Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part series on the 1974 Disco song "Rock The Boat" and children's "Rock The Boat" cheers.
This post showcases The Hues Corporation's hit R&B song "Rock The Boat" that was released in 1974.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/examples-of-childrens-cheer-rock-boat.html for Part II of this series. That post features examples of "Rock The Boat" foot stomping cheers. That post doesn't include examples of "Rock The Boat" softball cheers or other modified versions of "Rock The Boat" foot stomping cheers.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the Hues Corporation for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE HUES CORPORATION'S ROCK THE BOAT"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_the_Boat_(Hues_Corporation_song)
"Rock the Boat" is a disco song by the group Hues Corporation in 1974. "Rock the Boat" was written by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula songs.
"Rock the Boat" was first featured on the Hues Corporation's 1973 album, Freedom For The Stallion (an edited version later appeared on certain editions of the band's follow-up album, 1974's Rockin' Soul).[1] and was released as the second single from the album in early 1974 to follow-up Stallion's title song, which had peaked at #63 on the Hot 100. Initially, "Rock the Boat" appeared as though it would flop, as months went by without any radio airplay or sales activity. Not until the song became a disco/club favorite in New York did Top 40 radio finally pick up on the song, leading the record to finally enter the Hot 100 and zip up the chart to #1 in July 1974. The record also reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom (number 6). It is a heavy airplay favorite on oldie and adult-contemporary stations today."...
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This Wikipedia page doesn't include this information:
"Rock the boat" is an American idiom that means "to do or say something that might endanger a stable situation or upset the status quo."
In this song, the singer is reminding his partner of how well their relationship was, and asking her not to do anything (or continue to do anything) to disturb that relationship.
"Rock The Boat" foot stomping cheers and "Rock The Boat" softball cheers (and other modified versions of those foot stomping cheers) may have similar words, but have different performance activities. Examples of "Rock The Boat" foot stomping cheers are featured in Part II of this pancocojams series.
Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-overview-of-foot-stomping-movement.html for a pancocojams post on foot stomping cheers.
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Notice that one of the dance movements that the Hues Corporation does while singing "Rock The Boat" is to lean to the side and smoothly (gently) swing their hips from side to side. That "rock the boat" dance movement became part of many young African Americans' mid 1970s R&B dance repertoire. That movement is still done in the 2000s when people want to perform "old school" dances.
This movement isn't the same as the 2011 Hip-Hop dance [crank that]* "rock dat boat" that is shown in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uWyB6BgISs
*"Crank that" is often used in front of the name of a Hip-Hop dance. It means "do that [dance name] dance" or "start doing that [dance name] dance".
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LYRICS- ROCK THE BOAT SONG
(The Hues Corporation)
[Verse 1]
Ever since our voyage of love began
Your touch has thrilled me
Like the rush of the wind
And your arms have held me
Safe from a rolling sea
There's always been a quiet place
To harbor you and me
Our love is like a ship on the ocean
We've been sailing with a cargo
Full of love and devotion
[Chorus]
So I'd like to know where you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where you got the notion
To rock the boat
Don't rock the boat, baby
Rock the boat
Don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat
Don't rock the boat, baby
Rock the boat
[Verse 2:]
Up to now
We sailed through every storm
And I've always had your tender lips
To keep me warm
Rock the Boat
Oh, I need to have the strength
That flows from you
Don't let me drift away my dear
When love can see me through
Our love is like a ship on the ocean
We've been sailing with a cargo
Full of love and devotion
[Chorus]
So I'd like to know where you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where you got the notion
So I'd like to know where you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where you got the notion
To rock the boat
Don't rock the boat, baby
Rock the boat
Don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat
Don't rock the boat, baby
Rock the boat
Don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock on with yo bad self
Rock the boat
Rock on with yo bad self
Rock the boat
Rock on with yo bad self
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Rock the boat
Online Source - https://genius.com/The-hues-corporation-rock-the-boat-lyrics
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The lyrics from this song that are used for the "Rock The Boat" cheers (including foot stomping cheers as well as softball, and other non-foot stomping cheers versions) are
Don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat
Don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat
Don't rock the boat, baby
Rock the boat
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The words used by the cheers usually exclude the word "baby. Also, cheerleaders may chant "Rock the boat" instead of chanting "Don't rock the boat".
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
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