Born in East Finchley, Middlesex, Michael rose to fame after forming the pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. Their first two albums, "Fantastic" (1983) and "Make It Big" (1984), reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart. They had commercial success with singles "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", "Young Guns (Go for It)", "Bad Boys", "Club Tropicana", "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Last Christmas", "Everything She Wants", “Freedom”, and “I'm Your Man”. Their 1985 tour in China was the first by a Western popular music act and generated worldwide media coverage. Michael took part in Band Aid's UK number-one single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984 and performed at the following year's Live Aid concert.
Michael's first solo single, "Careless Whisper" (1984), reached number one in over 20 countries, including the UK and US. The second solo single, "A Different Corner", also reached number one in 1986. After Wham! disbanded that year, Michael released the number-one duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". His debut solo album, "Faith" (1987), stayed at number one on the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks and topped the UK Albums Chart. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, having sold over 25 million copies worldwide. The singles "Faith", "Father Figure", "One More Try", and "Monkey" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Michael became the best-selling music artist of 1988, and "Faith" was awarded Album of the Year at the 1989 Grammy Awards. Michael's second solo album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" (1990), was also a number one in the UK and yielded the Billboard Hot 100 number one "Praying for Time" and the worldwide hit "Freedom! '90". Michael went on to release a series of multimillion-selling albums, including "Older" (1996), "Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael" (1998), "Songs from the Last Century" (1999), "Patience" (2004), and "Twenty Five" (2006). The albums earned him multiple hits such as "Jesus to a Child", "Fastlove", "Outside", "Amazing", and "An Easier Affair".
Michael came out as gay in 1998 and was an active LGBT rights campaigner and HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser. His personal life, drug use, and legal troubles made headlines following an arrest for public lewdness in 1998 and multiple drug-related offenses. The 2005 documentary "A Different Story" covered his career and personal life. Michael's "25 Live" tour spanned three tours from 2006 to 2008. Michael fell into a coma in 2011 during a bout with pneumonia but later recovered. He performed his final concert at London's Earls Court in 2012. Michael died of heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016 at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Michael
Solo discography
Faith (1987)
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990)
Older (1996)
Songs from the Last Century (1999)
Patience (2004)
Wham! discography
Fantastic (1983)
Make It Big (1984)
Music from the Edge of Heaven (1986)
Wham Rap!
George Michael Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wham! Bam!
I am! A man!
Job or no job,
You can't tell me that I'm not.
Do! You!
Enjoy what you do?
If not, just stop!
You got soul....
You got soul....
I said get, get, get on down,
Said get, get, get, on down.
Hey everybody take a look at me,
I've got street credibility,
I may not have a job,
But I have a good time,
With the boys that I meet "down on the line"
I said, I - don't - need - you
So you don't approve,
Well who asked you to?
Hey - jerk - you - work
This boy's got better things to do
Hell,
I ain't never gonna work, get down in the dirt,
I choose, to cruise.
Gonna live my life, sharp as a knife,
I've found my groove and I just can't lose.
A. 1. Style from head to toe,
Cool cat flash gonna let you know,
I'm a soul boy - I'm a dole boy,
Take pleasure in leisure, I believe in joy!
Chorus
Party nights, and neon lights,
We hit the floors, we hit the heights.
Dancing shoes, and pretty girls.
Boys in leather kiss girls in pearls!
Hot-damn! Everybody, let's play!
So they promised you a good job - no way!
One, two, three, rap!
C'mon everybody, don't need this crap!
Chorus
If you're a pub man
Or a club man
Maybe a jet black guy with a hip hi-fi
A white cool cat with a trilby hat
Maybe leather and studs is where you're at
Make the most of every day
Don't let hard times stand in your way
Give a wham give a bam but don't give a damn
Cos the benefit gang are gonna pay!
Now reach up high and touch your soul,
The boys from wham! Will help you reach that goal.
It's gonna break your mama's heart, (so sad)
It's gonna break your daddy's heart, (too bad)
But you'll throw the dice and take my advice,
Because I know that you're smart.
Can you dig this thing? - yeah!
Are you gonna get down? - yeah!
Say wham! - wham!
Say bam! - bam!
Chorus
Do you want to work? - no
Are you gonna have fun? - yeah
Said one, two, three, rap, c'mon everybody,
Don't need this crap!
Enjoy what you do?
Everybody say wham! - wham!
Everybody say wham! Bam! - wham! Bam!
Enjoy what you do?
The lyrics of George Michael's song Wham Rap is a celebration of freedom and self-expression. The chorus encourages individuality, highlighting that no matter if a person has a job or not, they still have worth, and no one can tell them otherwise. The use of the word 'bam' is a joyful expression of enthusiasm and excitement. The lyrics then continue to express the singer's love for soul music and leisure activities. They reject the idea of a conventional job as something they don't need, preferring to focus on enjoying life and having a good time. The lyrics suggest that everyone should live life to the fullest and not let hard times stand in their way. Wham Rap ultimately encourages people to find joy in their lives and do what they love.
