The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music.
In 1991, Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest-paid artists in the industry. Prior to her first studio project with Virgin, she appeared in her first of several lead film roles in Poetic Justice (1993). Her two studio albums which followed, Janet (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997), saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol. These records, along with their promotional music videos and live performances in concert tours, branded Jackson as one of the world's most erotic performers, garnering both criticism and praise. By the end of the 1990s, she was named by Billboard magazine as the second most successful recording artist of the decade after Mariah Carey. The release of her seventh studio album All for You in 2001 coincided with a celebration of her impact on the recording industry as the subject of the inaugural MTV Icon special.
The backlash from the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy resulted in an industry blacklisting under the direction of Les Moonves, then-CEO of CBS Corporation. Jackson subsequently experienced reduced radio airplay, televised promotion and sales figures from that point forward. After parting ways with Virgin Records, she released her tenth studio album Discipline (2008), her first and only album with Island Records. In 2015, she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label, Rhythm Nation and released her eleventh studio album Unbreakable the same year. Since then she has continued to release music as an independent artist.
Having sold over 100 million records, Jackson is one of the world's best-selling music artists. She has amassed an extensive catalog, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again", and "All for You"; she holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with 18. She is also the only artist in the history of the chart to have seven commercial singles from one album (Rhythm Nation 1814) peak within the top five positions. In 2008, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". In December 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist after Madonna. One of the world's most awarded artists, her accolades include five Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, eleven American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and eight Guinness World Records entries. In 2019, she was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jackson has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers and credited with elevating a standard of sound, showmanship and sex appeal expected of pop stars.
Funky Big Band
Janet Jackson Lyrics
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And the band plays
And the band plays
And the band plays
And the band plays
(That's it?)
And the, and the, and the band plays
Got to be real
Got to be, he who knows it feels it
Got to be real
Got to be, he who knows it feels it
People gather 'round at the Lennox Lounge
To hear the funky sounds, baby
The beat hits so hard
There's no cover charge
You have to feel the groove
One thing is, you've got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
He who knows it feels it, got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
We who know it feel it
Harlem is the place, where you'll find the face
Of those who feel the groove, yeah
It's not taught to thee
But it's born to we
Oh, when I feel the groove
One thing is, you've got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
He who knows it feels it, got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
We who know it feel it
And the band plays (he who knows it feels it)
Funky big band (he who knows it feels it)
And the band plays
Funky big band
Funky, can you feel it?
Oh, funky, to be real
Funky, can you feel it?
Oh, funky, to be real
Got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
He who knows it feels it, got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
We who know it feel it
We who know it
We who know it, feel it
We who know it, we who know it feel it's
Got to be real, we who know it feel it's
We who know it feel it's
We who know it feel it's
One thing is you got to be real
And the band plays
Funky big band
And the band plays
Funky big band
Got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
He who knows it feels it, got to be real
If you wanna hear the funky big band
We who know it, feel it, we who know it
We who know it feel it's
We who know it, we who know it feel it's
Got to be real, we who know it feel it's
We who know it feel it's
We who know it feel it's got to be real
The lyrics of Janet Jackson's "Funky Big Band" speaks of the power of music to connect people and create a sense of community. The song describes the scene at a popular New York City jazz club, the Lennox Lounge, where people come together to hear the funky sounds of a big band. The lyrics emphasize that to truly appreciate the music, one has to "be real" and feel the groove of the music.
The song also celebrates the culture of Harlem, the historic neighborhood of New York that has produced some of the most iconic music and art of the 20th century. Janet Jackson mentions that the funk and soul music of the big band is not something that is taught, but rather something that is "born" to the people of Harlem. The lyrics suggest that the music is a part of the people's identity, and they feel a deep connection to it.
Overall, the song celebrates the power of music to transcend cultural barriers and bring people together in a shared experience of joy and connection. It encourages listeners to let themselves feel the music and be a part of the community that it creates.
Line by Line Meaning
People gather 'round
People congregate in the Lennox Lounge.
At the Lennox Lounge
The place where people come together to listen to music is the Lennox Lounge.
To hear the funky sounds
People visit the lounge to listen to the funky rhythm.
The beat hits so hard
The music's rhythm is powerful and vibrant.
There's no cover charge
There's no entrance fee to the lounge.
You have to feel the groove
To enjoy the music, one must feel the rhythm.
One thing is you've got to be real
One must be genuine to appreciate the funky big band's music.
If you want to hear the
To listen to the funky big band's music,
Funky big band
The music genre is funky big band.
He who knows it feels it
Those who understand it, feel it.
Got to be real
One must be genuine to feel the groove.
We who knows it feel it
Those who understand it, feel it.
Harlem is the place
Harlem is the location where the rhythm is born.
Where you'll find the face
Where one can see people's feelings, joy and pleasure.
Of those who feel the groove
Of those who enjoy the rhythm of the funky big band.
It's not taught to thee
No one teaches you how to feel the groove.
But it's born to we
The ability to feel the rhythm is innate.
Aw and I feel the groove
The writer can feel the funky big band's rhythm.
And the band plays
The band is performing.
From the big band
The music genre is big band.
It's funky
The rhythm is powerful and vibrant.
You feel it
One can sense the rhythm.
To be real
To be authentic.
Oh it's funky
The rhythm is powerful and vibrant.
We who know it feel it
Those who understand it, feel it.
We who know it feel it
Those who understand it, feel it.
We who know it feel it
Those who understand it, feel it.
We who know it feel it
Those who understand it, feel it.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Samuel Iii Harris, Janet Damita Jo Jackson, Terry Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind