Back It Up – English Lyrics

• By: Caro Emerald
• Album: Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor

Lyrics & Translation

Discover Caro Emerald's breakout hit "Back It Up," a vibrant fusion of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop influences. Explore the song's narrative, set in a lively New Orleans bar, and learn how its catchy rhythm and confident message made it an international sensation. A perfect track to improve your English vocabulary through music!

[English]

I Can't stop shakin'

The room has a groove and the floor

It's almost earthquakin'

Uhuh

Look what we're makin'

History out on the floor

And it's just awakin'

Uhuh

So get that needle in the core

Scratch that back and gimme more

You know 'xactly what I came here for

Back it up and do it again

From the middle to the top to the end

Ba dlu dla dlun dloday

Ba dlu dla dlun dloday

Back to the middle to the front to the end

Za dlu dla dlun dloday

Everybody ba dlun dloday

I don't care if he's a friend

From the front to the middle to the back to the end

I wanna

Back, back, back, back it up

Back it up and do it again

...

Gimme some of that funky

The kind that the Duke used to play

And make it more swingy

Heyey

And then give me some hornay

You know the bub-pu-pa bub-pu-pa-bay

Come on, give it to me

Hmmm hmmm

Slam that bass and make it sing

Give those strings that rip 'n zing

You know 'xactly what I came here for

Back it up and do it again

From the middle to the top to the end

Ba dlu dla dlun dloday

Ba dlu dla dlun dloday

Back to the middle to the front to the end

Za dlu dla dlun dloday

Everybody ba dlun dloday

I don't care if he's a friend

From the front to the middle to the back to the end

So get that needle in the core

...

Scratch that back and gimme more

You know zactly what I came here for

Back it up and do it again

From the middle to the top to the end

Ba dlu dla dlun dloday

Ba dlu dla dlun dloday

Back to the middle to the front to the end

Za dlu dla dlun dloday

Everybody ba dlun dloday

I don't care if he's a friend

From the front to the middle to the back to the end

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stop /stɒp/ A2	verb - to cease movement or action
groove /ɡruːv/ B2	noun - a rhythmic pattern in music or a feeling of ease
earthquake /ˈɜːrθˌkweɪk/ C1	noun - a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement within the earth's crust
knock /nɒk/ A2	verb - to strike a surface, typically with a quick, sharp blow
push /pʊʃ/ A1	verb - to apply force to move something away from oneself
shine /ʃaɪn/ B1	verb - to emit light or be bright
swing /swɪŋ/ B2	verb - to move back and forth or side to side
give /ɡɪv/ A1	verb - to transfer possession to someone else
sing /sɪŋ/ A2	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
rip /rɪp/ B2	verb - to tear apart forcefully

Key Grammar Structures

• I Can't stop shakin'

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "I can't stop shakin'" uses the present continuous tense to describe an ongoing action.

• Look what we're makin'

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "Look what we're makin'" also uses the present continuous tense to indicate an action that is currently happening.

• You know 'xactly what I came here for

  ➔ Informal contraction

  ➔ The word 'xactly is an informal contraction of 'exactly', which is common in spoken English.

• Back it up and do it again

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase "Back it up and do it again" uses the imperative mood to give a command or instruction.

• Gimme some of that funky

  ➔ Informal language

  ➔ The phrase "Gimme some of that funky" uses informal language, where 'gimme' is a contraction of 'give me'.

• Slam that bass and make it sing

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase "Slam that bass and make it sing" is another example of the imperative mood, giving commands.

• I don't care if he's a friend

  ➔ Conditional clause

  ➔ The phrase "I don't care if he's a friend" includes a conditional clause that expresses a condition.