Line by Line Meaning
Wham! Bam!
I'm energetic and bold!
I am! A man!
I'm confident in myself and my abilities
Job or no job,
You can't tell me that I'm not.
I don't need a job to feel validated or happy, my self-worth comes from within
Do! You!
Enjoy what you do?
Are you satisfied and fulfilled by your life? Do you take pleasure in your work and leisure?
If not, just stop!
Don't stay there and rot!
If you're unhappy with your life, make a change! Don't let yourself stagnate or get stuck in a bad situation
You got soul....
You got soul....
You've got inner strength and resilience!
I said get, get, get on down,
Said get, get, get, on down.
Let loose and have fun, don't be uptight or restrained
Hey everybody take a look at me,
I've got street credibility,
I may not have a job,
But I have a good time,
With the boys that I meet "down on the line"
I might not have a traditional or respectable lifestyle, but I'm still happy and popular in my community
I said, I - don't - need - you
So you don't approve,
Well who asked you to?
I don't need anyone else's approval or validation, I'm confident and independent
Hey - jerk - you - work
This boy's got better things to do
I'm not interested in conforming to societal norms or expectations, I'm going to do what makes me happy
Hell,
I ain't never gonna work, get down in the dirt,
I choose, to cruise.
I don't want a traditional job that will make me unhappy or bored, I prefer to enjoy my life and do what makes me happy
Gonna live my life, sharp as a knife,
I've found my groove and I just can't lose.
I'm living my life to the fullest and feeling confident and successful
Style from head to toe,
Cool cat flash gonna let you know,
I'm a soul boy - I'm a dole boy,
Take pleasure in leisure, I believe in joy!
I'm stylish and confident, and I find joy in my leisure time despite not having a standard job or career path
Party nights, and neon lights,
We hit the floors, we hit the heights.
Dancing shoes, and pretty girls.
Boys in leather kiss girls in pearls!
I'm living a fun, exciting, and unconventional lifestyle that involves partying and meeting new people
Hot-damn! Everybody, let's play!
So they promised you a good job - no way!
Let's have some fun and enjoy life, traditional jobs aren't for me and maybe they're not for you either
One, two, three, rap!
C'mon everybody, don't need this crap!
Let's get moving and leave negative thoughts behind
If you're a pub man
Or a club man
Maybe a jet black guy with a hip hi-fi
A white cool cat with a trilby hat
Maybe leather and studs is where you're at
Regardless of your style or interests, there's a place for you in this fun and carefree lifestyle
Make the most of every day
Don't let hard times stand in your way
Give a wham give a bam but don't give a damn
Cos the benefit gang are gonna pay!
I'm going to enjoy my life and not worry about the opinions of others, because I have a good community who support me
Now reach up high and touch your soul,
The boys from wham! Will help you reach that goal.
Take a moment to connect with your inner self, and find inspiration from the music of Wham!
It's gonna break your mama's heart, (so sad)
It's gonna break your daddy's heart, (too bad)
But you'll throw the dice and take my advice,
Because I know that you're smart.
Your parents might not approve of your lifestyle, but you shouldn't let that stop you from living your best life
Can you dig this thing? - yeah!
Are you gonna get down? - yeah!
Say wham! - wham!
Say bam! - bam!
Are you excited and ready to join this fun and carefree lifestyle?
Do you want to work? - no
Are you gonna have fun? - yeah
I value enjoyment and happiness over traditional concepts of work and productivity
Said one, two, three, rap, c'mon everybody,
Don't need this crap!
Enjoy what you do?
Everybody say wham! - wham!
Everybody say wham! Bam! - wham! Bam!
Let's have some fun and not worry about societal expectations or pressures!
Enjoy what you do?
Are you satisfied and fulfilled by your life? Do you take pleasure in your work and leisure?
Contributed by Aiden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-rr9bl5de7z
I don't care what people say... George may have been the lead singer, but the friendship and goofiness of George AND Andrew made wham!! I love both of them, they are both the main stars of wham!! (Not just George) This is one of my fave music videos!! Shows the fun in both of them!! ❤
@carenthusiasts4119
andrew literally made wham of course he's huge
@Tawadeb
Agree
@AndriaaLeoLove
Yes but George Michael was a super talent. I love Andrew’s loyalty though.
@aaaaaaaaaaaaaa4151
Andrew was a passenger........ zero output from him since Wham......
@temp-x8518
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaaa4151 he participated in most of songwriting with geroge. andrew was the one who got George of out his comfort zone and to express his talents even more. without the support and loyalty from andrew wham wouldnt be here today.
@michaelmillea8126
Wham documentary brought me here . Never realized how great of a friend Andrew was to George Michael
@blinksstayfresh2524
The best of friends
@NovaPowers
H&M did something well. We miss you George!
And I keep that from this song "Do you, enjoy what you do? If not, just stop - don't stay there and rot"
@909reject
Ikr! I'm so glad h&m introduced me to this song