Early Work
In the mid-1970s he was a sideman in Barry White's "Love Unlimited Orchestra", before creating Raydio, an R&B group, in 1977, with Vincent Bohnam, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael. Parker appeared briefly in the 1974 film "Uptown Saturday Night" as a guitar player. Parker also wrote songs and did session work for The Carpenters, Rufus and Chaka Khan,Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Leon Haywood, Temptations, The Spinners, Boz Scaggs, Rhythm Heritage, and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
Raydio
The group scored their first big hit, with Arista Records, "Jack and Jill" off of their self-titled album in 1978. The song was # 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, earning a Gold record in the process.
Their successful follow-up hit, "You Can't Change That" was released in 1979, off of the Rock On album. The song was a Top 10 hit, making it up to # 9 on the Billboard charts during the same year it was released.
In 1980, the group became known as Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio, and the group released two more albums: Two Places at the Same Time in 1980 and A Woman Needs Love in 1981.
During the eighties Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio had two Top 40 hits ("Two Places at the Same Time" - # 40 in 1980 and "That Old Song" - # 21 in 1981) and their last and biggest hit "A Woman Needs Love," released in 1981, went to # 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, and # 1 on the R&B Charts for two weeks in 1981.
The Solo Years and Ghostbusters
Raydio broke up in 1981, while Ray Parker Jr. continued with his solo career, scoring six Top 40 hits, including the hit single "The Other Woman" (Pop # 4) in 1982 and "Ghostbusters" in 1984.
Parker was one the first black artists to venture into the then-fledgling world of music videos. He actually made two different videos for his hit "The Other Woman". The first was Halloween-themed and centered around a haunted castle with dancing corpses and vampires. The second was more performance-oriented, with Parker performing the song against a outer space background with backup singers. MTV initially refused to air either video because, at the time, no videos for black artists were shown and, in the case of the "haunted castle" video, Parker was depicted as having interracial relationships, which MTV didn't want to promote.
"Ghostbusters" was a title track of the Gold-selling soundtrack of the hit movie Ghostbusters (but the song has now sold upwards of 28 million units internationally according to Parker in 2007)[citation needed], starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. The single was at #1 for three weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and at #1 for two weeks on its Black Singles chart. The song was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1984 but lost to Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from The Woman in Red.
He also made an acting appearance on the 1980s sitcom Gimme a Break starring Nell Carter.
Controversy surrounding Ghostbusters
Parker was accused of plagiarizing the melody from Huey Lewis & the News song "I Want a New Drug" for his 1984 #1 hit theme to Ghostbusters, released only six months after Lewis' hit reached #6 in the Billboard Hot 100. This ended with Lewis suing Parker, and the pair settled out of court in 1995.
They returned to court once again in 2001, as Parker sued Lewis for breaching a confidentiality agreement forming part of their original out of court settlement which prohibited either side from speaking about it publicly. Lewis had revealed in a VH1 Behind The Music special that Parker had paid a financial settlement as part of the original agreement.
Continued Songwriting
Ray Parker Jr. also wrote and produced hits for New Edition ("Mr. Telephone Man"), Randy Hall, Cheryl Lynn ("Shake It Up Tonight"), Deniece Williams ("I Found Love") and Diana Ross. He also performed guitar on several songs on La Toya Jackson's 1980 debut album.
Raydio Discography
* Raydio (1978) #27 US
* Rock On (1979) #45 US
* Two Places at the Same Time (1980) #33 US
* A Woman Needs Love (1981) #13 US
* Greatest Hits (1982)
Ray Parker Jr. Discography
* The Other Woman (1982) #11 US
* Woman Out of Control (1983) #45 US
* Ghostbusters (Soundtrack) (1984) #6 US
* Chartbusters (1984) #60 US
* Sex and The Single Man (1985) #65 US
* After Dark (1987) #86 US
* I Love You Like You Are (1991)
* I'm Free (2006)
It's Time to Party Now
Ray Parker Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
up the music and let's get on down (I said) Everybody
up it's time to party now Come
on baby and get on down Party
** now get, on down Party
now get, on down Loud
girls wearin' that jeans too tight All
the guys holdin' conversations Turn
their hip yet keepin' reputation Most
of the girls seem to have a secret plan They
didn't come to dance They
just came to get a man Then
some of us just came to look around But
whatever you're here for you've got to get on down Come
on Repeat
* Repeat
** Some
of us gonna call up but don't hesitate To
have a sign waitin' for you at the gate Sayin'
you must have fancy clothes And
money to spend 'Cause
if you don't they won't let you in So
when you had enough of all the dancin' style Feel
free do boogie with us Time
to relax from workin' nine to five all day And
if you don't go school It's
time to put your books away Alright
now Repeat
* It's
*** time to party now it's, time to get on down It's
time to party now it's, time to get on down Oh
look here everybody All
I wanna know is How
you are gonna get down If
you don't get up How
are you gonna get down If
you don't get up Come
on now Everybody
up it's time to party now Turn
up the music and let's get on down Everybody
up it's time to party now I
wanna see you groove and get on down Repeat
*** Repeat
* Oh
party now Turn
up the music and let's get on down Everybody
up it's time to party now Come
on baby uh let's get on down
In the song "It's Time to Party Now" by Ray Parker Jr., the lyrics describe a party atmosphere full of people dancing, talking, and looking for love. The lyrics encourage everyone to let loose and dance to the loud music and flashing lights, even if they only came to observe. The song highlights the importance of having fun and taking a break from the responsibilities of work and school.
