Parliament was originally The Parliaments, a doo-wop group based out of George Clinton's Plainfield, New Jersey barber shop. The name was soon abandoned due to legal issues with Revilot and Atlantic Records, and most of the same people recorded under the name Funkadelic, which consisted of The Parliaments' backing musicians. Billy "Bass" Nelson is credited with creating the name Funkadelic. He also switched from 6-string guitar to bass, creating room for his childhood friend Eddie Hazel to join the group. Soon, Parliament was created in addition to Funkadelic and the two bands consisted of essentially the same people, though both released albums under their respective names.
The legal problems with the name "The Parliaments" were resolved in 1970, and Clinton signed all of Funkadelic to Invictus Records under the name Parliament, releasing Osmium ("The Breakdown" reached #30 on the R&B charts in 1971) but the name Parliament was then abandoned for some time, as Funkadelic was much more successful.
In the early 1970s, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins and Catfish Collins joined Funkadelic, which released five albums by 1974. With only moderate success, Funkadelic signed with Casablanca Records as Parliament, releasing "Up for the Down Stroke" (off the album of the same name) which reached #10 on the R&B charts but peaked at #63 Pop. The song was the biggest hit of P Funk's career. 1975 saw the release of Chocolate City, which also enjoyed moderate success; the title track reached #24.
With the ensuing albums, Parliament became one of the most respected bands on the 1970s, and are now recognized as one of the forefathers of funk music. Of particular interest are the spacey themes of Starchild, Sir Nose and other recurring characters from multiple albums.
Of particular note is the landmark album Mothership Connection, an amalgam of many '70s themes and the tight "popular" funk sound which was both more commercially viable (particularly in the black community) and more readily emulated by the numerous artists capitalizing on the popularity of funk's mainstream cousin: disco. Artists such as the BeeGees, the Commodores and Kool and the Gang repackaged many of Parliament's innovations into radio-ready pop hits and upon the mass acceptance of disco culture as portrayed in Saturday Night Fever, millions of suburban Americans were able to boogie-oogie-oogie safely protected from exposure to the urban dance scene's multi-ethnic, sexually diverse and cocaine-fueled celebration.
In the early 1980s, with legal difficulties arising from the multiple names used by multiple groups, as well as a shakeup at Casablanca Records, George Clinton dissolved Parliament and Funkadelic as recording and touring entities. Parliament/Funkadelic morphed into P-Funk. New audiences were fueled in the '90s due to extensive sampling by hip hop DJs and producers, including beats used in The Chronic and Cypress Hill's debut album.
A variety of bands evolved in their own right out of the main two bands - they included Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Brides of Funkenstein, Parlet, Mutiny, The Horny Horns, and Quazar.
George Clinton subsequently worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Reformed in January 2018, the first new Parliament release in 38 years was "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me", which features the rapper Scarface. A new Parliament album, Medicaid Fraud Dogg, was released in May 2018.
Mothership Connection
Parliament Lyrics
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Starchild, Citizens of the Universe, Recording Angels
We have returned to claim the Pyramids
Partying on the Mothership
I am the Mothership Connection
Gettin' down in 3-D
Light year groovin'
Well all right, if you hear any noise, it ain't nobody but me and the boys
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys
Hit me (groovin')
You gotta hit the band
All right, all right, Starchild here
Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip
And come on up to the Mothership
Loose Booty, doin' the bump
Hustle on over here
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys hittin' it
You gotta hit the band
Ain't nothing but a party, y'all
Face it, even your memory banks have forgotten this funk
Mothership Connection, home of the P.Funk, the Bomb
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys, hit me
You gotta hit the band
Let me put on my sunglasses here so I can see what I'm doing
When you hear seats rumble you will hear your conscience grumble
Hit me
You gotta hit the band
You have overcome, for I am here
Swing down, sweet chariot, stop, and let me ride
Doin' it up on the Chocolate Milky Way
What's up CC? Have you forgotton me?
Are you hip to Easter Island? The Bermuda Triangle?
Heh heh! Well, all right, ain't nothing but a party!
Starchild here, Citizens of the Universe
I bring forth to you the Good Time
On the Mothership
Are you hip?
Sing, fellas!
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys
Hit me
You gotta hit the band
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys
Hit me
You gotta hit the band
Starchild here, doin' it in 3-D
So good, it's good to me
Hit the band!
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys
Hit me
You gotta hit the band
Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry you home!
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys
Hit me
You gotta hit the band
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys
Hit me
You gotta hit the band
If you hear any noise
It's just me and the boys
Hit me
You gotta hit the band
Starchild here, citizens of the universe
Gettin' it on, partying on the Mothership
When Gabriel's horn blows, you'd better be ready to go
Swing low
Time to move on
Light years in time
Ahead of our time
Free your mind, and come fly
With me
It's hip
On the Mothership
Groovin'
Swing down, sweet chariot, stop, and let me ride
The lyrics to Mothership Connection by Parliament are all about having a good time and getting down to the music. The singer, who refers to himself as Starchild, is inviting the citizens of the universe to join in on the party happening on the Mothership. The Mothership is the disco spaceship that takes the people away from the everyday struggles of life to their own disco heaven. The song's intro is exciting and classic, building anticipation for the arrival of Starchild and his party, calling out "Recording Angels we have returned to claim the Pyramids". The song's lyrics are playful and invite everyone to forget their worries and just dance. The interaction between the band and the audience is notable throughout the song, with the band calling out to the audience to respond, such as, "Hit me" and "You gotta hit the band".
The lyrics of the song are typical of Parliament's funk style, where the lyrics are simple, and the rhythms are catchy, and danceable. The song's chorus is one of the highlights of the song, with the band calling out to the crowd to "hit me," which emphasizes the importance of being part of the music and the one-of-a-kind experience that the band is creating. Starchild's shout of "swing low, sweet chariot" is a nod to the traditional spiritual and gospels that celebrate the hope of heaven and the metaphorical view of the chariot as a means of transportation to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, all right!
Alright everyone, let's get ready to party!
Starchild, Citizens of the Universe, Recording Angels
Greetings to everyone watching from outer space
We have returned to claim the Pyramids
We're back and ready to show that we're in control
Partying on the Mothership
We're having a great time on our spaceship
I am the Mothership Connection
I'm in charge of this spaceship and this party
Gettin' down in 3-D
We're dancing and enjoying ourselves in 3D
Light year groovin'
We're dancing and enjoying ourselves as if we are in a different dimension
Well all right, if you hear any noise, it ain't nobody but me and the boys
Don't be alarmed by any noise, it's just me and my companions having a good time
Gettin' down, hit it fellas!
Let's keep the party going, musicians!
Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip
Move and groove to the rhythm of the music
And come on up to the Mothership
Come aboard the spaceship and join the fun
Loose Booty, doin' the bump
We're dancing and shaking our hips
Hustle on over here
Come quickly and join us on the Mothership
Ain't nothing but a party, y'all
This is just a big celebration, everyone
Face it, even your memory banks have forgotten this funk
This is a style of music that you've probably never heard before
Mothership Connection, home of the P.Funk, the Bomb
Our spaceship is where this amazing style of music comes from
Let me put on my sunglasses here so I can see what I'm doing
I'm putting on my shades so I can get into the groove easier
When you hear seats rumble you will hear your conscience grumble
When the music is loud and the bass is heavy, you can't help but dance
You have overcome, for I am here
You've made it this far, I'm here to take you the rest of the way
Swing down, sweet chariot, stop, and let me ride
Come and pick me up, and let me join in the fun
Doin' it up on the Chocolate Milky Way
We're having a great time in the vast expanse of space
What's up CC? Have you forgotton me?
Hey there CC (could be a specific person or group), have you forgotten about me?
Are you hip to Easter Island? The Bermuda Triangle?
Have you guys heard about these fascinating places?
Heh heh! Well, all right, ain't nothing but a party!
We're having a great time and that's all there is to it!
Starchild here, Citizens of the Universe
Hey everyone, it's me, the leader of this spaceship
I bring forth to you the Good Time
I'm here to bring you joy and fun
Sing, fellas!
Let's keep the music going, guys!
Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry you home!
It's time to go home, let's head back to reality
Starchild here, doin' it in 3-D
I'm still here and I'm still enjoying the 3D experience
So good, it's good to me
The music is great and I'm having a great time
Swing down, sweet chariot, stop, and let me ride
Take me with you, and let me enjoy the moment a little longer
Time to move on
It's time to wrap up the party and get back to reality
Light years in time
We've been here for a long time, but time has also flown by quickly
Ahead of our time
We're pioneers and we're ahead of the curve
Free your mind, and come fly
Let go of your inhibitions and come with us on this journey
With me
I'm leading the way
It's hip
This is really cool and trendy
On the Mothership
Here aboard the spaceship
Groovin'
We're dancing and having a good time
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: George Bernard Worrell, George Jr. Clinton, William Earl Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@r8dr4lyf81
Dr. Dre done amazingly good work sampling the P-FUNK sound on multiple different songs throughout his career.
@pvaughn7908
That's the legendary Bootsy Collins on bass. This band had so much talent.
@sam4success
Bootsy was putting work on this one and GIVE UP THE FUNK
@chriscastillo4275
Hell yes! Youngbloods out there, recognize. The man’s royalty
@johnsimmons5549
With Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley
@shoematter2289
Nik West is carrying that torch now. She's the best funk bassist of my generation.
@sergiogrande1078
@@shoematter2289 ida nielsen be like CHOO CHOOO MF
@mrkneel5760
Somethings on YouTube shouldn’t have a thumbs down icon !
@undoubtedlylogical973
Facts
@phishtix452
@BxxDxx Hoodoo well said