I've been here all night (Ariana)
I've been here all day (Nicki Minaj)
And boy, got me walkin' side to side
(Let them hoes know)

I'm talkin' to ya
See you standing over there with your body
Feeling like I wanna rock with your body
And we don't gotta think 'bout nothin' ('Bout nothin')
I'm comin' at ya

'Cause I know you got a bad reputation
Doesn't matter, 'cause you give me temptation
And we don't gotta think 'bout nothin' ('Bout nothin')

These friends keep talkin' way too much
Say I should give you up
Can't hear them no, 'cause I

I've been here all night
I've been here all day
And boy, got me walkin' side to side
I've been here all night
I've been here all day
And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)

Been tryna hide it
Baby what's it gonna hurt if they don't know?
Makin' everybody think that we solo
Just as long as you know you got me (You got me)
And boy I got ya
'Cause tonight I'm making deals with the devil
And I know it's gonna get me in trouble
Just as long as you know you got me

These friends keep talkin' way too much
Say I should give you up
Can't hear them no, 'cause

I've been here all night
I've been here all day
And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)
I've been here all night
(Been here all night, baby)
I've been here all day
(Been here all day, baby)
And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)

This the new style with the fresh type of flow
Wrist icicle, ride dick bicycle
Come true yo, get you this type of blow
If you wanna menage I got a tricycle

All these bitches, flows is my mini-me
Body smoking, so they call me young Nicki chimney
Rappers in they feelings cause they feelin' me
Uh, I-I give zero fucks and I got zero chill in me
Kissing me, copped the blue box that say Tiffany
Curry with the shot, just tell 'em to call me Stephanie
Gun pop and I make my gum pop
I'm the queen of rap, young Ariana run pop

These friends keep talkin' way too much
Say I should give him up
Can't hear them no, 'cause I

I've been here all night
I've been here all day
And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)
I've been here all night
(Been here all night baby)
I've been here all day
(Been here all day baby)
Boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)

This the new style with the fresh type of flow
Wrist icicle, ride dick bicycle
Come true yo, get you this type of blow
If you wanna menage I got a tricycle

Overall Meaning

Side To Side by Ariana Grande feat. Nicki Minaj is a flirtatious song about being physically intimate with someone. The lyrics describe being with someone who has a bad reputation, but the attraction is too strong to resist. The chorus repeats the hook, "And boy, got me walkin' side to side," which insinuates that the physical interaction has left the singer physically unsteady. However, the song’s verses talk about the societal pressures to keep their relationship hidden, but as long as the person they’re with knows how they feel, that’s all that matters.

The song’s chorus metaphorically compares the feeling after being physically intimate with someone to walking side to side, which implies they may have just had sex. The song’s distinct beat borders on reggae, and Nicki Minaj’s rap verse is a standout moment. The song is empowering in the sense that the singer makes the decision to pursue someone they are attracted to regardless of others’ opinions, which is a strong message for a predominantly young audience. The song has been praised for its frank depiction of female sexuality and garnered critical acclaim upon its release.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been here all night
I've been with you all night and haven't left (Ariana)

I've been here all day
I've been with you all day and haven't left (Nicki Minaj)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side
And boy, you've got me feeling so satisfied that I can't stop walking (Let them hoes know)

I'm talkin' to ya
I'm directing my words towards you (Ariana)

See you standing over there with your body
I see you standing over there with your attractive body (Ariana)

Feeling like I wanna rock with your body
I'm feeling like I want to dance and be intimate with your body (Ariana)

And we don't gotta think 'bout nothin' ('Bout nothin')
We don't have to worry about anything (Ariana and Nicki Minaj)

I'm comin' at ya
I'm approaching you (Ariana)

'Cause I know you got a bad reputation
I'm approaching you, despite the fact that you have a negative image (Ariana)

Doesn't matter, 'cause you give me temptation
It doesn't matter because you're so tempting (Ariana)

These friends keep talkin' way too much
These friends keep talking too much about my relationship with you (Ariana)

Say I should give you up
They're saying I should end my relationship with you (Ariana)

Can't hear them no, 'cause I
I can't hear them anymore because I'm ignoring them (Ariana)

Been tryna hide it
I've been trying to keep my relationship with you a secret (Ariana)

Baby what's it gonna hurt if they don't know?
What harm could it do if they don't find out about our relationship? (Ariana)

Makin' everybody think that we solo
We're making everyone believe that we're not in a relationship (Ariana)

Just as long as you know you got me (You got me)
As long as you know I'm here for you (Ariana)

And boy I got ya
I've got you, my love (Ariana)

'Cause tonight I'm making deals with the devil
I'm doing something risky tonight (Ariana)

And I know it's gonna get me in trouble
I know it's going to cause me problems (Ariana)

This the new style with the fresh type of flow
I'm introducing a new style of music (Nicki Minaj)

Wrist icicle, ride dick bicycle
My wrist is covered in diamonds and I can ride a man like a bicycle (Nicki Minaj)

Come true yo, get you this type of blow
Come to me and I'll introduce you to this type of music (Nicki Minaj)

If you wanna menage I got a tricycle
If you want to have a threesome, I'm willing to join (Nicki Minaj)

All these bitches, flows is my mini-me
All these female rappers sound like me (Nicki Minaj)

Body smoking, so they call me young Nicki chimney
My body looks so good that it's like a smoking chimney (Nicki Minaj)

Rappers in they feelings cause they feelin' me
Other rappers are angry because they're envious of me (Nicki Minaj)

Uh, I-I give zero fucks and I got zero chill in me
I don't care and I have no patience (Nicki Minaj)

Kissing me, copped the blue box that say Tiffany
I got a blue box from Tiffany's after being kissed by someone (Nicki Minaj)

Curry with the shot, just tell 'em to call me Stephanie
I'm so good at what I do that you should call me Stephanie Curry (Nicki Minaj)

Gun pop and I make my gum pop
I fire a gun and chew gum at the same time (Nicki Minaj)

I'm the queen of rap, young Ariana run pop
I'm the best female rapper and Ariana is the best pop singer (Nicki Minaj)

These friends keep talkin' way too much
These friends keep talking too much about my relationship with you (Ariana)

Say I should give him up
They're saying I should end my relationship with you (Ariana)

Can't hear them no, 'cause
I can't hear them anymore because I'm ignoring them (Ariana)

I've been here all night
I've been with you all night and haven't left (Ariana)

I've been here all day
I've been with you all day and haven't left (Ariana)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)
And boy, you've got me feeling so satisfied that I can't stop walking (Let them hoes know)

I've been here all night
I've been with you all night and haven't left (Ariana)

(Been here all night, baby)
(I've been with you all night, baby) (Ariana)

I've been here all day
I've been with you all day and haven't left (Ariana)

(Been here all day, baby)
(I've been with you all day, baby) (Ariana)

Boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)
And boy, you've got me feeling so satisfied that I can't stop walking (Let them hoes know)

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Iricom US Ltd, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ariana Grande, Alexander Erik Kronlund, Onika Tanya Maraj, Martin Sandberg, Ilya Savan Kotecha

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind