Their follow-up album, Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade, yielded the hits "Get a Life" and "A Dream's a Dream," the latter featuring operatic vocals by Victoria Wilson-James. While their U.S. following declined somewhat following its release, Soul II Soul continued to have hits in the UK, including 1992's #4 single, "Joy."
Soul II Soul reached Volume 5 of their series for Virgin in 1995, then released 2 more albums for Island Records.
Jazzie's Groove
Soul II Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where is the sound system?
An amalgamation of good dance music
There are three of us from the north side
And two from the east
Through our style people just came
To recognize us as the funky dreads
For us to stay together would make a decision
And the rest would follow
That's the way we through things should be
I guess the way things should go
Soul II Soul
I don't know, it took us a real long time
To get things together, you know
But hopefully we're on our way
Yeah, we started in clubs and so on
A little bit of pressure and there
You know we had our ops and downs
For everybody that can remember Africa Center
The Center of the World
That gave us the idea to make our music
Creating our own styles here in London
The future of Soul II Soul
A happy face
A pumpkin face for a loving race
The lyrics to Soul II Soul's "Jazzie's Groove" offer insight into the band's origins and approach to music. The song starts with the question "Where is Soul II Soul?" and "Where is the sound system?" This introduction sets the tone for the rest of the song, which reflects on the band's journey from humble beginnings to their current status as one of the most recognized and respected music groups of their time. The next verse outlines their backgrounds, with three members hailing from the north side and two from the east. The band's unique style, which blended different musical genres, helped them gain recognition and become known as "the funky dreads."
The theme of trust runs through the lyrics, with the band acknowledging that staying together and making decisions as a group is crucial to their continued success. They attribute their rise to collaborating and creating their own unique style, which they did while playing clubs and experimenting with different sounds. The last verse is optimistic, with the band saying they hope to continue growing and creating music that brings people together. The reference to a "pumpkin face for a loving race" could be interpreted as a symbol of their desire to spread love and positivity through their music.
Line by Line Meaning
Where is Soul II Soul?
Where is the band Soul II Soul located now?
Where is the sound system?
Where is their sound system located?
An amalgamation of good dance music
Their music is a fusion of various kinds of good dance music.
There are three of us from the north side
Three members of the band hail from the north side.
And two from the east
Two members of the band come from the east.
Through our style people just came
People recognized and appreciated their music style.
To recognize us as the funky dreads
People started acknowledging them as the band sporting funky dreadlocks.
Trust has always meant a lot of us
Trust among band members has always been crucial to them.
For us to stay together would make a decision
Their unity is their decision to stay together.
And the rest would follow
The rest of the band members would follow those who stay united.
That's the way we through things should be
They believe that staying together is the right way to do things.
I guess the way things should go
They believe that sticking together is the correct way forward.
Soul II Soul
This line just mentions the name of the band.
I don't know, it took us a real long time
The band faced multiple challenges before reaching its current status.
To get things together, you know
It was hard for them to come together as a band.
But hopefully we're on our way
They're optimistic about their future.
Yeah, we started in clubs and so on
The band began playing in clubs and small venues.
A little bit of pressure and there
Sometimes they felt overwhelmed by the pressure of their work.
You know we had our ups and downs
Like any band, they faced both successes and failures.
For everybody that can remember Africa Center
They pay homage to London's African Centre, which inspired them to create their own music.
The Center of the World
The African Centre had a profound effect on their musical creativity.
That gave us the idea to make our music
Their experience at the African Centre motivated them to make their own music.
Creating our own styles here in London
They created their unique music styles in London, influenced by the African Centre.
The future of Soul II Soul
This line alludes to the band's future.
A happy face
They hope for a bright future with lots of happiness.
A pumpkin face for a loving race
This is a metaphor for a loving community or fan base.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOOPER, ROMEO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Totalavulsion
What is Soul II Soul?
Eh, well...we're a sound system
An amalgamation of good dance music
There is, um, three of us from the north side
And two from the east
And through our style, you know
People just came to recognize us
As the funky dreads
Well, you know, trust has always meant a lot to all of us
For us to stay together
Where one would make a decision
And the rest would follow
I don't know, you know
That's the way we thought
The way things should be
I guess the way things should go
Soul II Soul I don't know, it took us a real long time
To get things together, you know
But hopefully we're on our way
Yeah, we started in clubs and so on
A little bit of pressure here and there
You know we had our ups and downs
For everybody who can remember Africa Center
The center of the world
That gave us the, um, idea to now make our own music
Creating our own styles here in London
The future? Ha, ha - the future for Soul II Soul:
A happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race. Peace
@rommix0
That drum break is a work of art.
@karlherrmann4643
Isn't it though!
@Olmec-a_Supreme16
A replay of "Impeach The President" 👍🏿
@curtiswhiteheadjr1322
A few months after this track dropped, I learned the Bassline. My high school Music Teacher, Mr. Brown, taught the rest of the track to our Jazz Ensemble and we played it at the halftime of a basketball game as the majorettes and flag girls from our marching band danced. Super cool! 😎🎵
@djg-wizmixshows2581
Beau Dollar "Who Knows" and Maceo & All The King's Men "Got To Getcha" are the original samples.
@William_sJazzLoft
@DJ G-Wiz Mixshows it's ingenious, innovative and bold the way those samples were brought together. Jazzie is definitely the Duke Ellington of hip-hop r&b
@William_sJazzLoft
Super cool, indeed! 😎
@laureencriss8220
@djg-wizmixshows2581 I never knew that. And, this was my record of the year in NYC 1989. I still played my music on cassette tapes and a cheap "boom box", lol. I think I wore the Soul II Soul album out! Keep on Movin' still makes me as happy when I hear it as when I was young and carefree at the age of 23. ❤
@laureencriss8220
That is really exciting. Sounds like a very special event in your life. 😊
@terrydorn3495
I remember the first time I heard this I play it about 7 or 8 times in a row two thumbs up for jazzy groove!!