The song's theme is
inner beauty, and its value over physical appearance.
David Ruffin sings lead on this song, relating the story of a man who's become frustrated with dating pretty women with "ugly" attitudes. He now praises his current girl, whom he does not find as physically beautiful, but feels that her personality more than makes up for it. "She may be fine on the outside/but so untrue on the inside", is a typical lyric from the song.
Norman Whitfield recorded the song's instrumental track in 1964, two years before he got together with Eddie Holland to have lyrics written for the song. Several artists recorded "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" before the Temptations, including David Ruffin's older brother
Jimmy Ruffin, and The Miracles , who included it on their 1966 "Away We A Go- Go" album. After Whitfield's previous production for the Temptations, "
Ain't Too Proud to Beg", hit number-one on the Billboard
R&B singles chart, he prepared "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" as a showcase for Ruffin and the Temptations.