"Promiscuous" (also known as "Promiscuous Girl") is a song recorded by sing… Read Full Bio ↴"Promiscuous" (also known as "Promiscuous Girl") is a song recorded by singer Nelly Furtado and Timbaland for Furtado's third album, Loose (2006). Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Danja wrote the song, and Timbaland and Danja produced it. The song lyrics feature a conversation between a man and woman who call each other a "promiscuous" boy or girl.

"Promiscuous" was released as the first single from Loose in North America in early 2006, and as the second single elsewhere in mid-2006 except in Latin America, where the single was released as the third single in late 2006. The song received positive reviews and became Furtado's first number-one single in United States. It won in the Best Pop Song category at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, was nominated for the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals Grammy Award at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and won Single of the Year at the 2007 Juno Awards. The song got a number 3 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2006.

The lyrics of "Promiscuous" describe the two sides of the relationship that the song's protagonist deals with. It was one of the first songs Furtado wrote with labelmate Timothy "Attitude" Clayton. Furtado called their teamwork something she "had never done before" because she saw the writing process as "extremely freeing" because of his different approach and style. Clayton helped Furtado experiment with interpreting the "promiscuous girl" character and the two-sided relationship she is in. Furtado also described that in the process of writing lyrics "we were actually flirting, which is why the song is so playful" and that she and Clayton nicknamed the song "'The BlackBerry Song', because everything we say in the song you could text-message to somebody".

Because of the preponderant musical influence of artists such as Talking Heads, Blondie, Madonna, The Police and Eurythmics, whom producers Timbaland and Danja listened to during the writing of the album, "Promiscuous" takes inspiration from pop music of the 1980s. The sexuality was based on the "strong women in control" of the 1990s, such as Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Salt-N-Pepa and TLC.

A reference to basketball player Steve Nash in the song's lyrics led to speculation that he and Furtado were romantically involved, but both deny the link, with Nash commenting, "I'm flattered that she put me in her song, but I'm completely in love with my wife and two little baby girls". Furtado decided to include him because she and Nash are both from Victoria, British Columbia, and due to frequent citations of basketballers in songs, she decided to "give him the props".

In one of the verses Timbaland introduces himself as Thomas Crown. The Thomas Crown Affair is a film about wealthy businessman who plays a cat-and-mouse/flirting game with an insurance investigator.

Timbaland only performed the song live on special occasions, such as Furtado's appearance on Saturday Night Live, and the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards. Starting with Furtado's show at the 94th Grey Cup on November 19, 2006, and extending into the Get Loose Tour, Timbaland's part is filled in by Canadian rapper Saukrates.

The song's music video was directed by Little X and features cameo appearances by Keri Hilson, Bria Myles and Justin Timberlake. It does not follow a storyline and per Furtado's request, focuses on scenes with dancing and flirting because she wanted to recreate the song's indicative vibe, and took the opportunity to film a club video for the first time. Furtado said of the video, "It's that whole dance that goes on. There's that mystery there, the fun, playful sexiness, the verbal Ping-Pong game". Furtado and Timbaland cannot decide whether they want to begin dating or instead flirt with others on the dance floor. Their single performances are intercut with several scenes of a dancing crowd, and the lighting changes between blue, green, red, and yellow colors.

"Promiscuous" premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on May 3, 2006, where it reached number one after spending twenty-one days on the countdown. After its debut on MuchMusic's Countdown, it ascended to number one for the week of July 28, 2006. At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, it was nominated for the Best Dance, Female and Pop Video Awards. The video was parodied by MADtv in a segment entitled "Syphilis Girl"; in the video, Furtado (Nicole Parker) is comically portrayed as having given Timbaland (Jordan Peele) the sexually transmitted disease, as well as on YouTube by the comedic group Train of Thought Sketch Comedy, where the video is parodied by troupe member Kaci and features a puppet version of Timbaland.

Promiscuous Girl
Nelly Furtado Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

N:Am I throwing you off?
T:Nope!
N:Didn't think so...
T:How ya doin' young lady

The feeling that you gave me really drives me crazy
You dont have a player on your trunk
I was at a loss of words

First time that we spoke

N:If ya lookin' for a girl that'll treat you right
If you lookin' for her in the day time in the light

T:You might be the type if I play my cards right
I'll find out by the end of the night

N: You expect me to just let you hit it
But will you still respect me if you get it?

T:All I can do is try, gim'one chance
What's the problem?
I don't see no ring on your hand
I be the first to admit it,
I'm curious about you, you seem so innocent

N: You wanna get in my world, get lost in it
Boy I'm tired of running, lets walk for a minute

Chorus-
T:Promiscuous girl
Wherever you are
I'm all alone
And it's you that I want

N: Promiscuous boy
You already know
That I'm all yours
What you waiting for?

T:Promiscuous girl
You're teasing me
You know what I want
And I got what you need

N: Promiscuous boy
Let's get to the point
Cause we're on a roll
You ready?

Verse-
N: Roses are red
Some diamonds are blue
Chivalry is dead
But you're still kinda cute

T:Hey! I can't keep my mind off you
Who you with, do you mind if I come through

N: I'm out of this world come with me to my planet
Get you on my level do you think that you can handle it?

T:They call me Thomas
Last name Crown
Recognize game
I'm a lay mine's down

N: I'm a big girl I can handle myself
But if I get lonely I may need your help
Pay attention to me I don't talk for my health

T:I want you on my team

N: So does everybody else.

T:Baby we can keep it on the low [low]
Let your guard down ain't nobody gotta know [know]
If you with it girl I know a place we can go

N: What kind of girl do you take me for?

Chorus-
T:Promiscuous girl
Wherever you are
I'm all alone
And it's you that I want

N: Promiscuous boy
You already know
That I'm all yours
What you waiting for?

T:Promiscuous girl
You're teasing me
You know what I want
And I got what you need

N: Promiscuous boy
Let's get to the point
Cause we're on a roll
You ready?

Verse-
T: Nigga Don't be mad, don't get mean

N: Nigga Don't get mad, don't get mean

T: Hey! Don't be mad, don't get mean

N: Nigga Don't get mad, don't be mean

T:Wait! I don't mean no harm
I can see you with my t-shirt on

N:I can see you with nothing on
feelin' on me before you bring that on

T: Bring that on?

N: You know what I mean

T:Girl, I'm a freak you shouldn't say those things

N:I'm only trying to get inside of your brain
To see if you can work me the way you say

T:It's okay, it's alright
I got something that you don't mind

N:Hey is that the truth or are you talking trash
Is your game M.V.P. like Steve Nash

Chorus-
T: Promiscuous Girl
Wherever you are
I'm all alone
And it's you that I want

N: Promiscuous Boy
I'm calling your name
But you're driving me crazy
The way you're making me wait

T: Promiscuous Girl
You're teasing me
You know what I want
And I got what you need

N: Promiscuous Boy
We're one and the same
So we don't gotta play games no more

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nelly Furtado's Promiscuous girl tells the story of a young lady who is confident in herself and her sexuality. She does not shy away from being the one who initiates the conversation and sets the tone for the relationship. The opening lines demonstrate her confidence as she asks the man if she's throwing him off, to which he replies that she isn't. She then goes on to express the intense desire that he ignites in her, suggesting that despite her sexual confidence, she feels like he has the power over her. She asks him if he's looking for a girl who will treat him right, teasing that if he plays his cards right, he may get what he wants.

The chorus of the song establishes the sexual tension between the two, with the man calling the woman a "promiscuous girl" before stating that she's the only one he wants. Similarly, the woman labels the man a "promiscuous boy" but declares that she's already all his. The lyrics indicate a mutual attraction and tease the possibility of them being intimate without explicitly stating it.

The verses of the song are filled with sexual innuendos as the pair play around with each other, talking about roses, diamonds, and chivalry. Thomas Crown, the man in the song, is characterized as a confident player, who is charming but not overly smooth. Nelly challenges him, suggesting that he needs to prove himself to her before they can get intimate. The song ends with both parties agreeing to come together and acknowledging that they are both into each other.

Line by Line Meaning

Am I throwing you off?
Are my actions confusing you?

Didn't think so...
I thought as much.

How ya doin' young lady
Hello, how are you doing?

The feeling that you gave me really drives me crazy
Your actions are making me go insane.

You dont have a player on your trunk
You are not in a committed relationship.

I was at a loss of words
I didn't know what to say.

First time that we spoke
This is our first conversation.

