Bustin' Out (On Funk) – English Lyrics

• By: Rick James
• Album: The Definitive Collection

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the infectious groove of Rick James's "Bustin' Out (On Funk)" and unlock the vibrant language of funk. This song offers a powerful vocabulary of liberation and defiance, allowing you to explore expressions of rebellion and joy through its energetic rhythms and bold lyrical declarations. Learn how Rick James crafted a unique musical identity and challenged expectations, making this track a perfect entry point into understanding the genre's rich cultural impact.

[English]

Well, alright you squares, it's time we smoked

Fire up this funk and let's have a talk

It'll make you dance and some of everything

Everybody get high, sing

Bustin' out

Bustin' out (sing)

Bustin' out

Bustin' out

Bustin' out

We're bustin' out of this L-Seven square

Freaks like you and I could never funk from there

We're bustin' out, everybody come along

We're gonna dance on the funk and make love on this song (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out and if everyone agrees

Put your hands in the air and sing along with me (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on the funk (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on some serious funk, y'all (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on the funk (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on some serious funk, y'all (bustin' out)

...

Bustin' out (sing it again)

Bustin' out (sing it, sing it, sing it, well)

Bustin' out

Bustin' out

We're bustin' out of this serious joint

It was too square for me, do you get my point

We're bustin' out and we're free from the square

We done braided our hair, we don't mind if you stare (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out and we don't give a damn

If you don't like our funky then take your stuff and scram (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on the funk (bustin' out}

We're bustin' out on some serious funk, y'all (bustin' out}

We're bustin' out on the funk

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La dee da, la dee da, la dee da da da

La da da da

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

Bustin' out

We're bustin out, we couldn't wait (we couldn't wait) (bustin' out)

L-Seven just predict we're too damn straight (bustin' out)

Now that we're free to communicate

And we're all a little stoned and we freak when we're at home

And for me, I only freak when I'm bustin' out (one more time)

And we're all a little stoned and we freak when we're at home

And for me, I only freak when I'm bustin' (so take that) (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on the funk (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on some serious funk (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on the funk (sing it, sing it) (bustin' out)

We're bustin' out on some serious funk

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

We're bustin' out on the funk

(Oh, Lord, bustin' out) We're bustin' out on some serious funk

We're bustin' out on the funk (get funky)

We're bustin' out on some serious funk (get funky)

We're bustin' out on the funk (funky)

We're bustin' out on some serious funk (get funky)

We're bustin' out on the funk (dig it baby and get funky)

(Knock'em down) We're bustin' out on some serious funk (get funky)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
smoke /smoʊk/ A2	verb - to inhale and exhale the smoke of burning tobacco or a drug.
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A2	verb - to discharge a firearm or explosive. noun - combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.
funk /fʌŋk/ B2	noun - a genre of music characterized by a strong rhythmic groove and often featuring syncopated bass lines and percussive instrumentation. verb - to perform or dance to funk music.
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps.
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice.
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection for someone.
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb.
air /eər/ A1	noun - the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.
serious /ˈsɪəriəs/ B1	adjective - demanding or characterized by careful thought or consideration.
joint /dʒɔɪnt/ B2	noun - a place where two or more bones are fitted together in the body. noun - (slang) a place of business or entertainment, especially one of disreputable character.
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not under the control or power of someone else; able to act or be done as one wishes.
hair /heər/ A1	noun - any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans or animals.
mind /maɪnd/ A2	verb - be annoyed or disturbed by something.
damn /dæm/ B2	verb - condemn (someone) to eternal punishment in hell. interjection - used to express anger, frustration, or disappointment.
stuff /stʌf/ A2	noun - matter, material, articles, or activities of a specified or indeterminate kind that are being referred to.
wait /weɪt/ A1	verb - stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or event.
communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ B1	verb - share or exchange information, news, or ideas.
stoned /stoʊnd/ B2	adjective - under the influence of drugs, especially marijuana.
freak /friːk/ B2	verb - behave in a wild and irrational way.

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, alright you squares, it's time we smoked

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Slightly Archaic)

  ➔ The phrase "it's time we smoked" uses the subjunctive mood. It expresses that it is time for an action to occur, even though it might not be happening yet. The structure is "it's time + subject + past simple verb" to suggest an action is overdue. Modern English might prefer "it's time for us to smoke."

• Freaks like you and I could never funk from there

  ➔ Subject Pronoun vs. Object Pronoun

  ➔ It should be "Freaks like you and *me* could never funk from there." "I" is a subject pronoun, while "me" is an object pronoun. In this sentence, "you and I/me" are part of the prepositional phrase "like you and I/me". Thus, the object pronoun "me" is required. A simple trick is to remove 'you and' to see if the remaining pronoun sounds correct: "like I" or "like me"? "Like me" is correct.

• We done braided our hair, we don't mind if you stare

  ➔ Non-standard Use of "done" as Auxiliary Verb

  ➔ "Done" is used here as an auxiliary verb, similar to "have," but in a non-standard way, common in African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The standard English equivalent would be "We *have* braided our hair." This usage emphasizes the completed action.

• If you don't like our funky then take your stuff and scram

  ➔ Ellipsis (Omission of words)

  ➔ The word "funk" is used as a noun here, but grammatically it could be argued that a noun is omitted from the phrase "our funky". We can infer that it actually means "our funky music" or "our funky style." The ellipsis adds a colloquial feel.