Shawn grew up in a rural area on the outskirts of Wichita, Kansas. His mother is half Lebanese, half American Indian, his father Irish-American. While his peers got off on cheesy corporate rock and the kind of line-dancing tunes recently fashionable in Gap ads, Shawn was groovin to the blaxploitation funk Sly and the Isleys. Later, his local Baptist Church widened his appreciation of black music, but when he sang and played drums in its gospel choir, he discovered some of his white friends were racists who disapproved. F**k this, he thought, time to leave the Mid-West but not before playing in local band Lotus with future country superstar Martina Mcbride.
Next stop Los Angeles. Already an able multi-instrumentalist (guitar, drums, perc,bass, etc) Shawn now set about developing his songwriting. There were bands, publishing deals, relationships,tours and day jobs: more notches on the bedpost of experience. Shawn was introduced to producers the Dust Brothers( post Paul's Boutique) and spent much time hanging out,drinking cappuccino's and making mix tapes from their dusted record collection. .This period also saw Shawn befriend the late Jeff Buckley, and somebody, somewhere has a tape of them jamming Honky Tonk Woman. "Keith your fired"!!!!!
In 1995, Shawn moved to London, where he recorded his solo debut for DJ Gilles Peterson's Talkin Loud label. For all the wrong reasons, the album was never released. It was soul destroying; a bit like somebody erasing 3 years of your life. Resolving to write and record on his own terms, Shawn kept working. He created the infamous "Planet of the breaks" series aswell as 5 volumes of "Ape Breaks" becoming the most sampled drummer of his generation in the process. He passed CDs of songs to friends with no agenda other than hope you enjoy it. As Shawn continued to do it his way, airplay garnered by a self-financed EP prompted several major labels to phone him. He had no intention of reboarding the corporate merry-go-round. Instead, he opted to sign a deal with Mark Jones at Wall of Sound. "The labels got real credibility" he says, "Mark was happy to put out a record which sounds exactly like I wanted it to". Subsequently Shawn became the flagship artist for the new Wall of Sound imprint, We Love You with his album Monkey Boy which features the cult song Happiness. The song was later covered by million selling english artist Will Young on his Keep On album. Say what?!
2004 saw the release of two Shawn Lee albums. Soul Visa (in Japan only, on Rush!) and the debut release of Shawn's instrumental side project Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra. The first of which is entitled Music and Rhythm on Ubiquity Records. 2005 also saw two more records from Mr. Lee; Harmonium (in Japan only, on Rush!) and the second Ping Pong album Moods and Grooves. As the success of the Ping Pong series grew Shawn was offered his first full movie soundtrack. The movie is entitled "Save Angel Hope" and will be released in 2007. The Industry has been quick to embrace the Ping Pong sound. PPO tracks have been featured in the TV series: Malcom In The Middle, Lost, Desperate Housewives, CSI: Miami, Ugly Betty, Boston Legal, Rodney,Damages, Good Morning America etc., Movies: Oceans 13, The Break Up,The Bank Job, Pool Hall Prophets. Ads for BMW, Cinemax, Jaguar, Barclays, Exxon, Head & Shoulders and numerous Skate,snowboarding & Surf films. Shawn also has composed a video game soundtrack for Rockstar (Grand Theft Auto etc.). The game is entitled "Bully" and was released in october 2006. The selected soundtrack album for Bully/Canem canis edit is available on itunes,emusic and was released in stores december 2006 on Ultra.
2006 an American and European release for Soul Visa and the release of volume three Strings and Things by the Ping Pong Orchestra. Also look out for Mr. Lee doing "No Surprises " on an a Radiohead covers album called "Exit Music". Plus vocal collaborations with Muallem, Silent Poets, Sparo and Blackjoy. Remixes for The Thievery Corporation, Nino Moschella, Dust Galaxy, Jack Arel, Tony Joe White, Elmer Bernstein and Lord Large. November 2006 saw Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra vs Nino Moschella EP hit the streets featuring "Kiss The Sky".
