CHURCH GIRL
Beyoncé Lyrics

(Lord, place me)
Asking for divine guidance and direction

Ooh, ooh (I wanna be centered)
Expressing the desire to be focused and balanced

Ooh, ooh (I wanna be centered, I wanna be centered in thy will)
Requesting to be aligned with God's purpose and plan

I've been up, I been down
Describing the highs and lows of life experiences

Feel like I move mountains
Experiencing the feeling of overcoming challenges

Got friends that cried fountains, oh
Having empathetic connections with people who are emotionally expressive

I'm warning everybody, soon as I get in this party
Announcing that a personal release and celebration is about to take place

I'm gon' let go of this body, I'm gonna love on me
Intending to let go of inhibitions and focus on self-care

Nobody can judge me but me, I was born free
Asserting personal freedom and autonomy

I'll drop it like a thotty, drop it like a thotty
Indicating a willingness to dance provocatively

I said, now pop it like a thotty, pop it like a thotty (you bad)
Encouraging someone to dance seductively

Mi seh, now drop it like a thotty, drop it like a thotty (you bad)
Encouraging someone to dance seductively in Jamaican dialect

Church girls actin' loose, bad girls actin' snotty (you bad)
Pointing out the irony in social stereotypes and expectations

Let it go, girl (let it go), let it out, girl (let it out)
Urging someone to release their inhibitions and dance freely

Twerk that ass like you came up out the South, girl (ooh, ooh)
Encouraging someone to dance provocatively like they're from the Southern U.S.

Bad girl actin' naughty, church girl, don't hurt nobody
Reinforcing the idea that personal expression doesn't have to be harmful or negative

You can be my daddy if you want to
Flirtatiously suggesting someone can be a dominant partner

You, you can be my daddy if you want to
Repeating the flirtatious suggestion for emphasis

You can get it tatted if you want to
Inviting someone to express themselves through tattoos

You, you can get it tatted if you want to (she ain't tryna hurt nobody)
Repeating the invitation for emphasis, while clarifying the intention to not cause harm

Put your lighters in the sky, get this motherfucker litty
Encouraging the audience to create a celebratory atmosphere

She gon' shake that ass and them pretty tig ol' bitties (huh)
Describing someone's provocative dance moves and physical features

So get your racks up (word), get your math up (uh)
Advising others to increase their finances and knowledge

I'ma back it up (uh), back it, back it up (back it, back it up)
Indicating to physically move back and forth in a dance move

I'ma buss it, buss it, buss it, buss it up, back it up
Repeating the dance move instructions for emphasis

I see them grey sweats (grey sweats), I see a blank check
Noticing physical attributes and financial opportunity

I'm finally on the other side, I finally found the urge to smile
Expressing the sense of overcoming adversity and finding happiness

Swimmin' through the oceans of tears we cried (tears that we've cried)
Acknowledging and expressing the emotional pain experienced in life

You know you got church in the morning (the morning)
Acknowledging upcoming religious responsibilities

But you're doin' God's work, you're goin' in
Reinforcing the idea that personal expression and enjoyment doesn't have to conflict with religious beliefs and duties

She ain't tryna hurt nobody
Repeating the message of non-harmful intent

She is tryna do the best she can
Stating the intention to live according to personal abilities and desires

Happy on her own, with her friends, without a man
Claiming self-sufficiency and enjoyment in social relationships

Good girls actin' bad, church girls, don't hurt nobody
Reiterating the irony in social expectations and stereotypes

Now, do it, baby, stick it, baby, do it, baby, stick it, baby
Encouraging sexual activity and experimentation

Do it, baby, spin it, now spin it, baby, do it
Repeating the encouragement for emphasis

Now spend that cash a little harder and she might let you dive in the water
Offering a financial incentive for sexual activity

Drop it like a thotty, drop it like a thotty
Encouraging the provocative dance move

Oh, oh, oh, drop it like a thotty, drop it like a thotty
Repeating the encouragement for emphasis

Trying to bring the life up in your body
Expressing the desire to inspire vitality through personal expression and enjoyment