Sophistication
The Ritchie Family Lyrics


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(Who-who) who do you think you are-are, (who-who) looks like a superstar
I'm not too impressed about what I've seen, you're wastin' your precious time starin' at me
You try to look mysterious but it ain't no big deal
So one more time to tell you that it's got to be real

(Who-who) who drives a foreign car-ar, (who-who) who thinks that he's a star
(Who-who) who takes their game too far, who needs some sophistication
You wear-ear (funny clothes) funny clothes, but that's as far as it goes
Halter neck Gucci, can take your life so far
You're not half the man that you think you are

Tell me (who-who) who has an attitude
Tell me (who-who) who's wearin' lots of jewels
I want to know (who-who) who's sometimes very crude
Who needs some sophistication

Who came into see them when you're not away
Everytime you turn around (what-what-what)
What you think you see-ee (what you think you see)
Ahh, was a Vegas scene, no-oh, it really isn't there
(Who-who) Who's living in the past, I wanna know
(Who-who), who's moving much too fast, is it you
(Who-who) who needs to find some class, who needs some sophistication

I'm not hard to please but your act is so unreal
And I hope you don't mind hearin' about how I feel
Take a look in the mirror 'cause the mirror won't conceal
Somethin' ain't ri-ight, you don't want to reveal

Tell me (who-who), who's gonna be your friend
I Wanna know-ow (who-who) when all the good times end
(Who-who) who needs to look okay, who needs some sophistication





Ah tell me, (who-who) who has a lot to learn (is it you), (who-who) as far as I'm concerned
Tell me (who-who) who's gonna end up burned, who needs some sophistication

Overall Meaning

The Ritchie Family's "Sophistication" is an upbeat disco track that critiques those who try too hard to be cool, stylish and sophisticated. The song mocks those who drive foreign cars, wear designer clothes and lots of jewelry to create an air of mystery but without the actual substance to back it up. The lyrics of the chorus repeatedly ask "who needs some sophistication" in a rhetorical way, implying that the people being critiqued need not only to grow up and behave like adults but also to cultivate genuine confidence and self-awareness.


The song speaks of a general sense of disillusionment with fake sophistication and superficiality. The lyrics suggest that the people who engage in this behavior are not happy with themselves and are trying too hard to project an image of something they are not. The message is that true sophistication comes from within, and it involves having a strong sense of self and being comfortable with who you are. The song encourages people to look beyond the surface and to focus on developing their character and personal style in a way that is authentic and genuine.


Line by Line Meaning

(Who-who) who do you think you are-are, (who-who) looks like a superstar
You're not important to me and your attempts to seem impressive are not working.


I'm not too impressed about what I've seen, you're wastin' your precious time starin' at me
I'm not impressed with you, and you're wasting your time trying to impress me.


You try to look mysterious but it ain't no big deal
Your attempt to seem mysterious isn't impressive.


So one more time to tell you that it's got to be real
I'm telling you one more time that you need to be authentic.


(Who-who) who drives a foreign car-ar, (who-who) who thinks that he's a star
Who drives a fancy car and thinks they're a star?


(Who-who) who takes their game too far, who needs some sophistication
Who takes things too far and needs to be more sophisticated?


You wear-ear (funny clothes) funny clothes, but that's as far as it goes
You wear strange clothing, but that's the extent of your 'fanciness.'


Halter neck Gucci, can take your life so far
Wearing designer clothing will only get you so far in life.


You're not half the man that you think you are
You're not as impressive as you think you are.


Tell me (who-who) who has an attitude
Who has a bad attitude?


Tell me (who-who) who's wearin' lots of jewels
Who wears a lot of jewelry?


I want to know (who-who) who's sometimes very crude
I want to know who can be inappropriate at times.


Who needs some sophistication
Who needs to be more sophisticated?


Who came into see them when you're not away
Who visited while you were gone?


Everytime you turn around (what-what-what)
Whenever you look around...


What you think you see-ee (what you think you see)
What you think you're seeing...


Ahh, was a Vegas scene, no-oh, it really isn't there
It looked like a scene from Vegas, but it wasn't real.


(Who-who) Who's living in the past, I wanna know
Who's stuck in the past and not moving forward?


(Who-who), who's moving much too fast, is it you
Who's moving too quickly, is it you?


(Who-who) who needs to find some class, who needs some sophistication
Who needs to be more classy and sophisticated?


I'm not hard to please but your act is so unreal
I'm not difficult to make happy, but your behavior is fake.


And I hope you don't mind hearin' about how I feel
I hope you don't have a problem with me telling you how I feel.


Take a look in the mirror 'cause the mirror won't conceal
Take a good look at yourself, you can't hide behind the mirror.


Somethin' ain't ri-ight, you don't want to reveal
Something doesn't seem right, and you're hiding it.


Tell me (who-who), who's gonna be your friend
Who is going to be your friend?


I Wanna know-ow (who-who) when all the good times end
Who will be there when times get tough?


(Who-who) who needs to look okay, who needs some sophistication
Who needs to appear put-together and sophisticated?


Ah tell me, (who-who) who has a lot to learn (is it you), (who-who) as far as I'm concerned
Who has a lot to learn, in my opinion?


Tell me (who-who) who's gonna end up burned, who needs some sophistication
Who is going to have a negative outcome and needs to be more sophisticated?




Contributed by Natalie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

nick4alex

Disco classic...i LOVE this!!!!

Mad Max

1980 ;-)

Kari Kumpulainen

LOL =)

LISZTIZATION

WRONG PICTURE WITH THIS SONG - THIS CUT IS VERA BROWN'S LATER VERSION OF THE GROUP ........... VERA IS NOT IN THAT PICTURE, THE PICTURE IS AN EARLIER VERSION OF THE GROUP.......

Gary Miltin

Wrong picture for this song.

More Versions