January 2007, the fourth Ping Pong Orchestra album "Voices and Choices" was released and features guest vocals from: Ohmega Watts, Nino Moschella and Pierre D. Shawn chips in with textural vocals and takes the PPO sound onto some next level shit! Kiss The Sky (from the 4th Ping Pong album "Voices and choices"), becomes itunes "single of the week" and is downloaded a quarter of a million times in one week! Not one to rest, Mr. Lee has been beavering away in his London studio "Trans-Yank" on a number of new albums including a Ping Pong POP covers album entitled "Hit's The Hits" which was released on October 9, 2007, followed swiftly by a Ping Pong Christmas album called "A Very Ping Pong Xmas".
2008: Feb. 5th see's the release of the enigmatic Clutchy Hopkins album "Walking Backwards". Look out for this supremely dope album featuring a collaboration track with yours truly called "Song For Wolfy"! April will see the release of the 7th Ping Pong Orchestra album entitled "Miles Of Styles". It features some new musical maneuvers and the first lead vocal from Shawn on a PPO record! The Funky Tiger is also putting the finishing touches on the "Under The Sun" surf film soundtrack as we speak. The original soundtrack album will be released on Ubiquity later in the year. So move over, Shawn Lee is now "the new hardest working (tiger) man in show business!!!"
Get Ur Freak On
Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when we go we won't go slow we'll put up such a fight
When they fade into the dust and into ash
But all children know this pain will surely pass
Strong and wise and you are love
And When the tide it come you will float above and
And you will be one day exactly what you are
Just keep your head up high kiss your fist and touch the sky
Too late to keep the world from dying this time
Too late to spread the love you have
One day when we are ready for crying
One day I know that we'll be there
Too Late
The sound we hear it is our hearts they are the time
They're marching clear and swift the beat forever in our mind
It gives us hope it gives us strength you know to carry on
Keep fighting till the end and past the end you will be strong
Too late to keep the world from dying this time
Too late to spread the love you shared
And one day, ooh, we'll all be there
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yes we will
The lyrics of Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra's song "Get Ur Freak On" are steeped in hope, resilience, and the idea that one can overcome any challenge with determination and strength. The opening line, "hold my head up just enough to see the sky," indicates that the singer is facing a difficult moment or time of struggle, but they are not giving up. Instead, they plan to "put up such a fight" and not fade away "into the dust and into ash." While the pain they are experiencing is real, they know that "all children know this pain will surely pass," suggesting that there is hope ahead.
The second half of the song builds on this idea of resilience and the power of the human spirit. The singer encourages the listener to "keep your head up high kiss your fist and touch the sky," indicating that they should be proud and confident. The chorus repeats the phrase "Too late," suggesting that we may be out of time to save the world or make significant changes, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying. The line "And one day when we are ready for crying / One day I know that we'll be there" indicates that there will be a time for reflection and mourning, but for now, we need to keep marching forward with hope and determination.
Overall, the lyrics of "Get Ur Freak On" are an uplifting and inspiring message to never give up and to believe in oneself even during challenging times.
Line by Line Meaning
hold my head up just enough to see the sky
I will maintain a positive attitude and outlook despite facing challenges
And when we go we won't go slow we'll put up such a fight
We will face any obstacles with strength and determination
When they fade into the dust and into ash
Negative things will eventually disappear and be forgotten
But all children know this pain will surely pass
Even children understand that tough times will come to an end
Strong and wise and you are love
Being strong, wise, and loving are admirable qualities
And When the tide it come you will float above
When difficulties come, you will rise above them
And you will be one day exactly what you are
You are perfect just the way you are and will always be true to yourself
Just keep your head up high kiss your fist and touch the sky
Stay positive and reach for the stars while being confident in your abilities
Too late to keep the world from dying this time
It may be too late to fix the problems of the world
Too late to spread the love you have
It may be too late to share kindness and affection with others
One day when we are ready for crying
When we are prepared to confront our emotions and express ourselves openly
One day I know that we'll be there
We will eventually achieve our goals and overcome our struggles
The sound we hear it is our hearts they are the time
Our innermost feelings guide us in our journey through life
They're marching clear and swift the beat forever in our mind
Our hearts provide us with constant motivation and determination
It gives us hope it gives us strength you know to carry on
Our emotions provide us with the willpower to continue through hardships
Keep fighting till the end and past the end you will be strong
Perseverance through adversity will lead to greater strength and wisdom
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
An expression of agreement and affirmation
Yes we will
An assertion of confidence and positivity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MELISSA A. ELLIOTT, TIMOTHY Z. MOSLEY, NELLY KIM FURTADO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind