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.
Hey do it now, yeah hey
Once I was a boogie singer
Playin' in a rock and roll band
I never had no problems yeah
Burnin' down the one night stands
Then everything around me, yeah
Got to stop to feelin' so low
And I decided quickly, yes I did
To disco down and check out the show
Yeah they were
Dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down that boogie and play that funky music 'til you die
'Til you die, oh yeah yeah
Well, I tried to understand this (yeah)
I thought that they were out of their minds
How could I be so foolish (how could I)
To not see I was the one behind
So still I kept on fighting
Well, losing every step of the way
I said, I must go back there (I got to go back)
And check to see if things still the same
Yeah they were dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down the boogie and play that funky music till you die
'Til you die, yeah
Oh 'til you die
(Gonna play some electified funky music, yeah)
(Hey, wait a minute)
Now first it wasn't easy
Changin' rock and roll and minds
Yeah, things were getting shaky
I thought I'd have to leave it behind
Oh, but now its so much better (it's so much better)
I'm funking out in every way
But I'll never lose that feelin' (no I won't)
Of how I learned my lesson that day
When they were dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down the boogie and play that funky music 'til you die
'Til you die, yeah
Oh 'til you die
They shouted play that funky music
(Play that funky music)
Play that funky music
(You gotta keep on playin' funky music)
Play that funky music
(Play that funky music)
Play that funky music
(Want to take you higher, ya)
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right, yeah
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right, yeah
Once I was a boogie singer
Playin' in a rock and roll band
I never had no problems yeah
Burnin' down the one night stands
Then everything around me, yeah
Got to stop to feelin' so low
And I decided quickly, yes I did
To disco down and check out the show
Yeah they were
Dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down that boogie and play that funky music 'til you die
'Til you die, oh yeah yeah
Well, I tried to understand this (yeah)
I thought that they were out of their minds
How could I be so foolish (how could I)
To not see I was the one behind
So still I kept on fighting
Well, losing every step of the way
I said, I must go back there (I got to go back)
And check to see if things still the same
Yeah they were dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down the boogie and play that funky music till you die
'Til you die, yeah
Oh 'til you die
(Gonna play some electified funky music, yeah)
(Hey, wait a minute)
Now first it wasn't easy
Changin' rock and roll and minds
Yeah, things were getting shaky
I thought I'd have to leave it behind
Oh, but now its so much better (it's so much better)
I'm funking out in every way
But I'll never lose that feelin' (no I won't)
Of how I learned my lesson that day
When they were dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down the boogie and play that funky music 'til you die
'Til you die, yeah
Oh 'til you die
They shouted play that funky music
(Play that funky music)
Play that funky music
(You gotta keep on playin' funky music)
Play that funky music
(Play that funky music)
Play that funky music
(Want to take you higher, ya)
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right, yeah
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right, yeah
Lyrics submitted by Raphide, edited by lucyintheSkyWithDiamonds
Play That Funky Music Lyrics as written by Robert W. Parissi
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Firstly, a verse is missing: Well, I tried to understand this…Yeah, huh, I thought that they were out of their minds How could I be so foolish, [How could I]…tonight's the hours, the one behind So still I kept on fightin'…Wow, loosin' every step of the way (Yeah, what'd you do?) I said, "I must go back there"[Got to go back]…and check to see if things still the same
This song means exactly what it says. There's actually a story behind it. The band, Wild Cherry, where hired by a club that used to play funk music. And they where a rock band, so it was a bit of a shock for them (and they where rather unknown). So they got on stage, and played some rock, and people left. So the manager of the club said, actually (or so the story goes) play that funky music, white boy. If they didn't, they would get fired. The next night when they where on stage, they played this track.
Dude, you got a couple things wrong. First of all, the lyrics go "How could I be so foolish, to not see I was the one behind," meaning at first he thinks rock is awesome, and doesn't realize that funk is in fact the way to go. What you posted doesn't make any sense.<br /> <br /> Also, it wasn't the club manager who told him to play that funky music. They started out gaining a lot of fans with their rock songs, but during the disco era they performed at a club with a largely black audience and the patrons started calling for them to play some funky music. In the dressing room, the drummer told lead singer Rob Parissi to "play that funky music, white boy." Parissi wrote down the phrase on a bar napkin that night and wrote the song afterwards.
Well whatever he said might be true^ but an officail statement by the band basically said that they were inspired by the number of times they were told that exact same sentence by different people. They performed that song once, and some hot shot heard it and signed them up immediately.It was they're only charting hit. SO play that funky music WHite BOY!
This song seems (in the most obvious explanation) about an old washed up guy. He may be a grandfather talking to his grandchildren about when he was once a young guy, "running down the one night stands". He's telling whomever he's talking to, to keep playing music, and never forget it. "Play that funky music 'til you to die."
Yup.
To me it's more about The White Guy who was total like hard rocker... But he felt like something was missing. A boogie singer in a rock n roll band.... you know so he heard about like a club where they played this new music (funk). and he realized this is what he needed you know changing that rock n roll mind... HE wants to associate the funk into rock n roll
This is my favorite song in THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. . . . . EVER.
this makes me do a little jig. lmfao.
man i actually heard this song on that old school dennis the menance movie, i had heard it b4 but that made me download it, good funny song. also going in my car
This is the most awesomest(is that a word??) song in the world! Its is so awesome to play live... with a band... live... on a stage... live... The guitar riff gets stuck in your head for ages, It's still in my head from 2004!!! Awesome song... *****- five Allamah stars.
It's kinda funny--when I was little I always thought it was "play that f***ing music, white boy", which would kind of make it like the audience is extremely angry at the band. Hey, it's an easy mondegreen to hear!
But I digress. I believe the person above me is correct. Though I should note, the people in question doing the shouting actually said "Play SOME funky music, white boy" and not "that".