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.
(Ladies on the floor)
(All my ladies on the floor) gettin' bodied
(If you ready, get it ready) gettin' bodied
(Let's get it and drop it) hey
Give it up for my sister!
All right now
Everybody put your hands together
Do we have any single ladies in the house tonight?
(Now put your hands up) sing
All the single ladies (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies
Now put your hands up
Up in the club (club)
Just broke up (up)
I'm doing my own little thing
You decided to dip (dip)
But now you wanna trip (trip)
'Cause another brother noticed me
I'm up on him (him)
He up on me (me)
Don't pay him any attention
I cried my tears (tears)
For three good years (years)
You can't be mad at me
'Cause if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (whoa, oh, oh)
'Cause if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Now wait
I want y'all to get nice and stanky with me
Where I'm from
We do things nice and stanky
We do things nice and funky (alright y'all)
Can y'all repeat after me
You ready? Say
Hey-ay (hey-ay)
Hey ay-ay (hey ay-ay)
Hey-ay (hey-ay)
Hey ay-ay (hey ay-ay)
Hey-ay (hey-ay)
Hey ay-ay (hey ay-ay)
Hey-ay-yeah (hey-ay-yeah)
Hey-ay-ay (hey-ay-ay)
Now wait
You still ain't stankin' enough for me
Say whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Sing) whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (put your hands up)
Say whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Where my ring at?)
Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Sing (whoa, oh, oh)
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it (I see you)
If you like it, then you shoulda put a (ring on it)
(Whoa, oh, oh, oh) if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
(Whoa, oh, oh, oh) hey
I love y'all
(All my ladies on the floor) gettin' bodied
(If you ready, get it ready) gettin' bodied
(Let's get it and drop it) hey
Give it up for my sister!
All right now
Everybody put your hands together
Do we have any single ladies in the house tonight?
(Now put your hands up) sing
All the single ladies (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies
Now put your hands up
Up in the club (club)
Just broke up (up)
I'm doing my own little thing
You decided to dip (dip)
But now you wanna trip (trip)
'Cause another brother noticed me
I'm up on him (him)
He up on me (me)
Don't pay him any attention
I cried my tears (tears)
For three good years (years)
You can't be mad at me
'Cause if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (whoa, oh, oh)
'Cause if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Now wait
I want y'all to get nice and stanky with me
Where I'm from
We do things nice and stanky
We do things nice and funky (alright y'all)
Can y'all repeat after me
You ready? Say
Hey-ay (hey-ay)
Hey ay-ay (hey ay-ay)
Hey-ay (hey-ay)
Hey ay-ay (hey ay-ay)
Hey-ay (hey-ay)
Hey ay-ay (hey ay-ay)
Hey-ay-yeah (hey-ay-yeah)
Hey-ay-ay (hey-ay-ay)
Now wait
You still ain't stankin' enough for me
Say whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Sing) whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (put your hands up)
Say whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Where my ring at?)
Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Sing (whoa, oh, oh)
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it (I see you)
If you like it, then you shoulda put a (ring on it)
(Whoa, oh, oh, oh) if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
(Whoa, oh, oh, oh) hey
I love y'all
Lyrics submitted by Iantuition
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) [Homecoming Live] Lyrics as written by Thaddis Laphonia Harrell Christopher A. Stewart
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Ring on it, ring in it. You say toe-may-toe, I say toe-ma-toe.