He was booed off stage at a show celebrating the visit of Nelson Mandela. In 1993 at the very popular show Sting he accused fellow deejay Bounty Killer that the elder artist had stolen his catchphrase, "people dead". This triggered a lyrical battle which continued on the air with each artist counteracting the other's songs. Finally, in 1995, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer settled their differences on the air by actually signing a peace treaty and the two recorded an album together, Guns Out. This was followed by a single, "No Mama No Cry", a rehash of the Bob Marley classic "No Woman No Cry", speaking out against violence and inspired by the murder of Pan Head, another popular Deejay.
Partially as a result of prodding from his producers, Sly and Robbie, Beenie Man soon converted to the Rastafari movement.
In 1994, he was signed by Island Records and released the critically acclaimed album Blessed.
In 1995, Beenie Man released a remix of Barrington Levy's "Under Mi Sensi" in the United Kingdom, and collaborated with Dennis Brown and Triston Palma to release Three Against War and Lt. Stitchie on Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man. He took another step up the ladder in 1996, releasing the seminal Maestro, produced by Patrick Roberts and shot him to UK fame. During the period from the mid to late '90s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts to the extent that he perhaps had a good claim to the crown of "Dancehall King", a title only bestowed previously on Yellowman in the early 1980s.
In 1998, Beenie Man signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States. His first American offering was The Doctor (1998). In 2000, Beenie Man teamed up with Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean (The Fugees) to release The Art & Life. During the late 1990s, Beenie Man began his conquest of America with the hits, "Romie", "Who Am I" and "Girls Dem Sugar", which featured American R&B singer, Mya.
In 2002, he had a sizeable hit with a duet with Janet Jackson called "Feel It Boy", but his biggest break in America came in early 2004 with the release of a remix of "Dude", featuring guest vocals by fellow Jamaican Ms. Thing, as well as rhymes by Shawnna.
Dance Hall Queen
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gal me serious, me haffi get you tonight
Gal me serious, me haffi get you tonight
Gal me serious, me haffi get you tonight
Gal me serious, me haffi (Chevelle Franklin, sing)
She's a dancehall queen for life
And she's moving outta sight
And she guh mash up di place like dynamite
She's a dancehall queen for life
Gonna explode like dynamite
And she's moving outta sight
And she guh mash up di place like dynamite
Gal how yuh so full a etiquette and yuh so clever
through a Selassie mek a you design fi be the dancer
If a fi m alone a woulda tun yuh inna mi lover
Gal mi waan mi name, mi waan fi knock yuh wid mi hammer
Den mek mi get back pon track yah,
Marcia, first time mi see yuh mi woulda walk inna macka
Now mi see yuh wine mi waan fi bun up inna fire
Tan up inna clothes like a tinking Fila
Fi da gal yah a wine she look like mumma killa
One touch mi touch mi it bun mi like pepper
But hear di DJ a utter, mi halla
Chevelle now or forever yuh halla
She's a dancehall queen for life
Gonna explode like dynamite
And she's moving outta sight
And she guh mash up di place like dynamite
She's a dancehall queen for life
Gonna explode like dynamite
And she's moving outta sight
And she guh mash up di place like dynamite
Contest a gwaan fi di dancehall queen
Who a wear di crown nuh di one
Alovene, hell and powderhouse when miss lady come in
Den everybaddi staart screem, seen
Where di girl come from nobody don't know
She's a devil angel and she's a go-go
Hit this girl, you manna, she's a yo-yo
Ask mi I don't know, all mi know
When mi hitch up dung a African Star
Mi see bus, mi see truck, mi see bike, mi see car
Night time come and video light, it tun on
Her body start to alarm, gal because
Watch mi now
She can cork any session
Wid a cute face a create nuff heat inna di place
An try nuh touch a button
If yuh touch a button she a guh try an duh yuh suppen
An go girl, faah mi naah stop say so
Go girl, to the rhythm whey a throw
Go girl, to the bass whey a blow
Go girl (Chevelle, DJ, again)
She can cork any session
Wid a cute face a create nuff heat inna di place
An try nuh touch a button
If yuh touch a button she a guh try an duh yuh suppen
Go girl, faah mi naah stop say so
Go girl, to the rhythm whey a throw
Go girl, to the bass whey a blow
Go girl (Chevelle, DJ, again)
She can cork any session
Wid a cute face a create nuff heat inna di place
An try nuh touch a button
If yuh touch a button she a guh try an duh yuh suppen
Ya just go girl
Gal me serious, me haffi get you tonight
Go girl, gal me serious, me haffi get you tonight
Go girl, gal me serious, me haffi get you tonight
Go girl, to the bass whey a blow (gal me serious, me haffi get get)
The lyrics to Beenie Man's "Dance Hall Queen" are a celebration of a particular type of woman who is the life of the party and the center of attention on the dance floor. Throughout the song, Beenie Man and Chevelle Franklin describe this woman as being full of "etiquette" and "clever," as well as incredibly skilled at dancing. They praise her for her ability to "cork any session" and "create nuff heat inna di place," and suggest that she is so talented that she might even be able to "explode like dynamite" or "mash up di place."
