Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part III of a six part series of posts on a sampling of African American and Caribbean songs whose titles include the words "Get Up" or "Get On Up".
This post features a video of James Brown's performing his 1971 hit R&B/Funk record "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine". The majority of this post showcases James Brown's 1976 record "Get Up Offa That Thing". A trailer on the 2014 James Brown movie entitleed "Get On Up" is also included in the addendum to this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/07/various-sound-files-videos-of-get-up.html for Part I of that series.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-esquires-get-on-up-example-lyrics.html for Part II of that series.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/jodeci-get-on-up-example-lyrics-comments.html for Part IV of this series.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/eeleeephant-man-get-on-up-and-dance.html [Elephant Man- Get Up and Dance"] for Part V of this series.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/public-enemy-get-up-stand-up-example.html for Part VI off this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, motivational, and aesthetic purpose.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Jamees Brown for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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EDITORIAL COMMENT
The "Get Up" songs that are showcased in this series encourage people to get up and dance. while the "Get Up Stand Up" songs encourage people to address the wrongs that they experience in oppressive societies.
I find it interesting that James Brown's “Get Up Offa That Thing" includes lyrics that encourage people to "dance 'til you feel better" and "dance to try to relieve that pressure". And I content that Black dance songs and play songs-along with Black work songs and religious songs- helped Black people survive the horrors of slavery. And dance songs along with other non-religious songs and religious songs continue to help Black people survive the oppression we've faced post slavery up to and including today, even if it's only to take our minds off of that oppression for a little while.
Additional comments on this subject are found below.
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE #1: JAMES BROWN Sex Machine 1971
TheMaximumVolumeable Uploaded on Nov 28, 2011
-SNIP-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown for information about James Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006).
Click http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jamesbrown/getupifeellikebeingasexmachine.html for the lyrics to "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine".
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE #2: James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing [soundfile]
Soulbrothanumbahone, Uploaded on May 2, 2011
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INFORMATON ABOUT JAMES BROWN'S RECORD "GET UP OFFA THAT THING"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Up_Offa_That_Thing
"Get Up Offa That Thing" is a song written and performed by James Brown. It was released in 1976 as a two-part single (the B-side, titled "Release the Pressure", is a continuation of the same song). It reached #4 on the R&B chart, briefly returning Brown to the Top Ten after a year's absence, and #45 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1][2] It would be Brown's biggest hit during his late-1970s career decline. The song's lyrics urge listeners to "Get up offa that thing / and dance 'til you feel better."...
According to Brown, the inspiration for "Get Up Offa That Thing" came to him during a club performance in Fort Lauderdale:
The audience was sitting down, trying to do a sophisticated thing, listening to funk. One of the tightest bands they'd ever heard in their lives, and they were sitting. I had worked hard and dehydrated myself and was feeling depressed. I looked out at all those people sitting there, and because I was depressed they looked depressed. I yelled, "Get up offa that thing and dance til you feel better!" I probably meant until I felt better.[3]"...
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LYRICS: GET UP OFFA THAT THING
(James Brown)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!
OH!
Say it now!
I'm back!
I'm back!
I'm back!
I'm back!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you, sing it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and shake it, say it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up off!
Ha!
Good God!
So good!
Ha!
Everybody ready?!
Follow me!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and shake it, sing it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up offa that thing, (Ha!)
and twist 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you, sing it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Huh!
Get funky!
So good, Uh!
I'm first to stop, ha!
I've told them now, ha!
Uh!
Ha!
Ohio player!
Can you hit it one time, from the top?!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance to try, you better!
Get up offa that thing,
and... Help me!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Huh!
I need it!
That's the wise old brother at the side start good!
C'mon Clive do it!
Do it!
Uh!
Ha!
Good God!
God Good!
Huh!
Feels good!
Feels good!
Do it to me!
Huh!
Good God!
I want you all in the jam!
Gonna get you all in the jam!
Play that bad funk!
Show 'em how funky you are!
Play it JB's!
Play it now!
Hey!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you, help me out!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release, say it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up and... call it!
I feel good!
[Fade out]
Source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jamesbrown/getupoffathatthing.html
-snip-
“Get Up Offa That Thing" = means to Get off of your butt" or "Get out of your seat" [and dance].
Notice the lyrics
"Get up offa that thing,
and dance [and "shake"] 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!"
-snip-
No specific racial population is identified in these lyrics. However, giveven the shooting deaths of Black men that have occurred in the past two weeks in Ferguson, Missouri and in St. Louis, Miissouri and the lack of transparency and militarized response of the police to protests*, I can't help but believe that Black people and other People of Color in the United States live in more oppressive conditions than White people in that nation.
Furthermore, it occurs to me that one of the reasons why so little attention has been given to the dance songs and play songs that were composeed by Black people during United States slavery is that people used thee existencee of those songs to support their pro-slavery arguments that enslaved Black people were happy in that condition. However, I believe that were it not for their dance songs and their play songs-as well as their sorrow songs (religious songs) and the works songs, Black people would have had even more difficulty living through slavery. And although conditions for most Black Americans have certainly improved since the end of chattel slavery, statistics and the news ceertainly document that the United States has not ever been and is not now a post racial nation.
*http://america.aljazeera.com/blogs/scrutineer/2014/8/22/kajieme-powell-shootingvideo.html and http://america.aljazeera.com/blogs/scrutineer/2014/8/22/kajieme-powell-shootingvideo.html
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ADDENDUM: Get On Up Official Trailer (2014) James Brown Biopic HD
JoBlo Movie TrailersPublished on Mar 13, 2014
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
-snip-
Click http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/watch-a-dynamite-new-trailer-for-the-james-brown-biopic-get-on-up-20140719 for information and comments about this movie.
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