Cholly
Funkadelic Lyrics


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I was strung out on Bach
And Beethoven was my thing
I dug jazz, I dug rock
Anything with a swing
Then I ran into a friend who told me there was so much more
Find the void that you missed
There is plenty to explore
We want to take you, Cholly, when we go
(You want to take me?)

We'd like to take you, Cholly, when we roll
(Well, if you'd play me just a little bit more)
But if we play you just a little more
We'd love to take you, Cholly, when we go

Funk, gettin' ready to go
Funk gettin' ready to roll (what?)
Funk, gettin' ready to go
Funk gettin' ready to roll
Funk gettin' ready to roll gettin' ready to go?
No, they can't do that

Funk gettin' ready to go
Funk gettin' ready to roll
Funk gettin' ready to go
Funk gettin' ready to roll

I would dance, I would sing,
I could get lost in my dreams
I would fly, but never too high
'Cause my funk deserted me
Now that the door is open wide
And all my funk just can't hide
With the syndrome left behind
No, my funk just can't hide

We like to take you, Cholly, when we go
We like to take you, Cholly, when we roll




(They promise they would play one more time)
We'd like to take you, Cholly

Overall Meaning

"In Cholly", Funkadelic sings about Cholly, a music lover who thinks he knows everything about music but surprisingly finds out that there is much more to it. The opening lines are a testament to Cholly's love for music and the diverse genres he listens to, from Bach to jazz to rock. One can deduce from the song that Cholly is a music fanatic who is open to experiencing new sounds and exploring different options.


When Cholly meets up with his friends, they introduce him to the world of funk, the missing piece in his musical escapades. The song speaks to the allure of funk, its ability to ignite a passion in people and its ability to unite fans in a shared love for a genre. The chorus speaks to the friends' desire to take Cholly along on their musical journey, highlighting the contagious nature of funk.


Line by Line Meaning

I was strung out on Bach
Classical music was my obsession


And Beethoven was my thing
Beethoven was my favorite composer


I dug jazz, I dug rock
I was open to many music genres


Anything with a swing
I enjoyed music with a groove and rhythm


Then I ran into a friend who told me there was so much more
Someone expanded my music horizons


Find the void that you missed
Discover the music you haven't yet heard


There is plenty to explore
There are endless possibilities in music


We want to take you, Cholly, when we go
The band wants to bring Cholly with them


(You want to take me?)
(Cholly is surprised by the offer)


We'd like to take you, Cholly, when we roll
The band wants Cholly to come with them on tour


(Well, if you'd play me just a little bit more)
(Cholly agrees under certain conditions)


But if we play you just a little more
The band proposes playing another song as a deal


We'd love to take you, Cholly, when we go
The band really wants Cholly to join them


Funk, gettin' ready to go
The band is preparing to play funk music


Funk gettin' ready to roll (what?)
The band is excited to play live


No, they can't do that
The band's energy is too high to reign in


I would dance, I would sing,
Cholly used to enjoy music and perform


I could get lost in my dreams
Music was a source of comfort and imagination for Cholly


I would fly, but never too high
Cholly had ambition but also limitations


'Cause my funk deserted me
Cholly lost touch with the music they loved


Now that the door is open wide
Someone or something has rekindled Cholly's passion for funk


And all my funk just can't hide
Cholly's love of funk is becoming apparent


With the syndrome left behind
Cholly has shaken off whatever was holding them back


No, my funk just can't hide
Cholly is ready to let their funk out


We like to take you, Cholly, when we go
The band really wants Cholly to come with them


We like to take you, Cholly, when we roll
The band really wants Cholly to come on tour with them


(They promise they would play one more time)
(The band is making a promise to Cholly)


We'd like to take you, Cholly
The band wants Cholly to come along on their musical journey




Lyrics ยฉ Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGE CLINTON, JR., WALTER MORRISON, WILLIAM(BOOTSY) EARL COLLINS

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

@augustoseidem5923

Love for lirix


I was strung out on Bach
And Beethoven was my thing
I dug jazz, I dug rock
Anything with a swing
Then I ran into a friend Who told me there was so much more
Find the void that you missed
There is plenty to explore
We want to take you, Cholly, when we go
(You wanna take me?)
We'd like to take you, Cholly, when we roll
(Well, if you'd play me just a little bit more)
But if we play you just a little more
(Maybe I will)
We'd love to take you, Cholly, when we go
You know right about that time I started
To analyze what they were trying to tell
Me, they said: "Come on, Cholly, we want to
Take you somewhere"
I didn't know where
They was trying to take me, next thing I
Know they were saying something like this:
Funk, gettin' ready to go-
Funk gettin' ready to roll (what?)
Funk, gettin' ready to go-
Funk gettin' ready to roll
(What in the world are they talking about?)
Funk gettin' ready to roll-gettin' ready to go?
No, they can't do that
Funk gettin' ready to go
Funk gettin' ready to roll-see Ive Bach-I love Beethoven
Funk gettin' ready to go
Funk gettin' ready to roll
I would dance, I would sing
I could get lost in my dreams
I would fly, but never too high
'Cause my funk deserted me
Now that the door is open wide
And all my funk just can't hide
With the syndrome left behind
No, my funk just can't hide
We like to take you, Cholly, when we go
We like to take you, Cholly, when we roll
(They promise they would play one more time)
But if we play you just a little bit more
We'd like to take you, Cholly, etc
You know
It was in my hands
It was in my feet
I got it all over me
Yes, I did, I got it all over me
Got to go, got to go
Got to go with the funk
Get ready
I would waltz, I would sing
I would get lost in my dreams
I would fly but never too high
'Cause the funk deserted me
Now that the door is open wide
And my funk I can't hide
(I must go with the funk)



All comments from YouTube:

@garrisonthad

I was strung out on Bach, and Beethoven was my thing
I dug jazz, I dug rock, anything with a swing
But I ran into a friend who told me there was so much more
Find the void that you missed there is plenty to explore.

Amen to that!

@sleazytooez2313

Man just imagine Glen Goins singing this jam! So unfortunate he departed before this and even worse he passed smh. One of the most underrated cuts in the P-Funk repertoire.

@gilbertboldenjr.3797

Man Glen would take you like we say in the DFW Church!

@faithbrinkley

It's not underrated. Those who know, know.

@chrisedwards3214

Glen was a huge loss he left the mob over money issues like everybody else who was tired of not getting paid and funking for free

@anthonytaylor7928

It's not underrated dum dum

@sleazytooez2313

@@anthonytaylor7928 what made you think that was an acceptable answer? Your mother clearly didnโ€™t teach you how to interact with others. Iโ€™m sorry she raised such a ๐Ÿคก that has to insult people instead of forming a cogent argument

1 More Replies...

@naakkve10

this is truly one of the best and most underrated tracks in the whole p funk catalog

@toneyisaiah408

That's Walter "Junie" Morrison playing on
the album. Toney Tillery Isaiah.

@ebntje

This is a bad ass cut.

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