The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
All they want is (a boom, boom, boom, boom)
Hey y'all, John Coltrane yeah he plays the sax
Me, myself I love to max
Up in the studio laying tracks
Burn it on the CD, melt the wax
And now I'm feeling fine
Coz daily music's on my mind
And I feel mellow
When I watch the girl play the cello
Hello to all my fellow peers in here for the quality
Music quality, yeah
That'll be the focus in the top pick of the day
So pass the peas like we used to say
Pass the beats like they used to say
Pass the phunk like they used to say
That's my joint like we used to say
Syncopation the true school way
I don't know what you came to do
I came to drop the funk on you
Depends on that sonic sound
But you know what?
They don't want music (x2)
They just want (a boom, boom, boom boom boom (x2))
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
They don't want music (x2)
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
The good back horn
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
All they want is (a boom, boom, boom, boom, boom boom boom)
Ooh, la la aw wee wee
Nowadays music is all about fee
The soul is caged no bits now free
Unless the rhyme was rocked by me
I got the balls to bang (baw ba-ba-baw, ba-ba-baw, ba-baw bang)
Yeah, steady, just doing my thang (steady, just steady, just doing my own thang)
I just do it (ha!)
I just do it you know
My momma said to do what you know
So I'ma do what I know
James Brown gave me the fluid
That means a baby could do it
The Peas will do it so
Do it, do it, do it
Get up on the stage and release my fluid
Do my thing, do it through the music
Funkafied and therapeutic
I don't know what you came to do
I came to drop the funk on you
Depends on that sonic sound
But you know what?
They don't want music (x2)
They just want (a boom, boom, boom boom boom (x2))
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
They don't want music (x2)
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
The good back horn
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
All they want is (a boom, boom, boom, boom, boom boom boom)
Wait a minute!
You got to rock with the funk (if you wanna have a good time) (x2)
You got to roll with the funk (if you wanna have a good time) (x2)
You got to roll with the funk (if you wanna be sweet and fine, hey! Hey! Hey!)
Rock with the punk (if you gonna have a good time)
You got to roll with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
A woman that'll funk your horn now (gimme that funky horn!)
Play that funky horn now (gimme that funky horn)
Gimme that funky horn now (gimme that funky horn)
Hey! Hey! Hey!
You got to rock with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
You've got to roll with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
You got to dance with the funk (if you wanna be sweet and fine)
I said I like to dance with the funk (if you wanna be sweet and fine)
You've got to shake with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
Shaking shaking shaking with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
Gimme that funky horn (gimme that funky horn)
I need that funky horn (I need that funky horn)
Play that funky horn now (gimme that funky horn)
A break down, a break down, a break, get down
Dance everybody move your body through the music
Get it started, get into it
Come on everybody do it
You've got to dance through the music
People doing what you're doing
People grooving with the music
You've got to roll with the funk
Roll with your funk (if you're wanna have a good time)
R-O-double-L keep rolling with the funk (if you're wanna have a good time)
And roll! To a funky place
I'm rolling (where?)
To a to a to a funky funky place
I'm rolling! To a funky place
I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there...
It's funky, funk, funk, funk funky...
All they want is (a boom, boom, boom, boom)
Hey y'all, John Coltrane yeah he plays the sax
Me, myself I love to max
Up in the studio laying tracks
Burn it on the CD, melt the wax
And now I'm feeling fine
Coz daily music's on my mind
And I feel mellow
When I watch the girl play the cello
Hello to all my fellow peers in here for the quality
Music quality, yeah
That'll be the focus in the top pick of the day
So pass the peas like we used to say
Pass the beats like they used to say
Pass the phunk like they used to say
That's my joint like we used to say
Syncopation the true school way
I don't know what you came to do
I came to drop the funk on you
Depends on that sonic sound
But you know what?
They don't want music (x2)
They just want (a boom, boom, boom boom boom (x2))
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
They don't want music (x2)
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
The good back horn
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
All they want is (a boom, boom, boom, boom, boom boom boom)
Ooh, la la aw wee wee
Nowadays music is all about fee
The soul is caged no bits now free
Unless the rhyme was rocked by me
I got the balls to bang (baw ba-ba-baw, ba-ba-baw, ba-baw bang)
Yeah, steady, just doing my thang (steady, just steady, just doing my own thang)
I just do it (ha!)
I just do it you know
My momma said to do what you know
So I'ma do what I know
James Brown gave me the fluid
That means a baby could do it
The Peas will do it so
Do it, do it, do it
Get up on the stage and release my fluid
Do my thing, do it through the music
Funkafied and therapeutic
I don't know what you came to do
I came to drop the funk on you
Depends on that sonic sound
But you know what?
They don't want music (x2)
They just want (a boom, boom, boom boom boom (x2))
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
They don't want music (x2)
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
The good back horn
They don't want music, they don't know how to use it
All they want is (a boom, boom, boom, boom, boom boom boom)
Wait a minute!
You got to rock with the funk (if you wanna have a good time) (x2)
You got to roll with the funk (if you wanna have a good time) (x2)
You got to roll with the funk (if you wanna be sweet and fine, hey! Hey! Hey!)
Rock with the punk (if you gonna have a good time)
You got to roll with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
A woman that'll funk your horn now (gimme that funky horn!)
Play that funky horn now (gimme that funky horn)
Gimme that funky horn now (gimme that funky horn)
Hey! Hey! Hey!
You got to rock with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
You've got to roll with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
You got to dance with the funk (if you wanna be sweet and fine)
I said I like to dance with the funk (if you wanna be sweet and fine)
You've got to shake with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
Shaking shaking shaking with the funk (if you wanna have a good time)
Gimme that funky horn (gimme that funky horn)
I need that funky horn (I need that funky horn)
Play that funky horn now (gimme that funky horn)
A break down, a break down, a break, get down
Dance everybody move your body through the music
Get it started, get into it
Come on everybody do it
You've got to dance through the music
People doing what you're doing
People grooving with the music
You've got to roll with the funk
Roll with your funk (if you're wanna have a good time)
R-O-double-L keep rolling with the funk (if you're wanna have a good time)
And roll! To a funky place
I'm rolling (where?)
To a to a to a funky funky place
I'm rolling! To a funky place
I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there...
It's funky, funk, funk, funk funky...
Lyrics submitted by BohemianEagle
They Don't Want Music Lyrics as written by Stacy Ferguson Will Adams
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Kind of ironic concidering that this song was released on the same album as "My Humps." "They Don't Want Music" is basically (emphasis on basically) a social commentary on the degradation of music to a simple array of generic beats and loops. The song has a very Run-DMC-esque feel to it, obviously an homage to the so-called "music" of the past. In my opinion, the Black Eyed Peas are mediocre at best and wouldn't know real music if Prince and Bob Dylan both showed up to lay down the perfect song. It's a shame.