Jamiroquai is an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 199… Read Full Bio ↴Jamiroquai is an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in their early releases and later drew from rock, disco, electronic and Latin music genres. Lyrically, the group has addressed social and environmental justice. Kay has remained as the only original member through several line-up changes.

The band made their debut under Acid Jazz Records but subsequently found mainstream success under Sony. While under this label, three of their albums have charted at number one in the UK, including Emergency on Planet Earth (1993), Synkronized (1999) and A Funk Odyssey (2001). The band's 1998 single, "Deeper Underground", was also number one in their native country.

As of 2017, Jamiroquai had sold more than 26 million albums worldwide. Their third album, Travelling Without Moving (1996), received a Guinness World Record as the best-selling funk album in history. The music video for its lead single, "Virtual Insanity", also contributed to the band's success. The song was named Video of the Year at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards and earned the band a Grammy Award in 1998.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamiroquai

Studio albums
Emergency on Planet Earth (1993)
The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994)
Travelling Without Moving (1996)
Synkronized (1999)
A Funk Odyssey (2001)
Dynamite (2005)
Rock Dust Light Star (2010)
Automaton (2017)

Hey Floyd
Jamiroquai Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a man, runnin' hot
And there's a night train
I know he's gonna stick it out
Ride that crazy white horse

He's a man
He's a pig in paradise
But he might get blown into the weeds tonight

Seems like there's a record stuck
And man I couldn't make it up
He's a cool hand Luke
He's a duke on a slippery slope

He's dispossessed and crazy
Thank you for nothing baby
All those dreams are going up in smoke

I said
Hey Floyd, you got your mind in a mess again
Hey Floyd, you gotta learn how to break the chain

Oh oh, yeh eh

There's a night train to your heartbreak
Get on
It's the dream time
That's been driving you on

No more blue sky hanging over your head
So what you gonna do Floyd?
(Do Floyd)
I gotta know, gotta know what you're gonna do

What ya gonna do, what ya gonna do?
What ya gonna do Floyd? (do Floyd)
I gotta know, I've gotta know what you're going to do

There's a night train to your heartbreak get on
It's the dream time
That's been driving you on, and on

No more blue sky hanging over your head
No more blue skies hanging over you ooh

Come on Floyd!

Shoot 'em up and shoot 'em down
Cut down this bird of freedom
Kick it, stick it, doin' what you can

Gotta make the pieces fit
Get rid of all that shit
Floyd, you can't forget that you're a man

I said
Hey Floyd, you got your mind in a mess again
Hey Floyd, you got time on your hands to mend

Come on Floyd!
Gotta learn to break the chain down baby
Hey Floyd!
Gotta learn to break the chain down baby

Get off that shotgun ride
I know how much you tried
To blow the high priestess of pain away

You're a lone extravaganza
A dirty player and a dirty dancer
Hell man, you don't even know your name

Hey Floyd, you got your mind in a mess again
(You got your mind in a mess again)
Hey Floyd, you gotta learn how to break the chain
(Dirty player, dirty dancer)

Come on Floyd
(Dirty player, dirty dancer)
It's all I ask of you
(Dirty player, dirty dancer)
Come on Floyd
It's all I ask of you

Hey Floyd,
Don't get your mind in a mess again

Overall Meaning

The song "Hey Floyd" by Jamiroquai is a commentary on the struggle for identity and purpose in life, specifically from the perspective of a man nicknamed Floyd. The lyrics describe a man who is running hot, riding a crazy white horse (symbolizing recklessness and impulsiveness), and living the life of a "pig in paradise," enjoying the pleasures of the world without any regard for consequences. At the same time, he is dispossessed and crazy, with all his dreams going up in smoke. The singer urges Floyd to break the chain that is holding him back and get off the "shotgun ride" that is leading him towards heartbreak.

The lyrics are full of references to popular culture and literature, such as "cool hand Luke" and "the high priestess of pain." The singer seems to be offering Floyd advice and encouragement, telling him that he needs to learn to make the pieces fit and get rid of all the negative aspects of his life in order to find happiness and purpose. The central theme of the song is the importance of self-discovery and personal growth, and how we can overcome the challenges and obstacles that we all face in life.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a man, runnin' hot
There is a man who is filled with passionate energy

And there's a night train
The existence of a nightlife that he can participate in

I know he's gonna stick it out
He has the resolve to persevere

Ride that crazy white horse
He will take a wild, unpredictable path to his goals

He's a man
He is a human being with weaknesses and strengths

He's a pig in paradise
He indulges in pleasurable activities without thinking of the consequences

But he might get blown into the weeds tonight
He could fall into trouble or danger if he's not careful

Seems like there's a record stuck
He is stuck in a rut and not progressing

And man I couldn't make it up
This is not a made-up situation; it's real

He's a cool hand Luke
He has a calm demeanor even in difficult times

He's a duke on a slippery slope
He is a person of high status but in a precarious situation

He's dispossessed and crazy
He is without possessions and acting erratically

Thank you for nothing baby
He is blaming someone, possibly a lover, for his troubles

All those dreams are going up in smoke
All of his aspirations are disappearing or failing

I said Hey Floyd, you got your mind in a mess again Hey Floyd, you gotta learn how to break the chain
He is being advised to stop repeating his mistakes and make a change

There's a night train to your heartbreak Get on It's the dream time That's been driving you on
There is a path to heartache but he is motivated by his dreams

No more blue sky hanging over your head
The future looks uncertain and gloomy

So what you gonna do Floyd? (Do Floyd) I gotta know, gotta know what you're gonna do What ya gonna do, what ya gonna do? What ya gonna do Floyd? (do Floyd) I gotta know, I've gotta know what you're going to do
He is being prompted to take action and not let his life drift aimlessly

You're a lone extravaganza A dirty player and a dirty dancer Hell man, you don't even know your name
He is a wild card, and even he understands that he is unpredictable

Come on Floyd! Gotta learn to break the chain down baby Hey Floyd! Gotta learn to break the chain down baby
The singer clearly wants him to break his cycle of behaving impulsively

Get off that shotgun ride I know how much you tried To blow the high priestess of pain away
He has made reckless decisions to avoid emotional pain

Hey Floyd, Don't get your mind in a mess again Hey Floyd, You gotta learn how to break the chain
This is repeated because it is an important message that he needs to internalize

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DERRICK MCKENZIE, JAY KAY, MATT JOHNSON, PAUL TURNER, SOLA AKINGBOLA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS