Lady Marmalade
The Heathers Lyrics


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Lil kim: where's all my soul heathers
Lemme hear ya flow heathers

Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister
Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, go sister

He met marmalade down in old moulin rouge
Strutting her stuff on the street
She said: Hello, big boy
You wanna give it a go, oh

Gichie gichie ya ya da da (hey hey hey)
Gichie gichie ya ya here (hee oh)
Mocca choco la ta ya ya (ooh yeah)
Creole lady marmalade (ohh)

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir (oh oh)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (yeah yeah yeah yeah)

Delta worl:
He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up
Boy drank all that magnolia wine
On her black satin sheets
It's where he started to freak, yeah

Gichie gichie ya ya da da (da da da)
Gichie gichie ya ya here (ooh yeah yeah)
Mocca chocolata ya ya (ya ya) (yeah yeah yeah)
Creole lady marmalade, uh

Voulez-vous couché avec moi, ce soir (ce soir)
Voulez-vous couché avec moi (ooh)

Yeah, yeah, aw
We come through with the money and the garter belts
Let 'em know we 'bout that cake, straight out the gate, uh
We independent women, some mistake us for whores
I'm saying, why spend mine when I can spend yours
Disagree, well that's you and I'm sorry
I'ma keep playing these cats out like atari
Wear ideal shoes, gettin' love from the dudes
Four bad ass chicks from the moulin rouge
Hey sister, soul sister
Betta get that dough sisters
We drink wine with the diamonds in the glass
By the case, the meaning of expensive taste
You wanna gichie gichie ya ya (come on)
Mocca choco la ta (what)
Creole lady marmalade
(One more time now, come on)

Marmalade (ooh)
Lady marmalade (hee yeah yeah)
Marmalade (no oh oh yeah)

Hey, hey, hey
Touch of her skin feeling silky smooth, hey
Colour of cafe au lait, alright
Made the savage beast inside
Roar until he cried: More, more, more

Now he's back home doing nine to five (nine to five)

Living the gray flannel life

But when he turns off the sleep, memories creep,
More, more, more

Gichie gichie ya ya da da (da da da da uh)
Gichie gichie ya ya here (ohh)
Mocca chocolata ya ya (ooh)
Creole lady marmalade

Voulez-vous couché avec moi, ce soir (ce soir)
Voulez-vous couché avec moi (all my sisters yeah)




Voulez-vous couché avec moi, ce soir
Voulez-vous couché avec moi (ohh)

Overall Meaning

The Heathers's song Lady Marmalade begins with Lil Kim calling out to the soul sisters, asking to hear them flow, before the song jumps into the main storyline of a man meeting a woman named Marmalade in Moulin Rouge. Marmalade confidently invites him to come with her, and they sing sensual lines to each other about gichie gichie ya ya, mocca choco la ta ya ya, and voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir. Delta Worl then joins in the flow, singing about the man sitting on Marmalade's boudoir, drinking wine, and starting to freak out on her black satin sheets.


Then Pink, Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Lil Kim come in with their own unique flows, portraying themselves as independent women who know what they want and how to get it, all while drinking wine and wearing diamonds. They invite the listener to join them in chanting "gichie gichie ya ya" and "creole lady marmalade" in the chorus, before finishing the song with a final urge to "couché" with them.


The song's lyrics revolve around sensuality, power, and confidence, as well as a desire for validation and pleasure. It alludes to the famous Moulin Rouge, a famous cabaret and nightclub in Paris in the early 20th century known for its risqué performances and loose morals. The song has become an iconic pop culture reference and has been covered by numerous artists in various different styles.


Line by Line Meaning

Where's all my soul heathers
Calling out to all the soulful and talented Heathers out there


Lemme hear ya flow heathers
Asking the Heathers to showcase their unique artistic expression


He met marmalade down in old moulin rouge Strutting her stuff on the street She said: Hello, big boy You wanna give it a go, oh
He encountered Marmalade while she was confidently showcasing herself, and she invited him to engage in a physical relationship


Gichie gichie ya ya da da (hey hey hey) Gichie gichie ya ya here (hee oh) Mocca choco la ta ya ya (ooh yeah) Creole lady marmalade (ohh)
Vocalizing in a way that highlights physical pleasure and sensuality associated with Marmalade's Creole heritage and persona


Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir (oh oh) Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Asking the listener if they want to have sex with the singer tonight


He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up Boy drank all that magnolia wine On her black satin sheets It's where he started to freak, yeah
He waited for her in her bedroom and got drunk on her wine while feeling the excitement build up


Yeah, yeah, aw We come through with the money and the garter belts Let 'em know we 'bout that cake, straight out the gate, uh We independent women, some mistake us for whores I'm saying, why spend mine when I can spend yours Disagree, well that's you and I'm sorry I'ma keep playing these cats out like atari Wear ideal shoes, gettin' love from the dudes Four bad ass chicks from the moulin rouge Hey sister, soul sister Betta get that dough sisters We drink wine with the diamonds in the glass By the case, the meaning of expensive taste You wanna gichie gichie ya ya (come on) Mocca choco la ta (what) Creole lady marmalade (One more time now, come on)
Asserting independence and financial power as women who are sometimes perceived as prostitutes, and emphasizing their expensive lifestyle and taste while highlighting their unity as artists at Moulin Rouge


Touch of her skin feeling silky smooth, hey Colour of cafe au lait, alright Made the savage beast inside Roar until he cried: More, more, more Now he's back home doing nine to five (nine to five) Living the gray flannel life But when he turns off the sleep, memories creep, More, more, more
Recalling the intense physical experience with Marmalade and the longing for more, even though he has now returned to a mundane lifestyle


Marmalade (ooh) Lady marmalade (hee yeah yeah) Marmalade (no oh oh yeah)
Repeating the name Marmalade in a sensual manner


Voulez-vous couché avec moi, ce soir (ce soir) Voulez-vous couché avec moi (all my sisters yeah) Voulez-vous couché avec moi, ce soir Voulez-vous couché avec moi (ohh)
Reiterating the invitation for sex with the singer and including a shout out to all the women who identify with the message of the song




Contributed by Luke R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

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Uncle Sam

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rainbow child

same

wves

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wves

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