The Belle Stars were an all-female British pop group of the early '80s that… Read Full Bio ↴The Belle Stars were an all-female British pop group of the early '80s that split off from the Bodysnatchers. The lineup was Sarah-Jane Owen (lead guitar), Stella Barker (acoustic guitar), Miranda Joyce (saxophone), Clare Hirst (saxaphone and keyboards), Judy Parsons (drums), Lesley Shone (bass), and Jennie Matthias (lead singer). They scored four U.K. Top 40 hits between 1982 and 1983, "Iko Iko," "The Clapping Song," "Sign of the Times," and "Sweet Memory," before splitting up in 1984. Miranda, Sarah-Jane and Lesley continued as The Belle Stars as a 3 piece band and had a US dancefloor hit with World Domination in 1986. Their song Check In, Check Out features on the soundtrack to the Whoopi Goldberg film, The Burglar. "Iko Iko" was used in the hit film Rain Man, turning it into a surprise Top 40 U.S. hit in 1989. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Harlem Shuffle
The Belle Stars Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You move it to the left
And you go for yourself
You move it to the right
Yeah if it takes all night
Now take it kinda slow
With a whole lot of soul
Dont move it too fast
Just make it last

You scratch just like a monkey
Yeah you do real cool
You slide it to the limbo
Yeah how low can you go?
Now come on baby
Dont want you to stumble now
Just groove it right here
do the harlem shuffle
Yeah yeah yeah to the harlem shuffle
Yeah yeah yeah to the harlem shuffle

Hitch hitch hike baby
Across the floor
I cant stand it no more
Now come on baby
Now get into your slide
Just ride ride ride
Little pony, ride!

Yeah yeah yeah do the harlem shuffle
Yeah yeah yeah do the harlem shuffle
Do the monkey shine
Yeah yeah yeah shake a tail feather baby
Yeah yeah yeah shake a tail feather baby
Yeah yeah yeah do the harlem shuffle
Yeah yeah yeah do the harlem shuffle
Yeah like your mother told you how

Yeah yeah yeah do the harlem shuffle
Yeah yeah yeah do the harlem shuffle

Overall Meaning

The Belle Stars’ song “Harlem Shuffle” is an upbeat dance tune that encourages the listener to do the Harlem Shuffle, a popular dance from the 1960s that originated in Harlem, New York City. The lyrics detail the moves of the dance as well as encouraging the listener to take it slow and add some soul to their dancing. The song’s catchy beat and fun lyrics make it an ideal choice for a dance party or a night out.

The verse, “You scratch just like a monkey, yeah you do real cool,” references a popular dance move at the time called the Monkey, which involved hand and arm movements that mimicked a monkey scratching itself. The line, “You slide it to the limbo, yeah how low can you go?” references the Limbo dance, which involves dancers attempting to pass under a horizontal pole that gradually gets lower and lower. The chorus encourages the listener to “Hitch hike baby across the floor” and to “shake a tail feather” while performing the Harlem Shuffle.

Overall, “Harlem Shuffle” is a fun and energetic song that pays tribute to the classic dance moves of the past while encouraging the listener to get on the dance floor and express themselves.

Line by Line Meaning

You move it to the left
Start moving your body towards your left

And you go for yourself
Dance in your own unique way

You move it to the right
Now, move your body to the right

Yeah if it takes all night
Don't worry even if it takes the whole night

Now take it kinda slow
Dance slowly and steadily

With a whole lot of soul
Add soulfulness to your dance

Dont move it too fast
Don't dance too fast

Just make it last
Make your dance moves last long

You scratch just like a monkey
Your dance moves resemble those of a monkey

Yeah you do real cool
It looks really cool when you do it

You slide it to the limbo
Slide your body down as low as possible