If ya lookin' for a girl that'll treat you right
If you want a loyal girlfriend,

If you lookin' for her in the day time in the light
If you want to find her during the day,

You might be the type if I play my cards right
You may be the type of guy I'm interested in if I make the right moves.

I'll find out by the end of the night
I'll know for sure by the end of the night.

You expect me to just let you hit it
You assume I'll immediately have sex with you if you ask.

But will you still respect me if you get it?
But if we do have sex, will you still treat me with respect?

All I can do is try, gim'one chance
I can try my best, just give me a chance.

What's the problem?
What is the issue?

I don't see no ring on your hand
I don't see any obvious signs that you're in a relationship.

I be the first to admit it,
I'll say it first,

I'm curious about you, you seem so innocent
I'm interested in you because you seem pure or inexperienced.

You wanna get in my world, get lost in it
You want to enter my world, and become immersed in it.

Boy I'm tired of running, lets walk for a minute
I'm tired of running away from love, let's pause and see if this could be real.

Promiscuous girl, Wherever you are
A woman who is sexually adventurous, regardless of where she is.

I'm all alone, And it's you that I want
I am alone and I desire you.

Promiscuous boy, You already know
A man who is sexually adventurous, and already knows what he wants.

That I'm all yours, What you waiting for?
I am willing to give myself to you completely, why are you hesitating?

Promiscuous girl, You're teasing me
A woman who is sexually adventurous is teasing and taunting me.

You know what I want, And I got what you need
You know what I desire, and I possess something that you crave.

Promiscuous boy, Let's get to the point
A man who is sexually adventurous, let's stop beating around the bush and get to the main issue.

Cause we're on a roll, You ready?
We've engaged in some sexual activity, are you prepared for more?

Roses are red, Some diamonds are blue
A classic rhyme often used in romantic contexts.

Chivalry is dead, But you're still kinda cute
Romance and courtly behavior are no longer common, but you're still attractive to me.

Hey! I can't keep my mind off you
Hey, I can't stop thinking about you.

Who you with, do you mind if I come through
Who are you with, may I join you?

I'm out of this world come with me to my planet
I have an adventurous and unique life, come experience it with me.

Get you on my level do you think that you can handle it?
Come with me and experience a higher level of living, do you think you're up for the challenge?

They call me Thomas, Last name Crown
My name is Thomas, and my last name is Crown.

Recognize game, I'm a lay mine's down
Understand my intentions, I will commit to this relationship.

I'm a big girl I can handle myself
I am a capable and independent woman.

But if I get lonely I may need your help
But if I feel alone, I may seek comfort from you.

Pay attention to me I don't talk for my health
Listen to me, I don't speak without reason.

I want you on my team
I want to be in a committed relationship with you.

So does everybody else.
Many others desire to be with you as well.

Baby we can keep it on the low [low]
Let's keep our romantic relationship a secret.

Let your guard down ain't nobody gotta know [know]
Lower your defenses, nobody has to find out.

What kind of girl do you take me for?
What kind of woman do you believe me to be?

Nigga Don't be mad, don't get mean
Don't become angry or hostile.

Nigga Don't get mad, don't be mean
Don't become angry or hostile.

Hey! Don't be mad, don't get mean
Don't become angry or hostile.

Nigga Don't get mad, don't be mean
Don't become angry or hostile.

Wait! I don't mean no harm
Hold on, I don't intend to cause any trouble.

I can see you with my t-shirt on
I can imagine you wearing my clothing.

I can see you with nothing on
I can imagine you without clothing.

feelin' on me before you bring that on
Touch me intimately before we engage in sexual activity.

Bring that on?
Are you ready for that?

You know what I mean
You understand what I'm saying.

Girl, I'm a freak you shouldn't say those things
I am sexually unconventional, you should be cautious with your words.

I'm only trying to get inside of your brain
I'm only attempting to understand your thoughts and motivations.

To see if you can work me the way you say
To test if you are capable of making me feel sexually satisfied, as you have claimed.

It's okay, it's alright
It's alright, don't worry about it.

I got something that you don't mind
I have something that you find attractive.

Hey is that the truth or are you talking trash
Is that factual or are you lying?

Is your game M.V.P. like Steve Nash
Are you as skilled in the game of love as Steve Nash was in basketball?