The Workout
宇多田ヒカル Lyrics


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I was dancing with a dirty blond texan
Charming accent but the music's playing too loud for talking
So I showed him
How people in the far east get down

Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Keep it up, keep it down
Now put me down
What a workout!

If you want, you can come
Come get it, get it
If you don't, you may really regret it, 'gret it
Up and down till your knees start shakin', shakin'
Ain't it good to be alive tonight

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
6.0 make it sweet, drop another dime

I was talking with a born-again christian
Ah-ah, ah-uh
"So what's it like to start life all over?"
He sad "amen, I feel like I've been rediscovering the tomb of tutankhamen"

Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Baby, don't put me down
What a workout!

What you want, it's a done deal, shake it, shake it
What you don't, you can forget about it, 'bout it
Up and down, feel your brainwaves jumpin' jumpin'
Makes me want to take a dive, oh-oh, yeah

Oh-oh, as we count to five

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
Can you hold on, someone's calling on the other line

I'm back
Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Keep it up, keep it down
Now put me down
What a workout!

If you want, you can come, come get it, get it
If you don't you may really regret it, 'gret it
Up and down till your knees start shakin', shakin'
Ain't it good to be alive tonight

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys




Five ripples running up and down my spine
6.0 make it sweet, drop another dime

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "The Workout" by Utada Hikaru depict two different encounters and experiences. In the first verse, the singer describes dancing with a dirty blond Texan. The music is too loud for conversation, so the singer decides to show him how people in the Far East dance. The repetitive lines of "Push it up, push it down, Pull it up, pull it down" signify the intense and energetic movements involved in the dance, almost like a workout. The singer expresses excitement and satisfaction, exclaiming "What a workout!"


The chorus reinforces the invitation to join the dance and experience the energy and joy it brings. The lyrics suggest that if one chooses not to participate, they may regret missing out on the exhilaration. The lines "Up and down till your knees start shakin'" further emphasize the intense physical aspect of the dance. It is portrayed as a celebration of life and a reminder of the pleasure of being alive in the moment.


In the second verse, the singer engages in a conversation with a born-again Christian. The Christian describes his experience of starting life anew, comparing it to discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun. This metaphor implies a significant and transformative change. The contrast between the high-energy dance and the introspective conversation showcases the various perspectives and experiences that life offers.


The chorus repeats, emphasizing the invitation and the physicality of the dance. The lyrics suggest that embracing the opportunity to engage in the dance brings satisfaction and pleasure. The line "Makes me want to take a dive" adds a sense of enthusiasm and willingness to fully immerse in the experience.


In the final lines, the singer returns, bringing the focus back to the workout. The repetition of the earlier lines and the exclamation of "What a workout!" reinforce the physical intensity and enjoyment of the dance. The repeated invitation to "come get it" emphasizes the inclusive nature of the dance, encouraging others to join in. The line "6.0 make it sweet, drop another dime" is a metaphorical way of saying that the experience is both enjoyable and worth investing in.


Overall, "The Workout" captures the excitement and physicality of dancing, while also highlighting the deeper connections and experiences that can be found through interpersonal connections. It showcases the power of music and movement to bring people together and create moments of joy and celebration.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hikaru Utada

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

j smith

I was dancing with a dirty blond texan
Charming accent but the music's playing too loud for talking
So I showed him
How people in the far east get down

Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Keep it up, keep it down
Now put me down
What a workout!

If you want, you can come
Come get it, get it
If you don't, you may really regret it, 'gret it
Up and down till your knees start shakin', shakin'
Ain't it good to be alive tonight

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
6.0 make it sweet, drop another dime

I was talking with a born-again christian
Ah-ah, ah-uh
"So what's it like to start life all over?"
He sad "amen, I feel like I've been rediscovering the tomb of tutankhamen"

Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Baby, don't put me down
What a workout!

What you want, it's a done deal, shake it, shake it
What you don't, you can forget about it, 'bout it
Up and down, feel your brainwaves jumpin' jumpin'
Makes me want to take a dive, oh-oh, yeah

Oh-oh, as we count to five

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
Can you hold on, someone's calling on the other line

I'm back
Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Keep it up, keep it down
Now put me down
What a workout!

If you want, you can come, come get it, get it
If you don't you may really regret it, 'gret it
Up and down till your knees start shakin', shakin'
Ain't it good to be alive tonight

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
6.0 make it sweet, drop another dime



tanzcds

I can see how people are misreading this song as about orgy lol here's with the lines

"1 life, 2-time, 3 girls, 4 guys
5 ripples running up and down my spine
6.0 Make it sweet, drop another dime"

dime is also used to call the coin like for example
"So put another dime in the jukebox baby!"
(Line Dictionary : Usage example)
So in my opinion, even you go on orgy, it doesn't need to pay anything except you get some escorts service. In this case, I don't think Utada needs to pay anything except if she's in the club or karaoke room, though. So that might be a music machine for dimes

Like come on it's okay if it's an orgy song but what about this also give you the "Step Up' vibe where guys and girls come out for dance battle? Think in innocently way lol



All comments from YouTube:

MdudeCY

The drum reminds me a bit of Björk's "Hyperballad" 😍

Matthew Bresin

I remember she had listed her 14 favorite artists on her website at some time and Bjork was among them.

Gracious Sunchild

Similar rhythm and probably the same kind of drum

MidnightBlues

Oh I'm so happy people are still listening to this.

Hexy Ko

It does. I don't like how the lyrics seem to be about a weird orgy though. :S

kuransays

This song is so addictive; easily one of my favorites ♥ Utada

CMDPromptify

My god I didn't know how badly I needed to listen to this song until this very moment

James Raymond

I discovered this song on someone's Myspace circa 2008. Good times.

GeoRocks

the first time I heard this song I was in this wonderful, tremendous trance:)

j smith

I was dancing with a dirty blond texan
Charming accent but the music's playing too loud for talking
So I showed him
How people in the far east get down

Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Keep it up, keep it down
Now put me down
What a workout!

If you want, you can come
Come get it, get it
If you don't, you may really regret it, 'gret it
Up and down till your knees start shakin', shakin'
Ain't it good to be alive tonight

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
6.0 make it sweet, drop another dime

I was talking with a born-again christian
Ah-ah, ah-uh
"So what's it like to start life all over?"
He sad "amen, I feel like I've been rediscovering the tomb of tutankhamen"

Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Baby, don't put me down
What a workout!

What you want, it's a done deal, shake it, shake it
What you don't, you can forget about it, 'bout it
Up and down, feel your brainwaves jumpin' jumpin'
Makes me want to take a dive, oh-oh, yeah

Oh-oh, as we count to five

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
Can you hold on, someone's calling on the other line

I'm back
Push it up, push it down
Pull it up, pull it down
Keep it up, keep it down
Now put me down
What a workout!

If you want, you can come, come get it, get it
If you don't you may really regret it, 'gret it
Up and down till your knees start shakin', shakin'
Ain't it good to be alive tonight

One life, two-time, three girls, four guys
Five ripples running up and down my spine
6.0 make it sweet, drop another dime

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