Hey Ya by Outkast (and a great cover by Obadiah Parker)
One two three uh!
My baby don't mess around
Because she loves me so And this I know for shooo..
Uh, But does she really wanna
But can't stand to see me Walk out the dooor..
Don't try to fight the feelin'
Because the thought alone is killing me right nooww..
Uh, thank god for mom and dad For sticking two together
'Cause we don't know hooowww...
UH! Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
You think you've got it
Ohh, you think you've got it
But got it just don't get it
Till' there's nothing at
AaaaaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaallllll..
We get together
Ohh, we get together
But seperate's always better when there's feelings InvooooooOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOooooooOOOOOlved
If what they say is
"Nothing is forever"
Then what makes, Then what makes, Then what makes
Then what makes, Then what makes LOOVVEEE? (Love exception)
So why you, why you
Why you, why you, why you are we so in denial
When we know we're not happy heeeerrreeee...
Y'all don't want me here you just wanna dance
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Hey, alright now Alright now fellas, (YEAH!)
Now what's cooler than bein' cool? (ICE COLD!)
I can't hear ya' I say what's cooler than bein' cool? (ICE COLD!) whooo...
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, Ok now ladies, (YEAH!)
And we gon' break this thing down in just a few seconds
Now don't have me break this thang down for nothin'
Now I wanna see y'all on y'all baddest behavior
Lend me some suga',
I am your neighbor ahh here we go!
Shake it, shake, shake it, shake it (OHH OH)
Shake it, shake it, shake, shake it, shake it, shake it (OHH OH)
Shake it, shake it like a Polaroid Picture, shake it, shake it
Shh you got to, shake it, shh shake it,
shake it, got to shake it (Shake it Suga')
shake it like a Poloroid Picture
Now while Beyonce's and Lucy Lui's
And baby dolls, get on the floor (Get on the floor)
You know what to dooo..
You know what to dooo..
You know what to do!
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
This is one of those surprises where the lyrics do not match exactly what the song sounds like. This song sounds like a fun, hilarious time where we should all be dancing around like there is not a care in the world. However, this song is filled with cares and concerns about the reality that our world is filled with hurt in relationships, particularly in marriages.
The line that caught me was "Thank God for mom and dad for sticking two together 'cause we don't know how." This line contains some incredible depth. First, it states the reality that married life is something that requires a great deal of work and sacrifice! For those of you who are married, you know this more than I could ever imagine. But I do know that marriage is something that requires both people in the marriage to need to listen, give, help, and sacrifice for the love of each other.
Sadly, though, this line also eludes to the fact that we as a society have lost a sense of the importance and the beauty of maintaining this great gift or marriage. Marriage is something that is very good for our society. It gives a stability to the society, to the children, and even to each other. It is the place where young people learn what it means to be a good person, where they learn their values and how to be a good citizen. Marriage is very important for our world and this song sees it as a good.
The song even thanks God for the example of the parents staying together. There is the implicit acknowledgment that for marriage to work, it NEEDS God. I know this was probably not what Andre 3000 was going for when he wrote this, but it is something that is important for us to remember. For any marriage, it takes 3. The husband, the wife, and God. It seems like living with another person until death do you part seems like an impossible task. Left to ourselves it is incredibly daunting. But if God, the source of love, is involved in the relationship, it becomes something that is possible.
Another interesting line is "If what they say is 'nothing is forever,' then what makes love the exception?" There seems to be an implicit acknowledgment of what Christianity has held to be true that love is what endures forever. It is a very good question to ask here, why does love endure forever. To that question, there are a couple of responses, but one of the most incredible is that God is love and God endures forever. Love is the very reason we exist and why we continue to exist. We have been made in love and for love. So if we choose to love, love can exist forever! If we choose to give of ourselves, we reach the fulfillment for which we have been made. In the Second Vatican Council, they wrote that it is only in self-gift that man finds himself; meaning that it is only when we choose to give of ourselves out of love for another, that we human beings will find what we have been made to be.
On a purely natural level, I like the cover of this song by Obadiah Parker even more than the Outkast version, though both are enjoyable.
God bless.
