Jody Watley (born Jan. 30, 1959, Chicago) emerged from the R&B group Shalam… Read Full Bio ↴Jody Watley (born Jan. 30, 1959, Chicago) emerged from the R&B group Shalamar to score a string of solo hit singles, chiefly from 1987 to 1990, a period in which she reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 six times. Watley got her start as a dancer on the television dance show Soul Train, which led to her being tapped for a spot in Shalamar. Her first solo album, Jody Watley, yielded #2 hit Looking for a New Love, which was followed by two more top 10 singles — Don’t You Want Me (#6) and Some Kind of Lover (#10). Two other singles from the album charted — Still a Thrill (#56) and Most of All (#60). The success propelled her to a Best New Artist Grammy win for 1987. Subsequent album Larger Than Life produced another three top 10 singles: Real Love (#2), Everything (#4) and Friends (#9). Her only other U.S. top 40 appearances came in 1992 with I’m the One You Need (#19) and as one of several featured artists on Babyface’s This is for the Lover in You (#6) in 1996. She is ranked #21 on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists.

Do It To The Beat
Jody Watley Lyrics

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You wanna dance with me?

As I move my body
With my way across the floor
I feel the pulse of the music
It's a feeling I can't explain

It feels so right

As our bodies moving tight
Just let your mind go free
And take a trip with me

Do it to the beat tonight
Shake it up and shake it right
But do it to the beat
Do it to the beat now

So many people here
It's like a sauna with flashing lights
You got your arms wrapped around me
As the night just slips away
(You know what?)

It feels so right
As our bodies moving tight
Just let your mind go free
And take a trip with me

Do it to the beat tonight
(That's right)
Shake it up and shake it right
But do it to the beat
Do it to the beat now

Just do it to the beat tonight, yeah
Shake it up and shake it right
But do it to the beat
Do it to the beat now

Do it to the beat, yeah
C'mon on and dance to the beat
Yeah, yeah
Do it to the beat, yeah
C'mon on and dance to the beat
Yeah, yeah

You wanna dance with me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jody Watley's "Do It To The Beat" express the joy of dance and the connection that forms as two people move together to the rhythm of the music. Watley's description of the crowded club as "like a sauna with flashing lights" suggests that this is a hot and intense experience, but one that is all the more exhilarating for it. As Watley invites her partner to dance with her, she emphasizes the power of the music to dissolve inhibitions and allow individuals to lose themselves in a shared experience.

The repetition of the phrase "do it to the beat" serves to reinforce the idea that the music is the driving force behind this dance, providing an almost hypnotic backdrop that shimmers beneath the surface of the lyrics. By urging her partner to "shake it up and shake it right," Watley encourages a sense of abandon and physical release, as the dancers give themselves over to the beat and the swirling energy of the club.

Overall, the lyrics to "Do It to the Beat" paint a vivid picture of the thrill of dance as a communal experience, a moment when individuals can come together and lose themselves in the shared joy of music.

Line by Line Meaning

As I move my body
As I start to dance

With my way across the floor
I'm dancing my way across the dance floor

I feel the pulse of the music
I feel the rhythm of the song

It's a feeling I can't explain
It's a feeling that I can't put into words

It feels so right
It feels perfect

As our bodies moving tight
As we dance close together

Just let your mind go free
Let go of all your worries and just enjoy the moment

And take a trip with me
Join me in this moment and let's dance together

Do it to the beat tonight
Dance to the rhythm of the music tonight

Shake it up and shake it right
Move your body and dance correctly

But do it to the beat
Make sure to move your body in sync with the music