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!!!"
Hey Ya
Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby don't mess around
'Cause she loves me so
This I know fo sho!
But does she really wanna
But can't stand to see me walk out tha door
Don't try to fight the feeling
Thank God for Mom and Dad
For sticking to together
Like we don't know how
Hey ya! Hey ya!
Hey ya! Hey ya!
Hey ya! Hey ya!
Hey ya! Hey ya!
You think you've got it
Oh, you think you've got it
But got it just don't get it when there's nothin' at all
We get together
Oh, we get together
But separate's always better when there's feelings involved
Know what they say -its
Nothing lasts forever!
Then what makes it, then what makes it
Then what makes it, then what makes it
Then what makes love the exception?
So why, oh, why, oh
Why, oh, why, oh, why, oh
Are we still in denial when we know we're not happy here
Hey ya! (y'all don't want to here me, ya just want to dance) Hey ya!
Don't want to meet your daddy (oh ohh), just want you in my caddy (oh ohh)
Hey ya! (oh, oh!) Hey ya! (oh, oh!)
Don't want to meet your momma, just want to make you cum-a (oh,oh!)
I'm (oh,oh) I'm (oh,oh) I'm just being honest! (oh,oh)
I'm just being honest!
Hey! alright now! alright now, fellas!
Yea?
Now, what cooler than being cool?
Ice cold!
I can't hear ya! I say what's, what's cooler than being cool?
Ice cold!
Alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright!
Okay, now ladies!
Yea?
Now we gonna break this thang down for just a few seconds
Now don't have me break this thang down for nothin'
I want to see you on your badest behavior!
Lend me some sugar, I am your neighbor!
Ah! Here we go now,
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake it like a Polaroid picture! Hey ya!
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake it, shake it, shake it, suga!
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
Now all the Beyonce's, and Lucy Lu's, and baby dolls
Get on tha floor get on tha floor!
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
Oh, you! oh, you!
Hey ya!(oh, oh) Hey ya!(oh, oh)
Hey ya!(oh, oh) Hey ya!(oh, oh)
Hey ya!(oh, oh) Hey ya!(oh, oh)
The lyrics to Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra's song Hey Ya have a flavor of ambiguity that is not only intriguing to the listener but also invites reflection. The first few lines convey the singer's love for his partner and his confidence in this love, which he claims is mutual. However, the next few lines raise doubts about his partner's true feelings. He observes that she might not want him to leave her, but at the same time, she cannot bear to see him walk out the door. The singer then acknowledges that the possibility of a separation is terrifying him. He desperately wants to hold on to this relationship and suggests that perhaps he should be grateful for his parents for sticking together despite not knowing how to stay together. The chorus "Hey ya! Hey ya!" imitates the sound of someone trying to sing along to a catchy tune and hints at the superficiality of our obsession with pop culture.
The second verse plays with the idea that sometimes when people come together in a relationship, it is not always for love but sometimes just to satisfy underlying emotions or physical desires. The singer recognizes that the romantic relationship is transient and that everything in the world has an expiration date. The chorus of "Hey ya!" is repeated throughout the song, and it not only acts as a way to bring the listeners back to the present moment but also evokes the emotion of excitement and energy found in a group of people dancing to a popular song. The song ends with an invitation to listeners to dance and let go of their inhibitions.
Overall, the song expresses a mixture of emotions, ranging from love and confidence in a relationship to distrust, fear, and a satirical critique of our modern pop culture's obsession with the superficial.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby don't mess around
My significant other doesn't play games
'Cause she loves me so
Because she has genuine feelings for me
This I know fo sho!
I'm 100% certain of this
But does she really wanna
However, I'm still not sure what she wants
But can't stand to see me walk out tha door
She doesn't want me to leave her
Don't try to fight the feeling
I can't resist my emotions anymore
Because the thought alone is killin' me right now
It hurts me to just think about it
Thank God for Mom and Dad
I'm grateful that my parents have a strong relationship
For sticking to together
For always being there for each other
Like we don't know how
As if they have some kind of secret to making it work
Hey ya! Hey ya!
This is the chorus of the song
You think you've got it
You may feel like you have everything under control
Oh, you think you've got it
You're convinced that you're on top of things
But got it just don't get it when there's nothin' at all
But sometimes having everything means having nothing at all
We get together
We may seem happy as a couple
Oh, we get together
We do enjoy our time together
But separate's always better when there's feelings involved
But when emotions are involved, it's better to be apart
Know what they say -its
As the saying goes
Nothing lasts forever!
Nothing stays the same forever
Then what makes it, then what makes it
What is it that makes something last?
Then what makes it, then what makes it
What is the secret to longevity?
Then what makes love the exception?
Why is love considered to be an exception to this rule?
So why, oh, why, oh
So, why is it that
Why, oh, why, oh, why, oh
Why do we keep ignoring the issues we have?
Are we still in denial when we know we're not happy here
Why do we keep denying that we're unhappy?
Hey ya! (y'all don't want to here me, ya just want to dance) Hey ya!
This is another chorus of the song, with a comment about how people just want to dance instead of listening to the lyrics
Don't want to meet your daddy (oh ohh), just want you in my caddy (oh ohh)
I don't care about meeting your family, I just want to be with you
Hey ya! (oh, oh!) Hey ya! (oh, oh!)
Chorus again!
Don't want to meet your momma, just want to make you cum-a (oh,oh!)
I'm not interested in meeting your mother, I just want to please you sexually
I'm (oh,oh) I'm (oh,oh) I'm just being honest! (oh,oh)
I'm just being truthful about my intentions
Hey! alright now! alright now, fellas!
Hey, listen up, guys!
Yea?
What's up?
Now, what cooler than being cool?
What's better than being cool?
Ice cold!
Super cool!
I can't hear ya! I say what's, what's cooler than being cool?
I can't hear you! I'm asking what's cooler than cool!
Ice cold!
The answer is super cool!
Alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright!
A celebratory chant about being cool
Okay, now ladies!
Alright, ladies, it's your turn!
Yea?
What's up?
Now we gonna break this thang down for just a few seconds
Let's take a break and deconstruct this thing for a moment
Now don't have me break this thang down for nothin'
I'm not going to do this for no reason
I want to see you on your badest behavior!
I want to see you let loose and have fun!
Lend me some sugar, I am your neighbor!
Let's get closer and be friendly with each other
Ah! Here we go now,
Let's get started!
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Let's dance with enthusiasm
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Keep dancing!
Shake it like a Polaroid picture! Hey ya!
Dance in a way that's reminiscent of shaking a Polaroid picture
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Dance, dance, dance!
Shake it, shake it, shake it, suga!
Keep shaking it, honey!
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
Dance in a way that's reminiscent of shaking a Polaroid picture!
Now all the Beyonce's, and Lucy Lu's, and baby dolls
Let all the ladies come to the dance floor
Get on tha floor get on tha floor!
Join us on the dance floor!
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
Dance in a way that's reminiscent of shaking a Polaroid picture!
Oh, you! oh, you!
You're doing great!
Hey ya!(oh, oh) Hey ya!(oh, oh)
The chorus, one last time!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andre Benjamin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MMrCharles2789130
Target employees all feel my pain when I hear this song
@TacosGalore
immonky when i’m backstocking and feel the sudden urge to jump off the fucking ladder
@Sailorassassin_
LMFAO same @TacosGalore
@KuroTheFox
Dude it plays in my store sometimes still holy shit
@RDProductionsRodttor
Tell me about it!
@superstarastrodya
everytime this plays while im working, i blackout, trash the guest services desk, and then wake up on the LEGO display
@cosmopolitangrooves
The dance floor always love this version!
@tooberetta
I found this on Spotify years ago. I think of it as "My Happy Song".
@GoesAruba
Super!
@AEX007
Love ! ça fait du bien en ces temps pourris !