Slippery When Wet
Commodores The Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Listen to me brothers
Listen well
Brothers we got something to tell
You can't run around
Bein' a married man
And takin' care of business very well
You've got to keep yourself together
If you dig on what you got
'Cause what you got can sho' nuff mean a lot
If you aint takin' care of business
This you must expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
You know hangin' loose
Can be outta sight
But hangin' loose
No it just ain't right
You see slippin'a tippin'
Havin' fun ain't no good
Leavin' homework undone
You've got keep your thing together
If you dig on what you've got
'Cause what you've got can sho nuff mean a lot
If you ain't takin' care of business
This you can expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
If you aint takin' care of business
This you must expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Uh come on, come on
Aw, aw
Uh huh, slippery, slippery
Love gets slippery when it's wet oh
It'll slip away yeah
Love gets slippery when it's wet ooh
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Slippery, slippery
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Takin' care of business
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Don't let your love slip away
Love gets slippery when it's wet, huh, come on, yeah
Love gets slippery when it's wet, uh, come on
Love gets slippery when it's wet, ow




Love gets slippery when it's wet
Love gets slippery when it's wet

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the Commodores' song "Slippery When Wet" serve as a warning to men who are married or in relationships about the dangers of neglecting their responsibilities. The band members advise their male listeners to take care of their business and to keep themselves together, recognizing that what they have in their relationships is valuable and can slip away if they don't take care of it. The lyrics use the metaphor of something becoming slippery when wet, suggesting that love and relationships can become unstable or hard to hold on to if not properly cared for. The song highlights the importance of responsibility and focus in maintaining healthy relationships.


The lyrics of "Slippery When Wet" were written by Commodores band member Walter Orange, who also provided lead vocals for the track. The song was released in 1975 as a single from the band's self-titled fifth album. It reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 23 on the US R&B chart. The song was later included on the band's 1995 compilation album "The Very Best of the Commodores".


Line by Line Meaning

Listen to me brothers
Pay attention, my fellow men


Listen well
Listen attentively


Brothers we got something to tell
We have something important to convey to you, men


You can't run around
You cannot roam carelessly


Bein' a married man
When you are married


And takin' care of business very well
And managing your responsibilities effectively


You've got to keep yourself together
You have to be composed


If you dig on what you got
If you appreciate what you have


'Cause what you got can sho' nuff mean a lot
Because what you have is valuable


If you aint takin' care of business
If you are not tending to important matters


This you must expect
You should anticipate this outcome


Love gets slippery when it's wet
Romantic relationships become difficult when they encounter challenges


You know hangin' loose
Being carefree


Can be outta sight
May seem cool


But hangin' loose
Being irresponsible


No it just ain't right
Is not the correct way to live


You see slippin' a tippin'
Engaging in risky behavior


Havin' fun ain't no good
Having fun is not always beneficial


Leavin' homework undone
Neglecting important tasks


You've got keep your thing together
You must stay organized and focused


If you dig on what you've got
If you appreciate what you possess


'Cause what you've got can sho nuff mean a lot
Because your possessions are valuable


If you ain't takin' care of business
If you do not attend to important issues


This you can expect
You can expect problems to arise


Uh come on, come on
Let's go


Aw, aw
Expressing excitement


Uh huh, slippery, slippery
Referring to the metaphor of relationships being slippery


It'll slip away yeah
Your romantic situation can deteriorate


Slippery, slippery
Relationships can be precarious


Takin' care of business
Fulfilling responsibilities


Don't let your love slip away
Do not let your relationship fail


Love gets slippery when it's wet, huh, come on, yeah
Romantic relationships become complicated and can fail


Love gets slippery when it's wet, uh, come on
Relationships can be challenging


Love gets slippery when it's wet, ow
Relationships are difficult at times


Love gets slippery when it's wet
Relationships can fall apart




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS MC CLARY, WALTER ORANGE

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

Jake Boi

Listen to me brothers
Listen well
Brothers we got something to tell
You can't run around
Bein' a married man
And takin' care of business very well
You've got to keep yourself together
If you dig on what you got
'Cause what you got can sho' nuff mean a lot
If you aint takin' care of business
This you must expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
You know hangin' loose
Can be outta sight
But hangin' loose
No it just ain't right
You see slippin'a tippin'
Havin' fun ain't no good
Leavin' homework undone
You've got keep your thing together
If you dig on what you've got
'Cause what you've got can sho nuff mean a lot
If you ain't takin' care of business
This you can expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
If you aint takin' care of business
This you must expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Uh come on, come on
Aw, aw
Uh huh, slippery, slippery
Love gets slippery when it's wet oh
It'll slip away yeah
Love gets slippery when it's wet ooh
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Slippery, slippery
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Takin' care of business
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Don't let your love slip away
Love gets slippery when it's wet, huh, come on, yeah
Love gets slippery when it's wet, uh, come on
Love gets slippery when it's wet, ow
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Love gets slippery when it's wet



All comments from YouTube:

Luevernon Cross

I remember jamming to this as a girl. It's wonderful to hear it againg after all these years. It's still funky as ever. Thank you for posting.

jimninja09

Dr. House!!! Cane air guitar solo!!!

Chef David Edelstein

Exactly. Totally UNEXPECTED, 100% Funky.

Alhamdulillah

Yep

Cedarmix B

I'm not the only one here because because of House.

ChrisGvitar

Not here from that show, but after seeing him jam out to this classic, hard not to think of this, even years later! I'm a guitarist, soon to be cane-ist!

Nodari Kvatchantiradze

Hell yeah!

3 More Replies...

Jake Boi

Listen to me brothers
Listen well
Brothers we got something to tell
You can't run around
Bein' a married man
And takin' care of business very well
You've got to keep yourself together
If you dig on what you got
'Cause what you got can sho' nuff mean a lot
If you aint takin' care of business
This you must expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
You know hangin' loose
Can be outta sight
But hangin' loose
No it just ain't right
You see slippin'a tippin'
Havin' fun ain't no good
Leavin' homework undone
You've got keep your thing together
If you dig on what you've got
'Cause what you've got can sho nuff mean a lot
If you ain't takin' care of business
This you can expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
If you aint takin' care of business
This you must expect
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Uh come on, come on
Aw, aw
Uh huh, slippery, slippery
Love gets slippery when it's wet oh
It'll slip away yeah
Love gets slippery when it's wet ooh
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Slippery, slippery
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Takin' care of business
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Don't let your love slip away
Love gets slippery when it's wet, huh, come on, yeah
Love gets slippery when it's wet, uh, come on
Love gets slippery when it's wet, ow
Love gets slippery when it's wet
Love gets slippery when it's wet

Lisa E

I was blessed to go to the Essence Festival in 2009 - the year I turned 50 and Lionel Ritchie was there, but then the Commodores came out and surprised us and they did this and all of their hits - I thought I would lose my mind!!  We jammed so hard (LOL)!! All of this funky music is the soundtrack of my High School days!!!  The BEST memories EVER!!

Michele Brown

We would have went to the asylum together cause I would have lost my mind too.

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