Ain't That Terrible
Roy Redmond Lyrics
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Hey Lord I was a victim in the alley
Shown off… Subway Jade…
Saw her and started doin' the skate
Now hard hittin' Sue
Came a runnin doin' the booglaoo y'all
And then they all this thing
Got a working with a thing they called a shingaling
Lord ain't that terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible
Lord ain't that terrible
Let me tell ya down right sinful
Watch me now
Shotgun, shoot em up baby
Boogaloo, do all that you wanna do
Skin n' dirt, come on let me see your work
And get it, get down with it
Get it, get down with it
Terrible, Lord ain't that terrible
Baby, baby awful
Let me tell ya down right sinful
Looky here
I've had my weed
Hey, sock it to the phily freeze
And that old silly willy
Well he laid it on a Boston monkey
Now minute scared Bobby
Gonna hurtin' on a thing they call parahday
And old Billy Joe got down with the soul of go go
Now ain't that terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible
Lord ain't that terrible
Let me tell ya down right sinful
Watch me now
Shotgun, shoot em up baby
Boogaloo, do all that you wanna do
Skin n' dirt, come on let me see your work
And get it, get down with it
Get it, get down with it
Terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible
Lord ain't that terrible
Let me tell ya down right sinful
Baby, baby
First thing I laid down a thousand things
Terrible Lord I've said now
First thing dancin' in the streets
Terrible baby, baby
First thing motion in the junction
The lyrics to Roy Redmond's song "Ain't That Terrible" describe various people doing dances such as the shingaling, boogaloo, and the skate in different locations. The song highlights the carefree party scene of the 1960s and how people would come together to dance and have fun despite their differences. The term "terrible" in this context is used as a form of emphasis rather than negative connotation, as if to say "isn't it incredible?" or "isn't it amazing?" The repetition of "Lord ain't that terrible" at the end of each verse emphasizes the enthusiasm with which Redmond sings about these various dances and their participants.
The lyrics also reference drugs, with the line "I've had my weed" implying that drug use was also a part of the party scene. The song bypasses any moralizing or condemnation of drug use, instead focusing solely on celebrating the joy and liberation that came with expression through dance.
Overall, "Ain't That Terrible" is a lighthearted snapshot of a time and place where people could come together to dance away their troubles, and highlights the diverse range of people who were united by a love of music and movement.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh Trash can Sally
I saw a woman named Trash can Sally
Hey Lord I was a victim in the alley
I was attacked in an alley, Lord help me
Shown off… Subway Jade…
Subway Jade showed off her skills
Saw her and started doin' the skate
After seeing her, I started dancing the skate
Now hard hittin' Sue
A woman named hard hittin' Sue showed up
Came a runnin doin' the booglaoo y'all
She was doing the dance called boogaloo
And then they all this thing
And then they all started doing this dance
Got a working with a thing they called a shingaling
They were dancing to a song called shingaling
Lord ain't that terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible
Isn't that sinful and terrible, Lord?
Let me tell ya down right sinful
I must say, it's downright sinful
Watch me now
Now, observe me
Shotgun, shoot em up baby
Let's dance like we're shooting a shotgun
Boogaloo, do all that you wanna do
Do the boogaloo and whatever else you want
Skin n' dirt, come on let me see your work
Show me your dance moves
And get it, get down with it
Let's get down and dance
Terrible, Lord ain't that terrible
That's sinful and terrible, Lord
Baby, baby awful
It's downright dreadful
Looky here
Hey, listen up
I've had my weed
I had some marijuana
Hey, sock it to the phily freeze
Let's dance the phily freeze
And that old silly willy
And that guy named silly willy
Well he laid it on a Boston monkey
He danced with a woman from Boston
Now minute scared Bobby
A guy named Bobby was scared for a moment
Gonna hurtin' on a thing they call parahday
He started dancing to a song called parahday
And old Billy Joe got down with the soul of go go
Billy Joe danced with the soul of go go music
Terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible
That's really sinful and terrible
Baby, baby
It's dreadful
First thing I laid down a thousand things
I have a lot to say
Terrible Lord I've said now
It's really sinful and terrible, Lord
First thing dancin' in the streets
The first thing that happened was dancing in the streets
Terrible baby, baby
It's really bad
First thing motion in the junction
The first thing that happened was motion in the junction
Writer(s): Leroy Mason, Harold Thydanic Thomas
Contributed by Adalyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.