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.
The Freeze
Parliament Lyrics
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The heat's gettin' to my feet
And I got to dance
Girl
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot)
Can we make your temperatures rise
Can we get you hot
(Got to dance)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Make my temperatures rise, not yet)
Burnin' up
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot, pump it)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Everybody sing it, sing it)
Got me hot
Can we get you hot
(Can I make your temperatures)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Burnin' up, burnin' up baby)
Can we get you hot
(look out, look here)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(I got a hump in my back)
Turn off the heat
Can we get you hot
(Gettin' to me feet)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Make my temperatures rise)
Rise, rise, rise
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot, got to dance)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Lay out, lay out, uh)
Can we get you hot
(Just the girls next time)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Cuttin' around)
Work out, work out
Heat, gettin' to my feet
Got to dance
Don't stand a chance
Hot
Yeah
Yeah
Ah
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot)
May we make your temperatures rise
(Make my temperatures rise, rise rise, mama)
Can we get you hot
(Hot)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Everybody sing it this time, easy)
Can we get you hot
(Take your time)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Go back a little bit, Tony, move it back a little bit)
Can we get you hot
(Yeah)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Work out, work out, work out)
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot)
May we make your temperatures rise
(Put a hump in your backs, that's where it's at)
Can we get you hot
May we make your temperatures rise
(Ok girls, can we get you hot,
May we make your temperature)
Can we get you hot
Ssay may we next time around)
May we make your temperatures rise
(Just the girls, can we get you hot,
May we make your temperatures)
Here we go, girls
Can we get you hot
(Talk to me, may we)
May we make your temperatures rise
(One more time, may we make your temperatures rise)
Can we get you hot
(May we)
May we make your temperatures rise
(Talk to me, talk to me, y'all)
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot)
May we make your temperatures rise
(Keep on, keep on, keep on burnin' up)
(Burnin' up)
Can we get you hot
(Look out)
May we make your temperatures rise
(Sizzlean mean, sizzlean mean)
Can we get you hot
Turn off the heat
It's gettin' to my feet
And I'm burnin' up
Can we get you hot
(Yeah girls, just the girls)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Come on girls, right here)
Can we get you hot
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Burnin' up, burnin' up)
Can we get you hot
Diddle-dee-dee
Diddle-dee-dee
Can we get you hot
(All right girls, real breathy-like)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Just the girls, talk to me girls)
Can we get you hot
(Diddle-dee-dee)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Oh, got me burnin' up, got me burnin' up)
(Burn, burn, burn baby burn)
Can we get you hot
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Make my temperatures rise)
(Make my temperatures rise)
Hot
Can we get you hot
(Oh baby)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Yeah)
Sizzlean mean
Can we get you hot
(Hot)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Barbecue me, baby)
Burnin' up
Can we get you hot
(Ha)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Sizzlean mean)
(Sizzlean mean)
Hot
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot, baby)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Deedle-dee-dee)
(Deedle-dee-dee)
(Make my temperatures rise, hot baby)
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot, workin' up a sweat)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Make my temperatures rise, baby)
(Put a hump in your back)
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot, got me hot)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Look here, look here)
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot, diddle-dee-dee, diddle-dee-dee)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Make my temperatures rise)
Hot
Can we get you hot
(Sizzlean mean, sizzlean mean, yeah)
Can we get you hot
Can we make your temperatures rise
(That's right)
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot, fellas next time)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Do it, baby)
Can we get you hot
(Barbecue me, baby)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Sizzlean mean, sizzlean mean)
Can we get you hot
(Got me hot)
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Hey, hey, yeah, look here)
Can we get you hot
Can we make your temperatures rise
(Yeah, make my temperatures rise, rise)
Burnin' baby
Can we get you hot (ha)
Can we make your temperatures rise
Can we get you hot
Must be a fire goin' on, fire
Hey, turn off the heat
It's gettin' to my feet
Burnin', burnin', burnin', baby
Can we get you hot
Can we make your temperatures rise
Can we get you hot
Can we make your temperatures rise
Can we get you hot
Can we make your temperatures rise
The Freeze by Parliament is a funky and energetic song that is all about getting hot and dancing. The lyrics speak directly to the listeners, urging them to get up and move their feet. The song is full of repetition and catchy phrases that are easy to sing along to.
The verses of the song are simple, with the vocalist repeating the lines "Can we get you hot? Can we make your temperatures rise?" These lines are accompanied by funky guitar riffs and a thumping bassline that keeps the beat. The chorus of the song is more complex, with the vocalist exclaiming "Turn off the heat, it's getting to my feet. Burnin', burnin', burnin', baby!" This chorus is repeated multiple times throughout the song, becoming more and more frenzied as it goes on.
The overall message of The Freeze is simple: let go of your inhibitions and dance like no one is watching. The song is a celebration of movement, rhythm, and the power of music to bring people together. Whether you're at a club, a party, or just in your living room, this song is sure to get your blood pumping and your feet moving.
Line by Line Meaning
Look here, look here
Hey, pay attention to us, listen to what we are saying
The heat's gettin' to my feet
The weather is hot and it's making me feel uncomfortable
And I got to dance
I want to dance to cool off and have fun
Girl
Addressing a female listener
Can we get you hot
Can we make you excited and energized
(Got me hot)
I'm already feeling hot and excited
Can we make your temperatures rise
Can we make you feel even hotter and more excited
(Burnin' up, burnin' up, baby)
I'm feeling really hot and excited
(Got to dance)
I really want to dance and have fun
(Make my temperatures rise, not yet)
I'm not feeling hot enough yet, make me more excited
Burnin' up
Feeling extremely hot and excited
(Got me hot, pump it)
I'm feeling really hot and pumped up, energized
(Everybody sing it, sing it)
Let's all sing and have fun together
Turn off the heat
Stop making the place hotter, I'm already burning up
(Gettin' to me feet)
The heat is making me feel uncomfortable and affecting my dancing
(Make my temperatures rise)
Increase my excitement level, make me feel more energized and hot
Rise, rise, rise
Get even more excited and energized
(Lay out, lay out, uh)
Take a break and rest for a moment
(Just the girls next time)
Addressing female listeners, asking them to participate more next time
(Cuttin' around)
Dancing around and having fun
Work out, work out
Let's exercise and dance to cool off and have fun
Don't stand a chance
You won't be able to resist dancing and having fun with us
Hot
Feeling extremely excited and energized
Yeah
Expressing agreement or enthusiasm
Ah
Expressing excitement or pleasure
May we make your temperatures rise
Can we make you feel more excited and energized
(Make my temperatures rise, rise rise, mama)
Increase my excitement level, make me feel more energized and hot
(Everybody sing it this time, easy)
Let's all sing and have fun together, take it easy
(Take your time)
Don't rush, enjoy the moment
(Go back a little bit, Tony, move it back a little bit)
Asking the DJ Tony to adjust the music or go back to a previous song
(Work out, work out, work out)
Let's exercise and dance to cool off and have fun
(Put a hump in your backs, that's where it's at)
Bend your back a little and dance, that's where the fun is
(Ok girls, can we get you hot, May we make your temperature)
Addressing female listeners, asking them if they want to feel more excited and energized
Say may we next time around)
Asking for permission to ask the same question again next time
(Here we go, girls)
Let's dance and have fun together, girls
(Talk to me, may we)
Asking for permission to make the listener feel more excited and energized
(One more time, may we make your temperatures rise)
Asking one last time if the listener wants to feel more excited and energized
(Talk to me, talk to me, y'all)
Asking everyone to speak up and participate
(Keep on, keep on, keep on burnin' up)
Keep dancing and having fun, keep feeling hot and excited
(Burnin' up)
Feeling extremely hot and excited
(Look out)
Be careful, something is happening or coming
(Sizzlean mean, sizzlean mean)
Feeling extremely hot and excited, also means something is really good
(It's gettin' to my feet)
The heat is affecting my dancing and making me feel uncomfortable
And I'm burnin' up
Feeling extremely hot and excited
(Yeah girls, just the girls)
Addressing female listeners, asking them to participate more
(Come on girls, right here)
Encouraging female listeners to come closer and dance with us
(Diddle-dee-dee)
Making a playful and upbeat sound to accompany the music
(All right girls, real breathy-like)
Asking female listeners to sing in a soft and breathy voice
(Talk to me girls)
Asking female listeners to participate and speak up
(Oh, got me burnin' up, got me burnin' up)
Feeling extremely hot and excited, repeating to emphasize the feeling
(Burn, burn, burn baby burn)
Repeating a catchy phrase to keep dancing and having fun
(Oh baby)
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
(Barbecue me, baby)
Make me feel hot and excited, like grilling in a barbecue
(Ha)
Expressing amusement or pleasure
(Deedle-dee-dee)
Making a playful and upbeat sound to accompany the music
(Got me hot, baby)
Feeling extremely hot and excited
(Make my temperatures rise, hot baby)
Increase my excitement level, make me feel more energized and hot
(Got me hot, workin' up a sweat)
Feeling extremely hot and excited, also sweating from dancing
(Put a hump in your back)
Bend your back a little and dance, that's where the fun is
(Got me hot, got me hot)
Feeling extremely hot and excited, repeating to emphasize the feeling
(Look here, look here)
Hey, pay attention to us, listen to what we are saying
(Diddle-dee-dee, diddle-dee-dee)
Making a playful and upbeat sound to accompany the music, repeating to emphasize the feeling
(Sizzlean mean, sizzlean mean, yeah)
Feeling extremely hot and excited, also means something is really good, repeating to emphasize the feeling
(That's right)
Expressing agreement or approval
(Got me hot, fellas next time)
Feeling extremely hot and excited, asking male listeners to participate more next time
(Do it, baby)
Encouraging someone to dance and have fun
(Hey, hey, yeah, look here)
Hey, listen to us, pay attention to what we are saying, expressing enthusiasm
(Yeah, make my temperatures rise, rise)
Increase my excitement level, make me feel more energized and hot, also expressing enthusiasm
Burnin' baby
Feeling extremely hot and excited
Can we get you hot (ha)
Can we make you feel more excited and energized, also expressing amusement
Must be a fire goin' on, fire
Feeling extremely hot and excited, also comparing the feeling to a fire
Hey, turn off the heat
Stop making the place hotter, I'm already burning up and feeling uncomfortable
(Burnin', burnin', burnin', baby)
Feeling extremely hot and excited, repeating to emphasize the feeling
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: George Clinton Jr., Tony Davis, Dan McKnight
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind