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!!!"
Rock Your Body
Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless but not for long
The future is coming on
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless but not for long
The future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
Yeah, ha-ha
Finally, someone let me out of my cage
Now time for me is nothing 'cause I'm counting no age
Now I couldn't be there
Now you shouldn't be scared
I'm good at repairs
And I'm under each snare
Intangible
Bet you didn't think so I command you to
Panoramic view
Look, I'll make it all manageable
Pick and choose
Sit and lose
All you different crews
Chicks and dudes
Who you think is really kickin' tunes?
Picture you gettin' down in a picture tube
Like you lit the fuse
You think it's fictional?
Mystical? Maybe
Spiritual
Hero who appears in you to clear your view when you're too crazy
Lifeless
To those the definition for what life is
Priceless
To you because I put you on the hype shit
You like it?
Gun smokin' righteous with one toke
You're psychic among those
Possess you with one go
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless but not for long
The future is coming on
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless but not for long
The future (that's right) is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
The essence, the basics
Without, did you make it?
Allow me to make this
Child-like in nature
Rhythm
You have it or you don't, that's a fallacy
I'm in them
Every sprouting tree
Every child of peace
Every cloud and sea
You see with your eyes
I see destruction and demise (that's right)
Corruption in disguise
From this fuckin' enterprise
Now I'm sucked into your lies
Through Russel, not his muscles but percussion he provides
For me as a guide
Y'all can see me now 'cause you don't see with your eye
You perceive with your mind
That's the inner
So I'ma stick around with Russ' and be a mentor
Bust a few rhymes so motherfuckers remember where the thought is
I brought all this
So you can survive when law is lawless (right here)
Feelings, sensations that you thought was dead
No squealing, remember that it's all in your head
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless but not for long
The future is coming on
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless but not for long
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future
The lyrics to "Rock Your Body" by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra are full of imagery and metaphors that speak to the inherent complexities of human perception and experience. The opening lines "I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad, I got sunshine in a bag" set the tone for the rest of the song, suggesting that happiness can be fleeting and often tinged with a sense of ambivalence. As the song progresses, the lyrics explore the idea of being trapped or confined (in a cage) and the freedom that comes with being released from those constraints.
The rapper then goes on to describe his own sense of empowerment, suggesting that age is just a number and that he is capable of taking control of his life ("I'm good at repairs, and I'm under each snare"). He also acknowledges the power of perception and the way that our perception of the world shapes our reality ("You don't see with your eyes, you perceive with your mind"). Ultimately, the chorus reiterates the idea that although happiness may be elusive, the future is full of potential and possibility.
Overall, "Rock Your Body" is a song that captures the complexities of the human experience and encourages listeners to embrace the unknown and take control of their own destiny.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I'm not exactly thrilled, but I'm content
I got sunshine in a bag
I've got good energy and vibes stored up
I'm useless but not for long
I may not be very productive now, but that's temporary
The future is coming on
Things are looking up in the near future
Finally, someone let me out of my cage
I've been given an opportunity to shine
Now time for me is nothing 'cause I'm counting no age
I'm living in the moment and not worrying about age or time
Now I couldn't be there
I wasn't able to be there in the past
Now you shouldn't be scared
Don't be afraid of what's to come
I'm good at repairs
I'm skilled at fixing problems
And I'm under each snare
I'm able to deal with any obstacle or trap
Intangible
I'm hard to pin down or define
Bet you didn't think so I command you to
You might not have expected it, but I impress you anyway
Panoramic view
I have a broad perspective on life
Look, I'll make it all manageable
I'm capable of handling anything that comes my way
Pick and choose
I have the ability to select my options wisely
Sit and lose
If you sit idle, you'll fall behind
All you different crews, chicks and dudes
All the diverse groups and individuals in the world
Who you think is really kickin' tunes?
Who do you think is making great music?
Picture you gettin' down in a picture tube
Imagine yourself grooving like a character on TV
Like you lit the fuse
You're ready to explode with excitement
You think it's fictional? Mystical? Maybe
You might believe it's not real or magical, but it is
Spiritual Hero who appears in you to clear your view when you're too crazy
A guiding force that helps you find clarity when you're feeling overwhelmed
Lifeless
Without spirit or energy
To those the definition for what life is
For those who struggle to understand the true meaning of life
Priceless
Extremely valuable or precious
To you because I put you on the hype shit
You're excited because I've elevated your energy and enthusiasm
You like it? Gun smokin' righteous with one toke
Do you enjoy it? It's explosive and righteous like a gun hit
You're psychic among those
You have a heightened sense of intuition and perception
Possess you with one go
I've captured your attention and imagination with little effort
The essence, the basics
The fundamental, core elements
Without, did you make it?
Can you survive without those basics?
Allow me to make this
Let me explain
Child-like in nature
Innocent and pure, like a child
Rhythm
The beat and flow of life
You have it or you don't, that's a fallacy
Either you have it naturally, or you don't. But it's wrong to assume that it can't be learned
I'm in them
I'm a part of that rhythm and energy
Every sprouting tree, every child of peace
All the things that bring growth, peace, and new beginnings
Every cloud and sea
All the vast and powerful forces of nature
You see with your eyes
You perceive with your physical senses
I see destruction and demise (that's right)
I see the negative aspects of life and society clearly
Corruption in disguise
Deceit and immorality masquerading as something else
From this fuckin' enterprise
From this corrupt system or operation
Now I'm sucked into your lies
I'm caught up in your falsehoods and illusions
Through Russel, not his muscles but percussion he provides
Through Russel, who provides rhythm and musical support
For me as a guide
As a mentor for me
Y'all can see me now 'cause you don't see with your eye
You're able to understand and appreciate me because you look beyond appearances
You perceive with your mind
Your perception is driven by your thoughts and beliefs
That's the inner
The inner self or psyche
So I'ma stick around with Russ' and be a mentor
I'll continue to work with Russ' and guide others
Bust a few rhymes so motherfuckers remember where the thought is
Throw some lyrics out there so people can remember where the message comes from
I brought all this
I created all of this content
So you can survive when law is lawless (right here)
So you can thrive and find hope in a world of chaos and disorder
Feelings, sensations that you thought was dead
Emotions and sensations that you didn't believe were possible anymore
No squealing, remember that it's all in your head
Don't be afraid to speak up, but remember that sometimes your worries and fears are imagined
My future is coming on
I'm optimistic and excited for what's ahead
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Damon Albarn, Teren Devlon Jones, Jamie Hewlett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind