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The reggae group Inner Circle was formed in 1968 by the brothers Ian and Roger Lewis in Jamaica. At first they covered soul and R&B hits from the United States, and then also a few reggae songs, predominantly from Bob Marley.
The band released two albums as The Inner Circle in 1974 for jamaican label "Starapple"(and they were distributed by "Trojan" in UK), and resigned to Capitol Records in 1976, and Island Records(where the internationally successful album "Everything Is Great" originated. This album reached top 20 in the UK and preceded their other chart success by some years) in 1979.
Inner Circle was decidedly influenced through the original member Jacob Miller, the frontman and lead singer who was killed in a car crash on March 23, 1980. At the end of the 1970s Inner Circle with Jacob "Killer" Miller was more popular in Jamaica than Bob Marley. The band also appeared in the reggae cult film Rockers in 1978.
After the loss of Jacob Miller, Inner Circle broke up, but in 1982 another album called Something So Good was released. In 1986 Ian and Roger Lewis reestablished Inner Circle with the singer Carlton Coffie, and the band experienced a comeback with the album Black Roses.
In 1989, Inner Circle released the song "Bad Boys." Since then, the band calls itself "The Bad Boys of Reggae". They had another big hit with the 1993 song "Sweat (A La La La La Long)."
The lead singer Carlton Coffie was ill for a long period in 1995 and decided after his recuperation to start a solo career. The current singer Kris Bentley took his place.
Sweat
Inner Circle Lyrics
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A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Come on
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Standing across the room I saw you smile
I said I want to talk to you for a little while
But before I make my move my emotions start running wild
My tongue gets tied and that's no lie
I'm looking in your eyes
I'm looking in your big brown eyes (Ooh yeah)
(And I've got this to say to you)
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it some more
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it
Push it push it some more
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Come on
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
So I say to myself if she loves me or not
But the dread are known that love is his to get
And with a little bit of this and a little bit of that
The lyrics goes on the attack
My tongue gets tied
And that's no lie
I'm looking in your eyes
I'm looking in your big brown eyes (Oh girl)
(And I've got this to say to you)
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it some more
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it
Push it push it some more
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Oh yeah
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
One more time
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Sing it
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long eh
Eyes, I'm looking in your big brown eyes (Oh yeah)
(And I've got this to say to you)
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it some more
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it
Push it push it some more
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long eh
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Push it push it some more
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Alright
A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long
Push it push it some more
The lyrics of Inner Circle's song Sweat revolve around the desire of the singer to make someone sweat until they can't do it anymore. The song's repetition of the "A la la la la long" phrase creates a catchy hook and introduces a relaxed, laid-back feel to the song. In the first verse, the singer expresses his nervousness when approaching the person he is interested in, as his emotions start running wild and his tongue gets tied. However, as the song progresses, he becomes more confident and assertive in his desire to make the other person sweat and push them to their limits.
The lyrics of Sweat can be interpreted as a metaphor for sexual desire and the importance of pushing boundaries in a relationship. The singer wants to explore deeper with his partner and test their limits, encouraging them to cry out and push themselves further. The repetition of the phrase "Push it, push it some more" reinforces this idea of exploring boundaries and striving for more intensity and pleasure in a relationship.
Overall, Sweat is a catchy and fun song that uses a simple melody and repetitive lyrics to convey a message of passion and desire between two people who are exploring their boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been watching you
The singer has been observing the person addressed in the song.
A la la la la long
Nonsensical filler phrase to create rhythm.
A la la la la long long li long long long
Nonsensical filler phrase to create rhythm.
Come on
An exclamation urging the person addressed to engage with the artist.
Standing across the room I saw you smile
The artist noticed the person addressed and observed them smiling from a distance.
I said I want to talk to you for a little while
The singer desires to initiate a conversation with the person addressed.
But before I make my move my emotions start running wild
The singer feels nervous and apprehensive before approaching the person addressed.
My tongue gets tied and that's no lie
The artist feels tongue-tied or nervous when trying to talk to the person addressed.
I'm looking in your eyes
The artist is gazing into the eyes of the person addressed.
I'm looking in your big brown eyes (Ooh yeah)
The artist is specifically looking into the person addressed's big brown eyes.
(And I've got this to say to you)
The singer wants to communicate something to the person addressed.
Girl I want to make you sweat
The artist desires to bring the person addressed to a state of sweating.
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
The singer wants the person addressed to sweat excessively.
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it some more
The singer will push the person addressed further even if they cry out or show signs of strain.
So I say to myself if she loves me or not
The singer is pondering whether or not the person addressed loves them back.
But the dread are known that love is his to get
The artist acknowledges that love is something to be earned or gotten.
And with a little bit of this and a little bit of that
The artist is suggesting that various methods may be employed in pursuit of love.
The lyrics goes on the attack
The tone of the song shifts to an aggressive or assertive one.
Oh girl, I want to make you sweat
Reiteration of the desire to make the person addressed perspire.
Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
The same as before, to sweat excessively.
And if you cry out I'm gonna push it some more
The artist will not stop even if the person addressed is in pain or discomfort.
Eyes, I'm looking in your big brown eyes (Oh yeah)
The artist is still gazing intently into the person addressed's brown eyes.
(And I've got this to say to you)
The singer has another message for the person addressed.
Push it push it some more
An exhortation to continue exerting effort.
Alright
An expression of assent or agreement.
Push it push it some more
An exhortation to continue exerting effort.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ian Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind