As performers, their best-known song is "Solid" (1984 US and 1985 UK), although they have had many other hits, mostly on the R&B charts. Many of their songs have been recorded in hit versions by artists as diverse as Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and so many, many others.
Ashford and Simpson met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1963. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Josie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had It So Good"), Maxine Brown ("One Step At A Time"), as well as the Shirelles and Chuck Jackson. Another of the trio's songs "Let's Go Get Stoned" gave Ray Charles a number one U.S. R&B hit in 1966. That same year Ashford & Simpson joined Motown where their best-known songs included "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)".
The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.
Outta The World
Ashford & Simpson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I surrender to your touch
Paralyzed by them eyes
I don't know, boy
Feel like something
Outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Got to feel it
Outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Outta the world
My intuition does no good
I keep a wishing
I understood what it is
Holds me captive
I don't know, boy
Feelis like something
Outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Outta the world
My body and mind in a transformation
No way to resist the temptation
Something outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Outta the world
Feel it, feel it
Outta the world
Outta the world
The lyrics to Ashford and Simpson's song Outta The World depict a feeling of surrender and temptation in the form of an intense physical and emotional connection. The singer's hands are tender and she surrenders to the touch of her lover, feeling paralyzed by his eyes. She describes a feeling that is out of this world and something that she cannot comprehend, which holds her captive to this intense attraction. She wishes she understood the power of this intense bond, but her intuition fails her.
The song describes a metamorphosis of her body and mind, where she feels transformed and unable to resist the temptation of her lover. The lyrics provide a sense of intense pleasure and desire that is beyond words and metaphors. The repetitive use of the phrase "Outta The World" emphasizes the feeling of being transported to a different realm of emotions and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Hands are tender, want so much
I desire you so much that my hands tremble with eagerness
I surrender to your touch
I give myself over completely to the sensations caused by your touch
Paralyzed by them eyes
Your gaze has an intense effect on me, rendering me motionless
I don't know, boy
I am unsure how to handle these overwhelming feelings, oh young man
Feel like something
I am experiencing a sensation
Outta the world
That sensation is unlike anything I have ever felt before
Got to feel it
I must continue to experience this sensation
My intuition does no good
My instincts cannot help me make sense of these feelings
I keep a wishing
I continue to hope for understanding
I understood what it is
I wish I knew what was causing these sensations
Holds me captive
These feelings are so powerful that they prevent me from functioning normally
My body and mind in a transformation
I am undergoing a significant physical and psychological change
No way to resist the temptation
I am unable to resist the urge to indulge in these feelings
Outta the world
This transformation and the accompanying feelings are truly extraordinary
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.