What Is Soul
The Groove Lyrics


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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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Soul II Soul's What is Soul are a reflection of the band's origins and their message. The song starts with the band introducing themselves as a "sound system, an amalgamation of good dance music." They go on to describe their origins, with three members coming from the north side and two members from the east. The band's distinct style has earned them recognition as "the funky dreads."


The song then delves into the band's approach to working together. Trust is emphasized as being critical to the band's success. They have a collective decision-making process where a decision made by one is followed by the rest. This approach has helped them stay together and overcome challenges. The lyrics suggest that this approach is the way things should be.


The lyrics then close out with a hopeful message about the future of Soul II Soul. The band's mission is to spread love and peace through their music. They envision a future with a "happy face" and a "thumping bass for a loving race." Overall, the song is an affirmation of the band's values and their commitment to spreading positivity through their music.


Line by Line Meaning

What is Soul II Soul?
As Soul II Soul, we are a sound system that plays great dance music.


An amalgamation of good dance music
We play a mix of great dance music styles.


There is, um, three of us from the north side
Three of the Soul II Soul members are from the north side of London.


And two from the east
The other two Soul II Soul members are from the east side of London.


And through our style, you know
Our unique blend of music styles led to people recognizing us.


People just came to recognize us
Folks came to appreciate our music and recognize us as Soul II Soul.


As the funky dreads
Our look and hair styles became associated with our music.


Well, you know, trust has always meant a lot to all of us
Trust is very important to all of us in Soul II Soul.


For us to stay together
Trust is essential to keeping the group together.


Where one would make a decision
Each of us sometimes makes decisions that the others follow.


And the rest would follow
The other members of Soul II Soul would support the decision.


I don't know, you know
It's difficult to explain, you understand.


That's the way we thought
This was how we believed things should be done in Soul II Soul.


The way things should be
Our decision-making process is how Soul II Soul operates best.


I guess the way things should go
For us, this is the right way for Soul II Soul to function.


Soul II Soul
This is us, the group Soul II Soul.


I don't know, it took us a real long time
It took us a considerable amount of time.


To get things together, you know
To get everything organized and ready.


But hopefully we're on our way
We believe we're finally on the right track.


Yeah, we started in clubs and so on
We started performing in clubs and such.


A little bit of pressure here and there
We faced some challenges and pressure along the way.


You know we had our ups and downs
We experienced good and bad times.


For everybody who can remember Africa Center
Those who remember Africa Center in London in the 80s and 90s.


The center of the world
Africa Center was an important place then.


That gave us the, um, idea to now make our own music
Africa Center inspired us to start making our own music.


Creating our own styles here in London
Here in London, we developed our unique music styles.


The future? Ha, ha - the future for Soul II Soul:
What's next for Soul II Soul? Let's see.


A happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race. Peace
Our goal is to bring joy, great music, and peace to all people.




Writer(s): Gallo

Contributed by Dylan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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