You Can't Stop the Beat
Amber Riley Chris Colfer Cory Monteith Kevin McHale and Lea Michele Lyrics

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You can't stop an avalanche
As it races down the hill,
You can try to stop the seasons,
But you know you never will
And you can try to stop my dancin' feet
But I just cannot stand still

Cause the world keeps spinnin'

Round and round
And my heart's keeping time
To the speed of sound
I was lost till I heard the drums
Then I found my way
Cause you can't stop the beat

Five six seven eight

Ever since this old world began
A woman found out if she shook it
She could shake up a man
And so I'm gonna shake and shimmy it
The best that I can today
Cause you can't stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the sun in the sky
You can wonder if you wanna
But I never ask why
If you try to hold me down
I'm gonna spit in your eye and say
That you can't stop the beat!

You can't stop a river
As it rushes to the sea
You can try to stop the hands of time
But you know it just can't be
And if they try to stop us Artie,
I'll call the N Double A C P

Cause the world keeps spinning
Round and round
And my heart's keeping time
To the speed of sound
I was lost till I heard the drums
Then I found my way
Cause you can't stop the beat
Ever since we first saw the light
A man and woman liked to shake it
On a Saturday night
So I'm gonna shake and shimmy it
With all my might today
'Cause you can't stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the rain from above
You can try to stop the paradise
We're dreamin' of
But you cannot stop the rhythm
Of two hearts in love to stay
Cause you can't stop the beat!

You can't stop today
As it comes speeding down the track
Child, yesterday is history
And it's never coming back
Cause tomorrow is a brand new day
And it don't know white from black

Yeah!

Cause the world keeps spinning
Round and round
And my heart's keeping time
To the speed of sound
I was lost till I heard the drums
Then I found my way
'Cause you can't stop the beat

Ever since we first saw the sun
A man and woman liked to shake it
When the day is done
And so we're gonna shake and shimmy it
And have some fun today
Cause you can't stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the rain from above
They can try to stop the paradise
We're dreaming of
But you cannot stop the rhythm
Of two hearts in love to stay
You can't stop the beat!

You can't stop the beat!
You can't stop the beat!

You can't stop the beat!
You can't stop the beat!

Overall Meaning

"You Can't Stop the Beat" is a lively and upbeat song that professes the unstoppable nature of music and dance. Throughout the lyrics, there is an allusion to the fact that nothing in life can restrict an individual from enjoying music and to the fact that music has been the one constant throughout history. The song starts with the simple analogy of an avalanche, and how it's impossible to prevent it from tumbling down a hill. The song continues with the idea that the world continues to revolve around music, and how it persists despite opposition.

The song suggests that there are different ways for people to express themselves, but music and dance is the best way for them to do so, and they will continue to do it rhythmically, no matter what. The verses reference various elements of nature, and how they are uncontainable, such as an ocean's motion, the sun, and the rain. In the final verse, the song acknowledges that time can never be restrained, and we should focus on enjoying the moment. The song, therefore, concludes that music and dancing aren't just a force to be reckoned with but also a source of relief that people can always rely on.

Line by Line Meaning

You can't stop an avalanche As it races down the hill, You can try to stop the seasons, But you know you never will And you can try to stop my dancin' feet But I just cannot stand still
You cannot obstruct a force that's gaining momentum, just like you cannot prevent the changing of seasons. You can try to hold me back but I won't stop dancing.

Cause the world keeps spinnin' Round and round And my heart's keeping time To the speed of sound I was lost till I heard the drums Then I found my way Cause you can't stop the beat
Life goes on and my heart beats in time with the world around me. Music brings me back to life when I'm feeling lost, and nothing can stop it.

Ever since this old world began A woman found out if she shook it She could shake up a man And so I'm gonna shake and shimmy it The best that I can today Cause you can't stop The motion of the ocean Or the sun in the sky You can wonder if you wanna But I never ask why If you try to hold me down I'm gonna spit in your eye and say That you can't stop the beat!
Women figured out how to take control of their lives by moving and shaking, and I'll do whatever I need to in order to live my best life. You cannot stop the natural movements of the world, and I won't ask for permission or wait for someone to tell me to start moving. If you try to hold me back, I'll retaliate with force.

You can't stop a river As it rushes to the sea You can try to stop the hands of time But you know it just can't be And if they try to stop us Artie, I'll call the N Double A C P
Just like a river flows, you can't stop the natural course of events. If someone tries to stop us, I'll bring in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to support us.

Ever since we first saw the light A man and woman liked to shake it On a Saturday night So I'm gonna shake and shimmy it With all my might today 'Cause you can't stop The motion of the ocean Or the rain from above You can try to stop the paradise We're dreamin' of But you cannot stop the rhythm Of two hearts in love to stay Cause you can't stop the beat!
Since humans first existed, they liked to move and dance. I'll put all my energy into it, even today. Nothing can obstruct the natural movements of the tide or the rain, and no one can stop our dreams or the love between two people. The rhythm of our love will persist because you can't stop the beat.

You can't stop today As it comes speeding down the track Child, yesterday is history And it's never coming back Cause tomorrow is a brand new day And it don't know white from black Yeah!
You cannot stop time from moving forward. Yesterday has already happened and is impossible to change. Tomorrow brings new opportunities and cannot be controlled by race or other societal constructs.

Ever since we first saw the sun A man and woman liked to shake it When the day is done And so we're gonna shake and shimmy it And have some fun today Cause you can't stop The motion of the ocean Or the rain from above They can try to stop the paradise We're dreaming of But you cannot stop the rhythm Of two hearts in love to stay You can't stop the beat!
From dawn to dusk, people have always moved and grooved to music. Today, we'll dance and have fun because life is too short to be held back by others. No one can stop the natural phenomena of waves or rain, and even though people may try to prevent us from achieving our dreams, nothing can stop the rhythm of the love in our hearts.

You can't stop the beat! You can't stop the beat! You can't stop the beat! You can't stop the beat!
Nothing can prevent the music and the natural movements that come with it. You cannot stop the beat, no matter how hard you try.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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