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.
Double Oh-Oh
George Clinton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
secret agent
you never know
yeah
sexy double agent
a spy counter-spy
a fox and her name is
double oh-oh
for good music
and if you choose
to use it
take this funk
you'll have hercomin'
to you a-go-go
but please don't
play her cheap
she'll be hard
for you to beat
you can bet
she's got a cause
and causes cause problems
because we always
treat the effect
causes they cost
too much
if you choose
to take this mission
let me make this clear:
we will disavow
any know ledge
of you acctions
we cannot, we will not interfere
that'swhat they told me
she was doin'it for her country
i was doin't for me
she was doin'it for her country
i was doin't for me
umph
this is for my country
umph
this is for me
umph
this is for my country
umph
this is for me
umph
this is for my country
umph
this is for me
umph
this is for my country
my country'tis of thee
The lyrics to George Clinton's song Double Oh-Oh paint a picture of a seductive and mysterious female secret agent, named Double Oh-Oh. She is described as both a spy and counter-spy, suggesting that she is skilled in navigating the world of espionage and is not to be underestimated. The lyrics also suggest that Double Oh-Oh has a love for good music and funk, which may be her weakness if used to lure her. Clinton warns that if someone were to play her cheap, she will be hard to beat.
The chorus references the conflict between personal gain (represented by "this is for me") and national loyalty ("this is for my country"). This tension is echoed in the verse that portrays the singer and Double Oh-Oh's involvement in a secret mission. The singer seems to be suggesting that even though he was doing it for his own benefit, Double Oh-Oh was doing it for her country. However, it is unclear what this mission actually entails or what the respective motives are. The song seems to be playfully exploring the themes of espionage, sexuality, and personal vs. national loyalty.
Overall, the lyrics of Double Oh-Oh are allusive and open to interpretation, but they create an intriguing and mysterious aura around the character of Double Oh-Oh and the clandestine world of secret agents.
Line by Line Meaning
sexy, sexy, sexy
The song is about a sexy double agent, who is also referred to as a secret agent.
you never know
It is not easy to identify a double agent or a spy counter-spy as they are experts in deception.
yeah
This is an expression of agreement with the premise of the song.
sexy double agent
The song is about a double agent who is both sexy and alluring.
a spy counter-spy
A double agent is a person who provides classified information to an enemy nation or organization, making them a spy counter-spy.
a fox and her name is
The song is portraying the double agent as a fox because she is seductive, cunning, and sly.
double oh-oh
Double oh-oh could refer to the double identification of the agent and also serves as a play on words with the popular James Bond character '007'.
she's a freak
The double agent is unusual, different or weird in her obsession with good music.
for good music
Her obsession with good music is what sets her apart from the others.
and if you choose
The song is a warning to those who would like to use the good music to manipulate or take advantage of the double agent.
to use it
Manipulating the double agent's love for good music would be a ploy of some kind.
take this funk
Funk in this context refers to a powerful and irresistible force that can be used to seduce and influence the double agent.
you'll have her comin'
The funk would be used to convince the double agent to cooperate, and it would be successful.
to you a-go-go
The phrase 'a-go-go' means a lively dance party, portraying the image of the double agent dancing to the person's tune.
but please don't
The plea not to play the double agent cheap is also a warning against underestimating her intelligence and abilities.
play her cheap
When someone plays cheap, it means they underestimate how intelligent and capable the double agent is.
she'll be hard
The double agent will be tough or hard to beat in any event because she is cunning and deceptive.
for you to beat
It is difficult to beat the double agent in her game because she is astute and shrewd.
you can bet
This is a guarantee or assurance that the double agent is very good at her job and that it would be difficult to beat her.
she's got a cause
The double agent has a patriotic cause or mission that she is working towards.
and causes cause problems
The double agent's mission or cause could cause problems for those who are not on board with it, as it could lead to betrayal or espionage.
because we always
It is a general statement that the end result of any action or decision that is made could lead to unintended consequences.
treat the effect
People usually deal with the outcome of events rather than the root of the problem, which in this case is the double agent's mission.
causes they cost
Causes can have a high price to pay, usually in terms of the risks and dangers involved in achieving the objectives.
too much
The risks and dangers of the mission could be too high to warrant taking the chance.
if you choose
The song is addressing those who choose to engage with the double agent or her mission.
to take this mission
This refers to taking up the offer of working with the double agent and helping her in the mission.
let me make this clear:
This is a warning that whatever happens following the engagement with the double agent or her mission, they cannot be held responsible or implicated in any way.
we will disavow
They will distance themselves from any actions or knowledge that they may have been privy to following this engagement.
any knowledge
This refers to any security breach, classified information, or engagement with the double agent that could further the mission of the cause.
of you acctions
Your actions, no matter how well intentioned, can never be acknowledged or recorded officially.
we cannot, we will not interfere
It is an assurance that whatever happens, they will not intervene or interfere.
that's what they told me
This could be an admission that the song is based on a true story or could be a metaphor for something else in the spy world.
she was doin'it for her country
The double agent had an underlying patriotic and nationalistic cause that she was working towards.
i was doin't for me
The singer, in contrast, was acting out of selfish or personal interests that were unrelated to any patriotic or nationalistic cause.
umph
This is a sound of triumph or excitement.
this is for my country
The singer's actions are all for the sake of their country, as opposed to their personal interests.
my country'tis of thee
This line is a reference to the American National Anthem, reinforcing the idea that this is a patriotic song.
Contributed by Miles B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.