Their first album, "Straight Out the Jungle", was released on an independent label and featured a hip hop/house collaboration "I'll House You" produced by Todd Terry. In spite of the commercial failure of Straight Out the Jungle, Warner Brothers Records soon signed the group and released "Done By the Forces of Nature" in 1989. The album was a critical smash at the time, though it has since been largely ignored by hip hop critics, due to the similarly acclaimed fusion of jazz and rap "3 Feet High and Rising" by De La Soul being released the same year. Following a four year break, the Jungle Brothers returned in 1993 with "J Beez Wit the Remedy", another commercial disappointment. Their next album, "V.I.P." was produced by Alex Gifford of Propellerheads and, during production, they found time to add their vocal stylings to the Propellerheads tracks "Take California (And Party)" and "You Want It Back". In 2002 they released "All That We Do". In 2005, the Jungle Brothers released a "greatest hits" and "classic remixes & rarities" double-CD entitled "This Is…", which included remixes by The Wiseguys, Urban Takeover, Natural Born Chillers and Stereo MCs.
"U" Make Me Sweat
Jungle Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody gettin on my back
Some say ya just don't know how to act
Afrika, you act too wild
Get away from me you cramp my style
But lovely lady, can't you see
this is what you do to me?
Got me workin to the bonethen you ask whyyyyyy I ain't home
Work all day and then at night
I come runnin home to treat you right
Try to spend time with my two children
but this world has got me goin
round and round I just can't stop
On and on I might just drop
Slippin and fallin but that's okay
I do it all for you anyway
Do my best just to please you
and in return this is what you do
Chorus: repeat 2X
U make me sweat
U make me work
U make my body
wanna go and do the jerk
[Mike G]
Pretty little mama, what's your kick?
I'd like to know, what makes you tick
Off to work, all prettied up
As I watch you I'm all giddied up
I'd like to know where yo' mind is at
but you say you ain't got no time for that
I try to test ya, put on the pressureFinally got ya, on the spot ha
Now I regret every effort I made
You finally gave in, now you want to invade
I can't tell my left from my right
Sweet girl you got my head feelin light
Everybody asks what's wrong with Mike G
Now you tell me, you're havin a baby
Jimmy Hat, I blame it on you..
{*"Ih-it's it's it's all because, of you.." -> Slick Rick*}
"There's not a problem that I can't fix.."
"There's not a problem.. There's not a problem that.."
"There's not a problem that I can't fix.."
"There's not a problem not a problem not a problem.."
[Afrika]
Remember last year in the summertime? (yeah)
The rumor went around that you was on mine
Back then I didn't care cause I was after you (uhh)
Thought of all the plans that I had for you
Thinkin to myself, "Baby Bam you're set (set)"
Now you wanna go and play hard to get (WHAT?)
Ahhh man, ain't that a shame
Fall came around and she forgot my name
Diane, Diane, I don't understand (oh Diane!)
You're out of this world, you know what girl?
Chorus (repeat w/ variation 1/2)
In the song "U Make Me Sweat" by Jungle Brothers, the lyrics depict the struggles of a man in a relationship who is facing various challenges brought about by his lover. Afrika sings about how everyone is getting on his back and tells his lover that she acts too wild and needs to stop cramping his style. Despite this, he expresses his love for her and how hard he works to please her, but in return, he only gets sweat, work, and stress. The chorus reiterates this as it says, "U make me sweat, U make me work, U make my body wanna go and do the jerk." Mike G then takes over, and he talks about his attraction to a pretty lady and how he wants to know what makes her tick. However, he later regrets all his efforts as he discovers she is pregnant with his child.
The song's lyrics show how relationships can be a two-way street, and both parties need to put in effort to make it work. It also showcases how stress and challenges in life can affect one's relationship, as the man in the song is shown struggling to balance work, family, and his lover's demands.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody gettin on my back
People are constantly criticizing and pressuring me.
Some say ya just don't know how to act
Some say that I don't behave properly.
Afrika, you act too wild
Afrika, you behave in an uncontrolled and uncontrollable manner.
Get away from me you cramp my style
I need some space and time alone to breathe and relax.
But lovely lady, can't you see
this is what you do to me?
However, dear lady, can't you realize that your behavior and actions affect me deeply?
Got me workin to the bone
then you ask whyyyyyy I ain't home
You work me very hard, and then you wonder why I'm never home.
Work all day and then at night
I come runnin home to treat you right
I work hard all day, and then at night, I quickly come back home to attend to your needs.
Try to spend time with my two children
but this world has got me goin
I try to carve out time for my kids, but the world pushes me around, and I can't manage to get enough time for them.
round and round I just can't stop
On and on I might just drop
I'm caught up in a vicious cycle, and I feel like I might break down soon.
Slippin and fallin but that's okay
I do it all for you anyway
I may falter and make mistakes, but I'll take the blame because everything I do, I do it for you.
Do my best just to please you
and in return this is what you do
I give my best to keep you happy, but your response is always the same.
U make me sweat
U make me work
U make my body
wanna go and do the jerk
Your influence and impact on me is profound, and you make me move in ways that I never thought possible.
Pretty little mama, what's your kick?
I'd like to know, what makes you tick
I want to understand and know you better, what your likes and dislikes are.
Off to work, all prettied up
As I watch you I'm all giddied up
I love seeing you dressed up and heading out for work because there's an infectious joy you exude.
I'd like to know where yo' mind is at
but you say you ain't got no time for that
I want to understand your thoughts and feelings, but you say that there's no time for that.
I try to test ya, put on the pressure
Finally got ya, on the spot ha
I tried to push you into revealing your true feelings, and it worked.
Now I regret every effort I made
You finally gave in, now you want to invade
Now I regret pushing you into revealing your thoughts because you want more of me.
I can't tell my left from my right
Sweet girl you got my head feelin light
You have my head spinning so hard that I've lost my sense of direction.
Everybody asks what's wrong with Mike G
Now you tell me, you're havin a baby
Everyone has been wondering what's going on with me, and now I know that you're having a baby.
Remember last year in the summertime? (yeah)
The rumor went around that you was on mine
Do you remember the last summer when everyone was saying that we were an item?
Back then I didn't care cause I was after you (uhh)
Thought of all the plans that I had for you
I was focused on getting you to like me back, and I had all these hopes and plans for us.
Thinkin to myself, "Baby Bam you're set (set)"
Now you wanna go and play hard to get (WHAT?)
I had convinced myself that I had won you over, but now you're pretending like you're hard-to-get.
Ahhh man, ain't that a shame
Fall came around and she forgot my name
It's a pity that after all that effort and time I invested in you, you forgot my name.
Diane, Diane, I don't understand (oh Diane!)
You're out of this world, you know what girl?
Diane, I don't understand how you could forget me even though you're the most amazing girl I know.
Contributed by Micah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.