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.
What Comes Funky
Parliament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People, what ya gonna do
I can't help you run from you
Don't you know you're in this too
Oh, you do me and I'll do you
There's a brother doing the hickybear???
Oh, swinging like a pendulum
Flashing, I mean flashing, like a strobe
I don't need approval
Oh, to be a mover
Doin', what comes funky (x4)
Ego tripping can be lots of fun
Especially when you're tripping with the one
Music so good I feel outrageous
You can tell by my stroke I'm getting serious
There's a brother doing the hickybear???
There's a sexy little sister doing the lump
Oh, swinging like a pendulum
Flashing, I mean flashing, like a strobe
Joys don't need no alibi
embarrassment will never live you down
Save your foolishness for another day
But for tonight, come out and play
There's a brother doing the hickybear???
There's a sexy little sister doing the lump
Oh, swinging like a pendulum
Flashing, I mean flashing, like a strobe
Oh!
The song "What Comes Funky" by Parliament is a funky, upbeat track that encourages people to let loose and enjoy themselves. The repeated line "Doin', what comes funky" is an invitation to dance and be free. The song speaks to the idea that people should do what feels good to them, without worrying about the opinions of others. The lyrics suggest that there is no need for approval, that people should let go of their ego, and just have fun. The song acknowledges that embarrassment may be a risk of letting loose, but encourages listeners to embrace the joy of the moment and not worry about it.
The song also references specific dance moves that were popular during the time it was released. The "hickybear" and "the lump" were both funky dance styles that were popular in the 1970s. The lyrics suggest that people of all ages and genders can get funky and have a good time. The flashing strobe light imagery emphasizes the sense of movement and excitement that the song seeks to convey.
Line by Line Meaning
Doin', what comes funky (x4)
We're doing what feels good and funky, and we're going to keep doing it.
People, what ya gonna do
You can't avoid this funky vibe, so what are you going to do about it?
I can't help you run from you
I can't make you escape from yourself or your feelings, so just embrace them.
Don't you know you're in this too
We're all in this together, feeling the funk and the good vibes.
Oh, you do me and I'll do you
Let's all show each other some love and funky moves.
There's a brother doing the hickybear??? / There's a sexy little sister doing the lump / Oh, swinging like a pendulum / Flashing, I mean flashing, like a strobe
People are dancing and having a good time, with some performers standing out and showing off.
I don't need approval / Oh, to be a mover
I'm not seeking validation to keep the funk going, I'll keep moving and dancing anyway.
Ego tripping can be lots of fun / Especially when you're tripping with the one / Music so good I feel outrageous / You can tell by my stroke I'm getting serious
We're having so much fun being funky and dancing together, and the music is so good it's making us feel empowered and unstoppable.
Joys don't need no alibi / Embarrassment will never live you down / Save your foolishness for another day / But for tonight, come out and play
We're all here to have fun and be funky, so don't worry about being embarrassed or concerned with just having a good time.
Oh!
A declaration of excitement and joy for the funky and fun atmosphere.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: George Bernard Worrell, George Jr. Clinton, William Earl Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind