Sykes is known for her blunt observations on current events, the difference between the sexes and races, and life in general. Much of her humor comes from her delivery, and timing. An example of her humor is her comparison between white-collar corporate thieves and muggers in bad neighborhoods: "You get mugged, you might lose what you got on that DAY. But I ain't never been mugged of my FUTURE."
Sykes began her standup career in 1987 when she entered a Washington D.C.-area talent competition. Although she lost, she discovered her passion for comedy. She continued to hone her talents at local venues while working as a procurement officer at the National Security Agency (NSA). In 1992 she left NSA and moved to New York. Her first big break came when she opened for Chris Rock at Caroline's Comedy Club. In 1997 she joined the writing team on The Chris Rock Show. The writing team was nominated for four Emmys -- they won one in 1999. Since that time, she has appeared in such films as Pootie Tang and on TV shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2003, she starred in her own, short-lived Fox network sitcom, Wanda at Large. The same year, Sykes appeared in an hour-long comedy special, Tongue Untied, that aired on Comedy Central. That network also ranked her #70 on its list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. She has also served as a correspondent for HBO's Inside the NFL, has hosted Comedy Central's popular show Premium Blend, and provides the voice for a recurring character named Gladys on Comedy Central's puppet show Crank Yankers. She had a short-lived show on Comedy Central called "Wanda Does It", where she takes various careers and tries them out herself. She frequently winds up choosing what career she'll try out after chewing someone out in an over-the-top fashion who does the particular job.
In addition to film and television work, Sykes is also an author. She wrote Yeah, I Said It, a book of humorous observations on various topics, which was published in September 2004.
2006 was busy year for Sykes. She starred in a recurring role on the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. She also provided voices for the 2006 films Over the Hedge, Barnyard and Brother Bear 2. She played a role in My Super Ex-Girlfriend and is currently scheduled to play a part in Evan Almighty, the follow up to Jim Carrey's hit Bruce Almighty. Sykes' first HBO Comedy Special, titled "Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired", premiered at 10:00 PM EST on October 14th, 2006. Sykes also toured college campuses, of which included the liberal arts institution Swarthmore College.
Wanda is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
Actress
Evan Almighty (2007)
Clerks II (2006)
My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006) (TV)
Brother Bear 2 (2006) (voice)
Barnyard (2006) (voice)
Over the Hedge (2006) (voice)
The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (2006) (voice)
Monster-in-Law (2005)
Wanda Does It (2004) (TV)
Wanda at Large (2003) (TV); also producer
Premium Blend (1997) (TV) .... Host (2002)
Crank Yankers (2002) (TV) (voice)
The Downer Channel (2001) (TV)
Pootie Tang (2001)
Down to Earth (2001)
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
Best of Chris Rock (1999) (TV)
Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm (1999) (TV)
Tomorrow Night (1999)
The Chris Rock Show (1997) (TV)
The Drew Carey Show (1995) (TV)
[edit] Writer
Wanda at Large (2003) (TV)
The 74th Annual Academy Awards Show (2002) (TV)
Best of Chris Rock: Volume 2 (2001)
The Downer Channel (2001) (TV)
The Chris Rock Show (1997) (TV)
The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show (1997) (TV)
Table Dance
Wanda Sykes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And right now Deja Vu
It's time for the Deja Vu
One for two
Buy one, get two table dances
Now you know what to do
Fellas, here come the ladies
Here come the ladies
Hey baby, hey baby
Hey light-skinned
Light-skinned, light-skinned sister
Won't you come here
Come on over here
And give a brotha
Give a brotha a dance
Uh, I already got a customer
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Dark-skinned sister, dark-skinned sister
Why don't ya come here, come 'er here give a brotha a dance
Come on give a brotha a dance, come give a brotha a dance
My shift is over
Well why don't you work some overtime then?
Shit
Okay, I understand ya shit
Hey baby, come here, come here
Won't ya give a brotha a dance
Come here, come here
Come here, cornrowed sister
Cornrowed sister, give a brotha a dance
Give a brotha a dance
I'm a waitress
Oh okay, okay
Damn!
What am I glass?
I think I'll sing
Ladies of Deja Vu
What must I do to get with you?
I got a role of twenties buried in my pants
So here's one little question that I'd like to ask
Can a nigga get a table dance?
Shake it up! Shake it up! Woo! Shake that thang
Can a nigga get a table dance?
Shake it up! Shake it up! Woo! Shake that thang
Can a nigga get a table dance?
Shake it up! Shake it up! Woo! Shake that thang
Can a nigga get a table dance?
Shake it up! Shake it up! Woo! Shake that thang
I been workin' all week, for the money I got
Lookin' for a place to bend this nut
In attendin' in my Benzo
Lookin' for a place to find some mackin' hoes
But that shit don't thrill me
So I head to the mad city to get on, G
I don't dance just start fun
I'm lookin' for a place that gonna move some
Know what I'm sayin'? Know what I'm talkin' about?
The type of bitch that turn the party out
I met a bitch named Dynasty
With so much back, she made a blind man see
What's really happenin'?
Too many clothes, not enough booty slappin'
Now I don't need romance, all I need to know is
Can a nigga get a table dance?
Shake it up! Shake it up! Woo! Shake that thang
Can a nigga get a table dance?
Shake it up! Shake it up! Woo! Shake that thang
I'll give you a table dance
But you're white
And you're cute
This is a great table dance
Hey, you like that?
I love it!
This table dance makes me wanna
Makes me wanna sing
The lyrics of Wanda Sykes's song Table Dance are a commentary on the strip club industry and the objectification of women. The song is divided into two parts; the first part features a male announcer urging customers to take advantage of the club's bargain deal for table dances. In the second part, a female stripper named Dynasty catches the attention of the singer, who becomes infatuated with her. The singer then sings about his desire for a table dance from Dynasty, emphasizing her physical attributes.
The lyrics highlight the commodification of women's bodies and the transactional nature of the strip club industry. The male announcer treats the dancers as objects that can be purchased, promoting the "buy one, get two table dances" deal. Meanwhile, the singer's fixation on Dynasty's body reduces her to a sexual object to be consumed. The song critiques the dehumanization of women in strip clubs and calls for a more equitable treatment of women.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright, fellas that was Ashley on the main stage
The previous dancer has finished her set and it's time for a new dancer to perform.
And right now Deja Vu
The name of the strip club in which the song is set is Deja Vu.
It's time for the Deja Vu
It's time for the strip club to present a new dancer.
One for two
The strip club is offering a promotion in which customers can get two table dances for the price of one.
Buy one, get two table dances
The promotion at the strip club is buy one table dance and get two more for free.
Now you know what to do
The singer is encouraging the customers to take advantage of the promotion and get table dances.
Fellas, here come the ladies
The female dancers are about to come out to perform.
Hey baby, hey baby
The artist is addressing a male customer.
Hey light-skinned
The artist is addressing a light-skinned female customer.
Light-skinned, light-skinned sister
The artist is addressing a light-skinned female customer.
Won't you come here
The singer is inviting the female customer to come closer.
Come on over here
The artist is urging the female customer to come closer.
And give a brotha
The singer is asking the female customer to give him a table dance.
Give a brotha a dance
The singer is asking the female customer to give him a table dance.
Uh, I already got a customer
The female customer is unable to give the singer a dance as she already has a customer.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
The artist is addressing a new female customer.
Dark-skinned sister, dark-skinned sister
The artist is addressing a dark-skinned female customer.
Why don't ya come here, come 'er here give a brotha a dance
The singer is asking the female customer to come closer and give him a table dance.
Come on give a brotha a dance, come give a brotha a dance
The singer is urging the female customer to give him a table dance.
My shift is over
The female customer is unable to give the artist a dance as her shift is over.
Well why don't you work some overtime then?
The artist is suggesting that the female customer should work some overtime and give him a dance.
Shit
The artist acknowledges that it's not possible for the female customer to work overtime.
Okay, I understand ya shit
The singer understands and accepts that the female customer is unable to give him a dance.
Hey baby, come here, come here
The artist is addressing a male customer.
Won't ya give a brotha a dance
The singer is asking the male customer to give him a table dance.
Come here, come here
The singer is urging the male customer to come closer.
Come here, cornrowed sister
The singer is addressing a female customer who has cornrows.
Cornrowed sister, give a brotha a dance
The artist is asking the female customer to give him a table dance.
Give a brotha a dance
The artist is asking the female customer to give him a table dance.
I'm a waitress
The female customer is unable to give the singer a dance as she is a waitress.
Oh okay, okay
The singer understands and accepts that the female customer is unable to give him a dance.
Damn!
The artist is expressing frustration about not being able to get a table dance.
What am I glass?
The artist is asking what his problem is.
I think I'll sing
The artist decides to sing about his desire to get a table dance.
Ladies of Deja Vu
The singer is addressing the female dancers.
What must I do to get with you?
The artist is asking the female dancers what he needs to do to get them to give him a table dance.
I got a role of twenties buried in my pants
The singer is offering money for a table dance.
So here's one little question that I'd like to ask
The singer thinks that the only thing he needs to do to get a table dance is to ask for it.
Can a nigga get a table dance?
The singer is asking the female dancers if he can get a table dance.
Shake it up! Shake it up! Woo! Shake that thang
The artist is encouraging the female dancers to shake their bodies.
I been workin' all week, for the money I got
The artist has been working hard all week to earn money.
Lookin' for a place to bend this nut
The singer is looking for a place to spend his money.
In attendin' in my Benzo
The singer arrived in his expensive car to spend money at the strip club.
Lookin' for a place to find some mackin' hoes
The artist is looking for a place to find attractive women.
But that shit don't thrill me
The artist is not satisfied with the women he has found so far.
So I head to the mad city to get on, G
The artist goes to the strip club to find more attractive women.
I don't dance just start fun
The singer is not interested in dancing, he just wants to have fun.
I'm lookin' for a place that gonna move some
The artist is looking for a strip club with lively and attractive dancers.
Know what I'm sayin'? Know what I'm talkin' about?
The singer is asking if the listener understands.
The type of bitch that turn the party out
The singer is looking for a dancer who can make the party more exciting.
I met a bitch named Dynasty
The singer met a female dancer named Dynasty.
With so much back, she made a blind man see
Dynasty has a very attractive body.
What's really happenin'?
The artist is asking what is happening or going on.
Too many clothes, not enough booty slappin'
The singer is not satisfied with the dancers' clothing and wants more physical interaction.
Now I don't need romance, all I need to know is
The singer is not interested in romantic relationships, he just wants a table dance.
This is a great table dance
The artist is enjoying the table dance he is receiving.
Hey, you like that?
The artist is asking the listener if they enjoy the table dance.
I love it!
The listener is expressing their enjoyment of the table dance.
This table dance makes me wanna
The singer is feeling aroused by the table dance and wants to do something as a result.
Makes me wanna sing
The artist wants to express his feelings by singing.
Lyrics © CLARKJAY PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Written by: DONALD K. NEWKIRK, PAUL E. HUSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind