Come Together
Count Basie His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He come groovin' up slowly
He got joo joo eyeballs
He one holy rollers
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca Cola
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me
He bad production
He got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard
He one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knees
Hold you in his armchair
You can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me
He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one Mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
Cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
The lyrics of Count Basie and His Orchestra's song "Come Together" paint a vivid portrait of a character with unique physical features and an unconventional personality. The opening lines introduce "old flat top" slowly making his way, with his mesmerizing and hypnotic gaze, that is captured in his "joo joo eyeballs," as if he were a holy man. His untamed locks, cascading down to his knee, and his leisurely, carefree ways proclaim him as a "joker" who dances to his tune. The singer mentions how this character doesn't pay much heed to appearance as he doesn't wear shoeshine and has toe jam football; even his fingers are monkey-like, and yet he carries himself confidently and nonchalantly, holding a bottle of Coca Cola in his hand.
This character embodies the idea of freedom, spreading it wherever he goes, which is expressed in the lines "You got to be free. Come together, right now over me." The singer suggests that we all come together, unified and free, by following flat top's vibes, a message that resonates in the chorus. The other verses describe Flat Top's peculiar attributes, such as his walrus gumboot, Ono sideboard, and the Mojo filter, and how they make him a unique and intriguing figure. Even his "disease," we are told, can be felt when he holds us in his armchair. The singer makes a compelling case for embracing freedom and individuality, and how the strangeness of a person can be fascinating and magnetic.
Line by Line Meaning
Here come old flat top
The person being described is arriving, and is referred to as 'flat top'
He come groovin' up slowly
The arrival of the person is slow and relaxed, and they are 'grooving' while they move
He got joo joo eyeballs
The person being described has unusual, almost mystical-looking eyes
He one holy rollers
This person is very religious, often going to church or some other place of worship
He got hair down to his knee
The person being described has very long hair
Got to be a joker
The person is likely known for making jokes and being lighthearted
He just do what he please
The person does whatever they want without much thought or regard for others
He wear no shoeshine
The person doesn't wear any kind of fancy shoes, which would typically require shining
He got toe jam football
The person has something on their toes that looks like a football made of jam, possibly some kind of skin infection
He got monkey finger
The person has unusually long fingers, which may look similar to those of a monkey
He shoot Coca Cola
The person may enjoy Coca Cola, or they may have a gun that shoots cans of the soda
He say I know you, you know me
The person speaking claims that they know the listener, and that the listener knows them
One thing I can tell you is
The singer is about to give some advice or wisdom to the listener
You got to be free
The advice the singer is giving is that the listener needs to be free in some way
Come together, right now
The singer is calling for unity or togetherness in the moment
Over me
It's unclear who or what is being referred to with this phrase, but it may simply mean 'in my presence' or 'because of me'
He bad production
The person being described is not very good at what they do or create
He got walrus gumboot
The person has a pair of boots that look like those worn by walruses, possibly because of their size or shape
He got Ono sideboard
The person has a piece of furniture, a 'sideboard', which may have something to do with artist Yoko Ono
He one spinal cracker
The person may be good at cracking people's backs or spines
He got feet down below his knees
The person has legs that look unusually long, such that their feet are almost at knee height
Hold you in his armchair
The person is capable of comforting or protecting someone in their 'armchair'
You can feel his disease
The person may have some kind of sickness, and being close to them can make others feel ill
He roller coaster
The person being described is dynamic and unpredictable, much like a roller coaster
He got early warning
The person may have some kind of foresight, which can give them an 'early warning' about things to come
He got muddy water
The person may enjoy dirty or murky water, or they may be able to navigate through difficult situations with agility and grace
He one Mojo filter
The person may have some kind of ability to manipulate the 'mojo', or energy, of people and situations
He say one and one and one is three
The person is saying that when things come together, they can create something larger than the sum of their parts
Got to be good looking
The artist is emphasizing the importance of being attractive or having a strong presence
Cause he's so hard to see
The person being described may be difficult to understand or comprehend
Come together, yeah
The singer is reiterating their call for unity or togetherness in the moment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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