Vocalist Rob Birch and DJ)/producer Nick Hallam founded their Gee Street recording studio and record label with money they were given to leave their London flat and, dispensing with using a backing band, travelled to early gigs on public transport.
They recorded their debut album, 33-45-78 in 1989 on a shoestring budget, with DJ Cesare, drummer Owen If and backing vocalist Cath Coffey. In 1990, "Elevate My Mind" became first British hip hop single to reach the United States R&B record chart. However, in the emerging UK alternative dance scene, it took an alliance with the Jungle Brothers to ensure chart success for Supernatural. Remix work for U2, PM Dawn, Queen Latifah, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Monie Love and Electronic followed.
Their live band included singers Andrea Bedassie and Verona Davis, and they were one of the few hip hop acts to play at rock music festivals at the time. Stereo MCs' mainstream breakthrough came in 1992 with the album Connected, which contained the hit singles "Connected", "Step It Up", "Creation", and "Ground Level", and also won them the BRIT Awards for Best Group and Best Album.
The follow-up to Connected did not appear for almost a decade. Further remix duties for Madonna and the Jungle Brothers in 1998 kept the Stereo MCs' name in the limelight. Madonna went on to use the Stereo MCs remix of "Frozen" as the basis of the live arrangement of the song on her 2001 Drowned World Tour.
2001 saw the release of Deep Down & Dirty, followed by a tour including slots opening for the recently re-united Jane's Addiction. Their sixth studio album, Double Bubble, was released in July 2008, followed by their seventh album, Emperor's Nightingale, in August 2011.
Deep Down & Dirty
Stereo MC's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd not be the one that
Be left alone to weep
'Cause this day I find
My friend is inside
My own mind and
Soul to keep
This spirit is letting go
That this ain't the time
This ain't the place to test me
This ain't the face to
Judge nor stress me
This is the place
This is the time
My enterprise and
This my rhyme
C'mon, 'cause
I walk, walk, walk
What I talk
Walk, walk, walk
What I talk
Deep down and dirty, yeah
Deep down and dirty
Sweat, deep down and dirty
(Deep, deep, deep down)
Deep down and dirty
Deep down and dirty
Reaction in all this
Synchronise
Seeming like
You don't know
Who you was before
You came on board
This crazy ship
You left your clip
You found your skip
You made a move
You made the move to blew it
You never found your crew
And now you're lost
Upon a sea of dangerous sharks
And shoals of fish
You make your own wish
And your bed so lie in it
You made your own wish
Come true
By the thoughts you thought
The things you did
The things you said to me
And all the others
The ones before
The ones who came
The ones that left
But now you're feeling
Sorry, sad and left alone
You best had leave,
The microphone alone
I'm here to stay
Make you pay and understand
That there ain't
No other day but today
Now I'm livin' it up
Now I'm livin' it up
There ain't nothing bringing me
Down so don't even try
I'll size you up
I'll size you down
Besides you round
This crazy uptight town
This burning with love and hate
The things you can't understand
There's too small a grate
I can't wait for
This time to come
I can't wait for
This time to come
I can't wait for
This time to come
Living it true the life, now
Living it true the life, yeah
Living it true the life, now
I must be true to life
I must be true to life
Deep down and dirty
I've slaved enough I have
Deep down and dirty
But I'm not grovellin'
On that hot coal
Deep down and dirty
Slavin' to this rhythm, here
Yeah deep down and dirty
Ain't nothing going on
But this sound, man
No-one lives and no-one dies
No-one lives and no-one dies
C'mon c'mon c'mon now
No-one lives and no-one dies
C'mon, tell them
Deep down and dirty
Uh, uh
Deep down and dirty
C'mon
Deep down and dirty
(Deep, deep, deep down
Deep, deep, deep down
Deep, deep, deep down
Deep, deep, deep down
Deep, deep, deep down)
The first verse of "Deep Down & Dirty" by Stereo MC's is about inner strength and perseverance. The singer, who seems to be a musician or performer, reflects on the fact that, no matter what happens, they will never be left alone because they have their own spirit, mind, and soul to keep them company. They then declare that this isn't the time or place for anyone to test, judge, or stress them, and that they are committed to their enterprise and their art. They conclude by saying that they not only talk the talk but also walk the walk, implying that they are genuine and true to their word.
The rest of the song is more abstract and open to interpretation. The chorus repeats the phrase "deep down and dirty," which can be taken literally (as in working hard and sweating) or figuratively (as in being raw and primal). The verses seem to be about finding one's place in life and owning up to one's decisions and mistakes. The ship metaphor suggests a journey of self-discovery and adventure, but also danger and uncertainty. The singer seems to be addressing someone who feels lost and regretful, telling them to leave the microphone alone and accept the consequences of their actions. The final verses are more optimistic, with the singer saying that they're living the life they want and can't wait for more, and that they must be true to themselves.
Overall, "Deep Down & Dirty" is a song about self-reliance, authenticity, and perseverance, with a mix of concrete and abstract imagery that invites the listener to interpret it in their own way.
Line by Line Meaning
I've always knew that
I have always been aware that
I'd not be the one that
I would not be the person who
Be left alone to weep
is left alone to cry
'Cause this day I find
Because I have discovered
My friend is inside
My friend is a part of
My own mind and
my own thoughts and
Soul to keep
my own soul to maintain
This spirit is letting go
This feeling is being released
And letting the people know
And informing the people
That this ain't the time
That this is not the moment
This ain't the place to test me
This is not the location to challenge me
This ain't the face to
This is not the expression to
Judge nor stress me
Judge or make me worried
This is the place
Here is the location
This is the time
Now is the moment
My enterprise and
My ambitions and
This my rhyme
This is my poetry
C'mon, 'cause
Come on, because
I walk, walk, walk
I am confident
What I talk
I will do what I say
Walk, walk, walk
Keep repeating
What I talk
What I say
Deep down and dirty, yeah
The raw, primal and gritty reality
Deep down and dirty
The raw, primal and gritty reality
Sweat, deep down and dirty
Sweat and get down to the raw, primal and gritty reality
(Deep, deep, deep down)
(At a personal, inner level)
Reaction in all this
The response in all this
Synchronise
Unite
Seeming like
Appears as if
You don't know
You are not aware of
Who you was before
Who you were in the past
You came on board
You joined the group
This crazy ship
This insane journey
You left your clip
You lost your ammunition
You found your skip
You found your captain
You made a move
You took action
You made the move to blew it
You made a mistake
You never found your crew
You never found your companions
And now you're lost
And now you are adrift
Upon a sea of dangerous sharks
Floating in a dangerous place
And shoals of fish
With groups of other people
You make your own wish
You create your own desire
And your bed so lie in it
Deal with the consequences of your actions
Come true
Become a reality
By the thoughts you thought
By your own ideas
The things you did
Your actions
The things you said to me
The words that you said to me
And all the others
And to all the other people
The ones before
The people who came before
The ones who came
The people who joined
The ones that left
The people who left
But now you're feeling
But now you are experiencing
Sorry, sad and left alone
Regretful, unhappy and isolated
You best had leave,
You are better off leaving
The microphone alone
Stop performing
I'm here to stay
I am committed
Make you pay and understand
Make sure you suffer the consequences and comprehend
That there ain't
That there is not
No other day but today
There will never be another day like today
Now I'm livin' it up
Now I am enjoying life
There ain't nothing bringing me
Nothing can make me feel
Down so don't even try
Depressed so do not attempt it
I'll size you up
I'll evaluate you
I'll size you down
I will assess you
Besides you round
Still hanging around
This crazy uptight town
This insane and anxious city
This burning with love and hate
This passionate and fraught environment
The things you can't understand
The things you do not comprehend
There's too small a grate
The gap is too small
I can't wait for
I am excited for
Living it true the life, now
Living an authentic lifestyle
I must be true to life
I have to be genuine to myself
I've slaved enough I have
I have worked hard enough
But I'm not grovellin'
But I'm not being subservient
On that hot coal
In that difficult situation
Slavin' to this rhythm, here
Working tirelessly to this beat
Ain't nothing going on
Nothing is happening
But this sound, man
But this music
No-one lives and no-one dies
No-one lives forever and no-one dies alone
C'mon c'mon c'mon now
Come on now
C'mon, tell them
Come on and tell them
Uh, uh
Yes, yes
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tigersnake-
Im a CD woman, this was the hardest CD to buy it took over a month $40 later Im a happy Woman, Im 55 still rockin this. Vote Yes Australia
@atoswolverine
Belgrade Beer Fest these guys were rocking like crazy. I mean the vibe was Matrix's "Bullet time"!?! New Year Eve also in Belgrade, -10°C, penguins begging for tea and he was jumping on the stage in T-shirt!
@markovisic7244
Sele moja ovaj je bend opcenito zakon,volim ih jako! Super spoj dance muzike, RnB, soul i hip hop u jednom.... Opet te pozivam na ples.....
@RockoJulian
These are true hip hop lyrics, its a shame most hip hop today is incomparable to the Stereo MC's
@necrodh
this song, video, album, cover album was brilliant, i miss those days
@cwnash71
Alejandro Flores
Me too. Brings back memories of college and clubbing
@taz9410
@@cwnash71 agreed
@Chief-wh4gy
Listening to this 2020!! 🤟🏾
@vladimirpopov8479
Me 2!
@peterholsapple1320
@@vladimirpopov8479 it never gets old