The lyrics also touch on the exclusivity of some parties, where fancy clothes and money are required to gain entry. However, the overall message still remains that it's a time to let go and enjoy the moment. The repeated phrase "everybody up it's time to party now" emphasizes the inclusivity of the party, urging everyone to join in and have fun regardless of their reasons for attending.
Overall, the lyrics to "It's Time to Party Now" convey the idea of letting go and enjoying the present moment. The song celebrates the joy and freedom that comes with partying.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody up it's time to party now
It's time to start the party, everyone should get ready to dance and have fun
Turn up the music and let's get on down
Increase the volume of the music and start grooving
I said, everybody up it's time to party now
I'm emphasizing that everyone should join the party
Come on baby and get on down
Come on and dance, let loose
Party now get, on down
It's time to party and dance
Party now get, on down
It's time to party and dance
Loud music and fashioned column lights
The music is loud and the lights are creating a fun atmosphere
Pretty girls wearin' that jeans too tight
The girls are dressed up and looking attractive
All the guys holdin' conversations
The guys are socializing and talking to each other
Turn their hip yet keepin' reputation
They're dancing, but still trying to maintain their cool image
Most of the girls seem to have a secret plan
Many of the girls have come with the intention of finding a man
They didn't come to dance
Some of the girls may not be interested in dancing, just socializing and flirting
They just came to get a man
Their main focus is to find a boyfriend or a hookup
Then some of us just came to look around
Some people are just here to observe and enjoy the scene
But whatever you're here for you've got to get on down
No matter what your reason for being here is, you should join the party and dance
Come on
Encouraging everyone to join in
Some of us gonna call up but don't hesitate
Some people may call ahead to make arrangements, but they should not be hesitant to come
To have a sign waitin' for you at the gate
There may be a sign with your name welcoming you at the entrance
Saying you must have fancy clothes
The dress code may require you to dress up
And money to spend
You may need to have some money to enjoy the amenities of the party
Cause if you don't they won't let you in
You may be denied entry if you don't meet the dress code or don't have enough money
So when you had enough of all the dancin' style
If you get tired from dancing, you can take a break and chill with others
Feel free do boogie with us
Join the dancing crew and have fun
Time to relax from workin' nine to five all day
This party is a chance to unwind and have a good time after a long day at work
And if you don't go school
Even if you're not in school, you should still come and enjoy
It's time to put your books away
Forget about studying and enjoy yourself
Alright now
Okay, let's get back to the party
Oh it's time to party now it's, time to get on down
Once again, it's time to enjoy and dance
Oh it's time to party now it's, time to get on down
Repeat of the previous line
Oh look here everybody
Hey, everyone pay attention
All I wanna know is how you are gonna get down
How are you going to dance and groove?
If you don't get up
If you don't start dancing
How are you gonna get down
You won't be able to dance or have fun
Come on now
Let's get this party started
I wanna see you groove and get on down
I want everyone to start dancing and enjoying themselves
Repeat
Repeating the same message to emphasize it again
Repeat
Repeating the same message to emphasize it again
Oh party now
Let's start the party
Turn up the music and let's get on down
Time to dance and enjoy ourselves
Everybody up it's time to party now
Calling everyone to join in the party
Come on baby uh let's get on down
Encouraging everyone to dance and have fun
Contributed by Max C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.