Born of Swedish and Sierra Leonean parentage, Neneh Cherry spent most of her formative years in Europe and North America. Her stepfather is trumpeter Don Cherry. Early in her career she was a member of Rip Rig & Panic and New Age Steppers (1980). As a solo artist, she released a number of albums in the late 80's and early-to-mid 90's to critical and commercial acclaim (Raw Like Sushi, 1988; Homebrew, 1992; Man, 1996). Neneh is the half-sister of singer Eagle-Eye Cherry
Although she has participated in the odd production here and there, she has remained relatively quiet since then, appearing as a guest vocalist on the Groove Armada album Lovebox in 2002 and the Gorillaz album Demon Days in 2005.
Cherry announced the formation of her new band, cirKus. in 2006. Her husband Burt Ford (aka boogabear, aka Cameron McVey), is also in the band. The band's first album, Laylow was released in France in 2006 which was followed by Medicine in 2009. During 2010-2011 she did a few "secret" live performance in a few European cities.
Late in 2011 news came that she was working on a new project this is now known as Neneh Cherry & The Thing. They will release an album The Cherry Thing in June 2012.
In April 2013, she announced the release of a new studio album with the track "Nina (ft. Afrika Baby Bam)". Produced by Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet, the album also features appearances by Robyn and RocketNumberNine, due for release on Smalltown Supersound in early 2014.
Cherry was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 in the Best New Artist Category (due to success of "Buffalo Stance") but she lost out to Milli Vanilli, who later had their Grammy revoked when it was discovered that they had not performed on their recording. She received her second Grammy nomination in 1994 for the Youssou N'Dour duet "7 Seconds." The single received worldwide acclaim but did not win the Grammy Award. MTV Europe Music Awards 1995 "7 Seconds" Winner Best Song
Buffalo Stance
Neneh Cherry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And gimme a beat? Ouch
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce the high hat
Go on, mmh, that's good
Now the tambourine, right now
Mmh, woo, yeah, DJ
Who's that gigolo on the street
Hanging off the curb, looking all disturbed
As the boys from home, they all came running
They were making noise, manhandling toys
There's the girls on the block with the nasty curls
Wearing padded bras sucking beers through their straws
Dropping down their drawers, where did you get yours?
(Gigolo) huh, sucka?
(Gigolo, Gigolo)
Huh, sucka? (Gigolo)
Who's looking good today?
Who's looking good in every way?
No style rookie
You better watch don't mess with me
No moneyman can win my love
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
We always hang in a Buffalo Stance
We do the dive every time we dance
I'll give you love, baby, not romance
I'll make a move nothing left to chance
So don't you get fresh with me
Get funky, yeah Timmy
Tell it like it is (uh)
Baby, check out this DJ
So you say you wanted money but you know it's never funny
When your shoes worn through and there's a rumble in your tummy
But you had to have style, get a gold tooth smile
Put a girl on the corner so you can make a pile
Committed a crime and went inside
It was coming your way but you had to survive
When you lost your babe, you lost the race
Now you're looking at me to take her place
Who's looking good today?
Who's looking good in every way?
No style rookie
You better watch don't mess with me
No moneyman can win my love
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
We always hang in a Buffalo Stance
We do the dive every time we dance
I'll give you love, baby, not romance
I'll make a move nothing left to chance
So don't you get fresh with me
Smokin', not cokin', yeah, funky sax
Looking good, hanging with the wild bunch
Looking good in a Buffalo Stance
Looking good when it comes to the crunch
Looking good's a state of mind
State of mind don't look behind you
State of mind or you'll be dead
State of mind may I remind you
Bomb the Bass, rock this place
What is he like? What's he like anyway?
Yo, man what do you expect? The guy's a gigolo, man
You know what I mean? Uh
No moneyman can win my love
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
We always hang in a Buffalo Stance
We do the dive every time we dance
I'll give you love, baby, not romance
I'll make a move nothing left to chance
So don't you get fresh with me
No moneyman can win my love
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
We always hang in a Buffalo Stance
We do the dive every time we dance
I'll give you love, baby, not romance
I'll make a move nothing left to chance
So don't you get fresh with me
Wind on my face, sound in my ears
Water from my eyes, and you on my mind
As I sink, diving down deep, deeper into your soul
No moneyman can win my love
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
No moneyman can win my love
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
No moneyman can win my love
No moneyman can win my love
No moneyman can win my love
No moneyman can win my love
No moneyman
The lyrics of Neneh Cherry's song Buffalo Stance describe a street scene with a gigolo loitering and looking troubled. The boys from his hometown come running and start making noise with their toys while the girls on the block wearing padded bras and sucking beers through their straws drop their drawers. The chorus then comes in to assert the individuality and power of the singer and her crew who always "hang in a Buffalo Stance" and do "the dive" whenever they dance. They do not want romance, just love, and money cannot buy it. The bridge is a spoken-word segment that features a funky saxophone and a warning not to mess with the singer while she dives deep into her love's soul.
The song and its video were part of the musical and fashion movement known as Buffalo which originated in the east end of London in the late 1980s. The Buffalo style was characterized by colorful, oversized clothes, bold jewelry, and strong makeup, and it was promoted by Buffalo's leader and Neneh Cherry's stylist Ray Petri. The lyrics were co-written by Cherry and Cameron McVey, her husband and the song's producer, and contain references to Petri's Buffalo crew and to other cultural icons such as crocodile shoes, gold tooth smiles, and sound systems. With its blend of rap, hip-hop, pop, and dance, Buffalo Stance became a worldwide hit in 1989 and one of the defining songs of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Will you stop (gigolo) the f- scratchin'
Please pause the scratching and give me a beat
And gimme a beat? Ouch
Give me a rhythm, ow
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce the high hat
Announcing the introduction of the high hat drum
Go on, mmh, that's good
Carry on, that's good
Now the tambourine, right now Mmh, woo, yeah, DJ
Add the tambourine now. Hmm, yes, that's it. Yeah, DJ
Who's that gigolo on the street
Who is that male prostitute on the road?
With his hands in his pockets and his crocodile feet?
He has his hands in his pockets and shoes like crocodile skin?
Hanging off the curb, looking all disturbed
Standing on the side of the road looking concerned
As the boys from home, they all came running
As the boys from his hometown approach him
They were making noise, manhandling toys
They were shouting and playing with objects
There's the girls on the block with the nasty curls
There are girls in the area with unkempt hair
Wearing padded bras sucking beers through their straws
Wearing bras with padding while drinking beer through a straw
Dropping down their drawers, where did you get yours?
Pulling down their pants, where did you buy yours?
(Gigolo) huh, sucka?
(Male prostitute), you foolish person?
(Gigolo, Gigolo) Huh, sucka? (Gigolo)
(Male prostitute, male prostitute) You fool? (Male prostitute)
Who's looking good today?
Who appears stylish today?
Who's looking good in every way?
Who looks good from every angle?
No style rookie
No beginner in the fashion field
You better watch don't mess with me
Be cautious and don't try to play games with me
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
I am looking for a sweet, loving relationship
We always hang in a Buffalo Stance
We often stand arrogantly like a buffalo
We do the dive every time we dance
We love to dance and move energetically
I'll give you love, baby, not romance
I will show you love, not cheesy romantic gestures
I'll make a move nothing left to chance
I will be confident and take action, no need for uncertainty
So don't you get fresh with me
Don't try to be cheeky with me
Get funky, yeah Timmy
Let's have a good time, Timmy
Tell it like it is (uh)
Speak honestly and directly (exclamation)
Baby, check out this DJ
Hey, baby, do you see this great DJ?
So you say you wanted money but you know it's never funny
You claim to desire money, but the situation is never humorous
When your shoes worn through and there's a rumble in your tummy
When your shoes are falling apart and you're hungry
But you had to have style, get a gold tooth smile
But you still want to look stylish, have a smile with a gold tooth
Put a girl on the corner so you can make a pile
Find a female companion on the street to make more money
Committed a crime and went inside
Committed an illegal act and was imprisoned
It was coming your way but you had to survive
Consequences of your actions were heading towards you, but you had to do what you can to survive
When you lost your babe, you lost the race
When you lost your partner, you failed at the competition
Now you're looking at me to take her place
Now you want to replace her with me
Smokin', not cokin', yeah, funky sax
Smoking, not doing cocaine, while a funky saxophone is playing
Looking good, hanging with the wild bunch
Appearing attractive while with a group of wild individuals
Looking good in a Buffalo Stance
Looking good in a confident, buffalo-like stance
Looking good when it comes to the crunch
Appearing stylish even in difficult times
Looking good's a state of mind
Appearing good is influenced by one's thoughts
State of mind don't look behind you
Mindset is important, don't worry about the past
State of mind or you'll be dead
Mindset is crucial, or it could lead to failure
State of mind may I remind you
I want to remind you that mindset is important
Bomb the Bass, rock this place
Play music by Bomb the Bass and get this place moving
What is he like? What's he like anyway?
What kind of person is he? What's he really like?
Yo, man what do you expect? The guy's a gigolo, man
What do you think? He's a male prostitute, after all
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
I am looking for a sweet, loving relationship
Wind on my face, sound in my ears
Feeling the wind on my face, hearing sounds in my ears
Water from my eyes, and you on my mind
Tears in my eyes, with thoughts of you in my mind
As I sink, diving down deep, deeper into your soul
As I feel overwhelmed, delving into the depths of your being
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
It's sweetness that I'm thinking of
I am looking for a sweet, loving relationship
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
No moneyman can win my love
I can't be won over by a man with money
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jamie Morgan, Neneh Cherry, Cameron Mcvey, Phil Ramocon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danieldehart3320
As a 54 year old, my love and appreciation for the music back then is just growing day by day. This track still gives me the chills and a throwback in time. ❤ Miss those years.....
@peteb5286
what a tune...
@janellerollins5893
52 here. Had no clue how good we had it...
@A.J.S.529
I can relate 100
@tomasvanecek89
You speak from my heart, the older I get the more I miss those times...
@user-sz8km9dy5v
80s by gone timex
@philgray7320
This is one of those very rare songs that always sounds fresh, I would bet that in 30 years time it will still sound fresh !
@toofine9
agreed brings back memories
@KarenParker-xn6ij
It does
@hunchemlnarik1668
Don't get fresh with me!