:

Here are the lyrics, arranged from SongMeanings and LyricsFreak:

When My Little Girl Is Smiling
lyrics by Gerry Goffin, music by Carole King

Every time my baby and I have a quarrel
I swear I won’t give in
Then my baby starts to smile at me
I know I just can’t win

When my little girl is smiling
There’s nothing more I can say
I see those big bright eyes
And then I realize
That girl is gonna get her way

Let me tell you now
When my little girl is smiling
I can’t stay mad at her for long
Why should I want to fight
When I can hold her tight
I just don’t care who’s right or wrong

When my little girl is smiling
It’s the greatest thrill there can be
She gets her way it’s true
But I know I won’t be blue
As long as she just smiles for me

When my little girl is smiling
I can’t stay mad at her for long
Why should I want to fight
When I can hold her tight