The song also touches on the idea of competition among dancers, with the mention of a "contest" for the title of "Dance Hall Queen" and the suggestion that the woman in question has beaten out all other contenders. However, the lyrics ultimately focus more on the joy and exhilaration of watching this woman dance, with the repeated refrain of "Go girl!" encouraging her to keep moving and keep the party going.
Overall, "Dance Hall Queen" is a celebration of dance, music, and the powerful, captivating spirit of the women who make it all happen on the dance floor.
Line by Line Meaning
Gal me serious, me haffi get you tonight
The singer is very intent on getting the woman he's addressing tonight.
Chevelle Franklin, sing
The singer is prompting Chevelle Franklin to take over the singing.
She's a dancehall queen for life
The woman being described is a permanent dancehall queen.
Gonna explode like dynamite
The woman is going to make an explosive impact on the dancehall scene.
And she's moving outta sight
The woman is such an amazing dancer that she seems to disappear from sight.
And she guh mash up di place like dynamite
The woman will really tear up the dancefloor, just like dynamite.
Gal how yuh so full a etiquette and yuh so clever
The singer is complimenting the woman on her impressive behavior and intelligence.
through a Selassie mek a you design fi be the dancer
The artist believes that the woman was meant to be a dancer due to her natural talent.
If a fi m alone a woulda tun yuh inna mi lover
If the artist were alone, he would try to make the woman his lover.
Gal mi waan mi name, mi waan fi knock yuh wid mi hammer
The artist wants to make a name for himself and impress the woman with his skills.
Den mek mi get back pon track yah,
The singer is refocusing on the main topic, which is the woman's incredible dancing skills.
Marcia, first time mi see yuh mi woulda walk inna macka
The artist is saying that when he first saw the woman, he would have jumped into the crowd and started dancing with her.
Now mi see yuh wine mi waan fi bun up inna fire
The woman's dance moves are so enticing that the singer wants to dance with her until they both catch fire.
Tan up inna clothes like a tinking Fila
The woman's clothing is described in a unique way, implying she stands out even more on the dance floor.
Fi da gal yah a wine she look like mumma killa
The woman excels at dancing, and it reminds the singer of a killer dance move popular among mothers.
One touch mi touch mi it bun mi like pepper
The artist is so overwhelmed by the woman's dance moves that he feels like he's been burned by hot pepper just by touching her.
But hear di DJ a utter, mi halla
The artist is calling out to the DJ because he wants to hear more music that will continue to inspire the woman and other dancers.
Chevelle now or forever yuh halla
The singer is calling out to Chevelle specifically, probably because she's singing the chorus or has some other significant role on stage.
Contest a gwaan fi di dancehall queen
There is a competition to determine the best dancehall queen.
Who a wear di crown nuh di one
There is some debate about who is the true queen of the dancehall scene.
Alovene, hell and powderhouse when miss lady come in
The woman being described completely changes the atmosphere and energy of the event when she arrives.
Den everybaddi staart screem, seen
Everyone in the crowd starts screaming when they see the woman's amazing dance moves.
Where di girl come from nobody don't know
The singer doesn't know where the woman comes from, but she's still making a huge impact on the dancehall scene.
She's a devil angel and she's a go-go
The woman is both intense and very skilled when she dances.
Hit this girl, you manna, she's a yo-yo
The woman's movements are so smooth that she seems to be like a yo-yo on the string of the beat.
Ask mi I don't know, all mi know
The singer doesn't know all the details, but he knows enough to recognize the woman's incredible talent.
When mi hitch up dung a African Star
The singer is talking about a specific place, perhaps a dancehall club or something similar.
Mi see bus, mi see truck, mi see bike, mi see car
The place is very busy, with a lot of different people using different modes of transportation to get there.
Night time come and video light, it tun on
When night falls, the lights come on and the party really gets started.
Her body start to alarm, gal because
The woman's dance moves are so incredible that they're setting off alarms in other people's minds.
Watch mi now
The singer is getting ready to describe the woman's incredible talent again.
She can cork any session
The woman is such an amazing dancer that she can get everyone in the club to pay attention to her.
Wid a cute face a create nuff heat inna di place
The woman's movements and energy create a lot of fire and excitement in the room.
An try nuh touch a button
The artist is warning the male audience not to make any inappropriate moves on the woman, because she will not put up with it.
If yuh touch a button she a guh try an duh yuh suppen
If someone does try to cross the line with the woman, she will likely retaliate in some way.
An go girl, faah mi naah stop say so
The artist is urging the woman to keep dancing and keep impressing everyone in the room.
Go girl, to the rhythm whey a throw
The singer is telling the woman to dance to the beat of the music and let it inspire her even more.
Go girl, to the bass whey a blow
The singer is encouraging the woman to move her body in response to the beat and rhythm of the music.
She can cork any session
The woman has an incredible talent for dominating the dance floor wherever she goes.
Ya just go girl
The artist is once again urging the woman to continue dancing and doing what she does best.
Go girl, to the bass whey a blow (gal me serious, me haffi get get)
The artist is already making plans to try and get with the woman again later, even as he watches her dance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MOSES ANTHONY DAVIS, DONALD DENNIS, CHEVELLE JASINTHA FRANKLYN, ANTHONY ST. AUBYN KELLY, STEPHEN JOHN MARSDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind