Brick House – English Lyrics

• By: Commodores
• Album: Anthology: The Commodores

Lyrics & Translation

"Brick House" by The Commodores is an iconic funk and soul track from 1977, bursting with infectious energy and a celebration of confidence. Through its vibrant lyrics and undeniable groove, learners can explore everyday English expressions related to admiration and physical descriptions in a fun, upbeat context. The song's catchy chorus and call-and-response elements make it particularly engaging for understanding natural conversational rhythms and colloquialisms, offering a unique window into 70s American culture and language.

[English]

Uh, she's a brick house

She's mighty, mighty

Just lettin' it all hang out

And she's a brick house

I like lady's stacked, that's a fact

Ain't holding nothing back

Uh, she's a brick house

Well we're together, everybody knows

This is how the story goes

She knows she's got everything

That a woman needs to get a man, yeah, yeah

How can she lose with the stuff she use

36-24-36, what a winning hand

'Cause she's a brick house

She's mighty, mighty

And just lettin' it all hang out

And she's a brick house

Oh, I like lady's stacked, that's a fact

Ain't holding nothing back

Uh, she's a brick house

Yeah she's the one, the only one

Built like an Amazon

The clothes she wears, her sexy ways

Make an old man wish for younger days, yeah, yeah

She knows she's built and knows how to please

Sure enough to knock a stone man to his knees

'Causeshe's a brick house

Yeah, she's mighty, mighty

Just lettin' it all hang out

She's a brick house

I like lady's stacked and that's a fact

Ain't holding nothing back, uh

Shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down down

Shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down

Brick house

Yeah she's mighty, mighty

And just lettin' it all hang out

Uh, brick house

Yeah she's the one, the only one

Built like an Amazon, yeah

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it, shake it

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down now

Shake it down, shake it down, shake it

Uh, a brick house

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
house /haʊs/ A1	noun - a building for human habitation
mighty /ˈmaɪti/ B2	adjective - possessing great power or strength
hang /hæŋ/ A2	verb - to suspend or be suspended from above
lady /ˈleɪdi/ A1	noun - a woman
stacked /stækt/ B2	adjective - having a full figure
fact /fækt/ A2	noun - a thing that is known or proved to be true
story /ˈstɔːri/ A1	noun - an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being
winning /ˈwɪnɪŋ/ B1	adjective - resulting in victory
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist
built /bɪlt/ A2	verb - past tense of build, to construct (something) by putting parts or materials together
amazon /ˈæməzɒn/ B2	noun - a tall, strong, and aggressive woman
clothes /kloʊz/ A1	noun - items worn to cover the body
sexy /ˈseksi/ B1	adjective - sexually attractive or arousing
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time
younger /ˈjʌŋɡər/ A1	adjective - comparative of young; having lived or existed for only a short time
stone /stoʊn/ A1	noun - rock
knees /niːz/ A1	noun - the joint between the thigh and the lower leg in humans
shake /ʃeɪk/ A2	verb - to move with quick, short movements

Key Grammar Structures

• She's mighty, mighty

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis

  ➔ The word "mighty" is repeated to emphasize the woman's strength and impressive physique. This is a common stylistic device in music.

• Just lettin' it all hang out

  ➔ Gerund with omitted 'g' + Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ "Lettin'" is a colloquial form of "letting", where the 'g' is omitted. "Let it all hang out" is an idiom meaning to be uninhibited, relaxed, and confident in oneself.

• I like lady's stacked, that's a fact

  ➔ Possessive 's' + Slang + Short sentence for emphasis

  ➔ "Lady's stacked" uses the possessive 's' incorrectly, but it's a slang expression meaning a woman with a curvy figure. "That's a fact" is a short, declarative sentence used for emphasis.

• Ain't holding nothing back

  ➔ Double Negative (non-standard)

  ➔ "Ain't" is a non-standard contraction for "am not", "is not", or "are not". The phrase "ain't holding nothing back" is a double negative. In standard English, it should be "isn't holding anything back" or "is holding nothing back". The double negative is used here for emphasis and to create a casual, informal tone.

• She knows she's got everything

  ➔ Embedded Clause with 'that' omission

  ➔ The sentence "She knows she's got everything" is a complex sentence. "She's got everything" is a clause embedded within the main clause "She knows". The word "that" is omitted before the embedded clause, which is common in spoken and informal English. The full sentence would be "She knows *that* she's got everything".

• How can she lose with the stuff she use

  ➔ Rhetorical Question

  ➔ This is a rhetorical question. The speaker isn't expecting an answer; they are making a statement about the woman's advantages. The question implies that she is certain to succeed because of what she possesses.

• Make an old man wish for younger days

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Implicit)

  ➔ The phrase implies a hypothetical situation. It suggests that the woman's sexiness is so powerful that it makes an old man want things to be different (i.e., to be younger). The subjunctive mood is used (though often implicitly) to express wishes, desires, or hypothetical situations. Here, it's as if the complete phrase is "...make an old man *wish he had* younger days."

• Shake it down, shake it down now

  ➔ Imperative Mood + Adverb 'now' for emphasis

  ➔ "Shake it down" is in the imperative mood, giving a direct command or instruction. The word "now" is added to emphasize the immediacy and urgency of the command.