He was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, and currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida. In Plainfield, he ran a barber salon, where he straightened hair, and soon formed a doo wop group, inspired by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, called The Parliaments. Despite initial commercial failures, The Parliaments eventually found success under the names Parliament and Funkadelic in the seventies (see also P-Funk). This article focuses on Clinton's solo efforts after 1981.
Beginning in the early 1980's, Clinton recorded several nominal "solo" albums, although all of these records featured contributions from P-Funk's core musicians. The primary reason for recording under his own name was legal difficulties, due to the complex copyright and trademark issues surrounding the name "Parliament" (primarily) and Polygram's purchase of his former label (as part of Parliament), Casablanca Records. In 1982, Clinton signed to Capitol Records as a solo artist and as the P-Funk All-Stars, releasing Computer Games that same year. "Loopzilla" hit the Top 20 R&B charts, followed by "Atomic Dog," which reached #1 R&B, but peaked at #101 on the pop chart. In the next four years, Clinton released three more studio albums (You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish, Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends and R&B Skeletons in the Closet) as well as a live album, Mothership Connection (Live from the Summit, Houston, Texas) and charting three singles in the R&B Top 30, "Nubian Nut," "Last Dance," and "Do Fries Go with that Shake." This period of Clinton's career was marred by multiple legal problems (resulting in financial difficulties) due to complex royalty and copyright issues. In 1985 he was recruited by the Red Hot Chili Peppers to produce their album Freaky Styley, because the bandmembers were huge fans of George Clinton and Funk in general. Though Clinton's popularity had waned by the mid 1980s, he experienced something of a resurgence in the early 1990s, as many rappers cited him as an influence and began sampling his songs. Alongside James Brown, George Clinton is considered to be one of the most sampled musicians ever.
In 1989, Clinton released The Cinderella Theory on Paisley Park, Prince's record label. This was followed by Hey Man... Smell my Finger. Clinton then signed with Sony 550 and released T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M. (The Awesome Power Of A Fully Operational Mothership) in 1996, having reunited with several old members of Parliament and Funkadelic.
In the 1990s, Clinton appeared in films such as Graffiti Bridge (1990), Good Burger (1997) and PCU (1994). Most recently he appeared as the voice of The Funktipus, the DJ of the Bounce FM station in the 2004 video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rapper Dr. Dre sampled most of his beats to create his G-Funk music era.
"You're Thinking Right" - the theme song for The Tracey Ullman Show, was written by Clinton.
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This is not the soundtrack composer George S. Clinton who did Mortal Kombat etc.
We Can Funk
GEORGE CLINTON Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can funk
I'm testing positive for the funk
I'll gladly pee in anybody's cup
And when your cup overflow
I'm testing positive and I'll pee some more
I could play with your mind
But you'd probably say that I was a liar
So I won't waste your time
I'm scared
'Cause though we just met there's this energy between us
Let's just go somewhere
We can funk
Oh
I'm testing positive for the funk
I'll gladly pee in anybody's cup (we can funk)
And when your cup overflow
I'm testing positive and I'll pee some more (we can funk)
Bump 'em and funk 'em, jump 'em and funk 'em
Pump 'em and funk 'em, pump 'em and funk 'em
Every time I could, I would compliment you on the things
The things that you be
Honey doll we should make the real noise
Just you and me
I could tell you things to get you excited
The things you never heard, oh
You know the Kama Sutra? I could re-write it
With half as many words
But I'm scared
'Cause if I don't kiss ya, I'm gonna go mad baby
Take off my clothes
We can funk
Oh
I'm testing positive for the funk
I'll gladly pee in anybody's cup
And may your cup overflow I'll pee some more
And we can, we can funk
We can funk
Wait a minute
Let me turn on some lights
We can funk
Yeah, come here
You can blow the candle off baby (candle)
You can turn the candle on
Which ever one you choose is alright
'Cause we're going to do it all night long
(Sex) sex between to people is alright
If all the love in the world is what they got, hmm
As long as they're not trying to hurt nobody
Just as long as it's hot
Good Lord, baby, I want to make love to you, two times, maybe three
Yeah, if you want to go four or five, baby, that's alright with me
Listen, I said I will be your little baby
Yeah, I can be your big strong man
I can be your girl or boy, I can be your toy
Alright, let's dance
It's up to you, you can funk me baby
I'll funk you
We can funk one another
Whatever you want to do
You got electric ass, baby
You got electric thighs, baby
I can't wait no longer child
It's getting stronger, baby
Open up your eyes (ooh)
See this gold chain around my waist
I want to give it to you
Yeah, people tell me I got no taste
Then blow the candle out, let's see if it's true
We be funkin' over here, and over there ain't shit
We be funkin' over here, and over there ain't shit
"We Can Funk" by George Clinton feat. Prince is a song that celebrates the beauty of funk and sexual attraction. The lyrics reveal a strong desire between two people who find themselves attracted to each other. The song opens with the repeated line, "Jump 'em and funk 'em, pump 'em and funk 'em, We can funk," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. This line is a nod to the funk culture which encourages dancing and having fun. The chorus also repeats the line "I'm testing positive for the funk, I'll gladly pee in anybody's cup," which implies that the singer is overflowing with energy and is willing to share it freely with others.
The first verse reveals the singer's willingness to share their stories and play with someone's mind. However, they quickly acknowledge that others may consider them a liar and decide not to waste anyone's time. In the second verse, the singer expresses a sense of fear regarding the connection between them and the other person. They propose that they go somewhere to "funk." This is a reference to the act of dancing, which celebrates the joy of life and love.
Another interesting part of the song is when they talk about the Kama Sutra and how they could rewrite it with half as many words. This is a nod to Prince's notorious sexual lyrics and his interest in exploring sexuality in his music. The song's overall message is that we should freely share our love and joy with others and not be afraid to express ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Jump 'em and funk 'em, pump 'em and funk 'em
Let's get into some vigorous physical activity and have some fun.
We can funk
We can engage in physical intimacy.
I'm testing positive for the funk
I am feeling the desire to engage in sexual activity.
I'll gladly pee in anybody's cup
I am completely uninhibited and willing to do whatever it takes to have fun.
And when your cup overflow I'll pee some more
I am so eager to have fun that I will do it as often as possible.
I could tell you stories 'til you get tired.
I could speak at length about my life experiences and share them with you.
I could play with your mind.
I have the ability to manipulate and control your thoughts and perceptions.
But you'd probably say that I was a liar
You may not believe what I am saying.
So I won't waste your time
I will not continue to try and convince you of my credibility.
I'm scared 'cause though we just met there's this energy between us
I am feeling a strong connection and attraction to you even though we do not know each other well.
Let's just go somewhere, we can funk
Let's engage in physical intimacy in a private location.
Bump 'em and funk 'em, jump 'em and funk 'em,
Let's have some fun while engaging in physical activity.
Pump 'em and funk 'em, pump 'em and funk 'em
Let's get our hearts racing and have some fun.
Every time I could, I would compliment you on the things,
I would tell you how much I appreciate the things you do.
The things that you be, honey doll, we should make the real noise, just you and me
Let's engage in sexual activity and make some noise together.
I could tell you things to get you excited, things you never heard
I could say things that would make you feel aroused and excited.
You know the Kama Sutra? I could re-write it with half as many words
I have a lot of knowledge about sexual activity and could share it with you in a concise way.
But I'm scared, cause if I don't kiss ya, I'm gonna go mad baby
I am feeling very strongly for you and if I don't express it physically I will go crazy.
Take off my clothes. We can funk
Let's engage in sexual activity by removing our clothing.
Wait a minute. Let me turn on some lights. we can funk.
Let me adjust the lighting so we can engage in sexual activity.
Yeah, come here.
Draw closer to me so we can engage in sexual activity.
You can blow the candle off baby. (candle)
Let's create a romantic atmosphere by blowing out a candle.
You can turn the candle on.
Let's create a romantic atmosphere by lighting a candle.
Which ever one you choose is alright,
Either choice is fine with me.
Cause we're going to do it all night long
We will engage in sexual activity for an extended period of time.
(Sex) Sex between two people is alright
It is acceptable for two consenting adults to engage in sexual activity.
If all the love in the world is what they got
If the partners truly care for each other, it is acceptable to engage in sexual activity.
As long as they're not trying to hurt nobody
As long as the sexual activity is consensual and not causing harm, it is acceptable.
Just as long as it's hot
It is important for the sexual activity to be passionate and exciting.
Good lord, baby, I want to make love to you two times maybe three
I desire to engage in sexual activity with you multiple times.
Yeah, if you want to go four or five, baby that's alright with me
I am open to engaging in sexual activity multiple times if that is what you desire.
Listen, I said I will be your little baby
I am willing to play a more submissive or vulnerable role in our sexual relationship.
Yeah, I can be your big strong man
I am also willing to play a more dominant or powerful role in our sexual relationship.
I can be your girl or boy, I can be your toy
I am willing to experiment with different gender roles or sexual activities.
Alright, let's dance.
Let's engage in sexual activity and have fun together.
It's up to you can funk me baby. I'll funk you.
We can take turns engaging in sexual activity or do it simultaneously.
We can funk one another.
We can engage in sexual activity with each other.
Whatever you want to do.
You can choose what sexual activities we engage in.
You got electric ass baby
You have a very attractive backside.
You got electric thighs baby
You have very attractive legs.
I can't wait no longer child
I am very eager to engage in sexual activity with you.
It's getting stronger, baby
My desire for you is growing more intense.
Open up your eyes
Pay attention to me and my desires.
See this gold chain around my waist
I am offering you a gift as a token of my attraction to you.
I want to give it to you
I want to express my attraction for you through a gift.
Yeah, people tell me I got no taste
Others may not agree with my choices or interests.
Then blow the candle out, let's see if it's true
If you find me unattractive or uninteresting, blow out the candle to signify rejection.
We be funkin' over here, and over there ain't shit
We are engaging in sexual activity and having fun while others are not.
We be funkin' over here, and over there ain't shit
We are engaging in sexual activity and having fun while others are not.
We can funk [Repeat: x3]
Let's continue to engage in sexual activity together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson, George Clinton Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind