Funky Kingston – English Lyrics

• By: Toots & The Maytals
• Album: Funky Kingston

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Jamaican music with Toots & The Maytals' iconic hit "Funky Kingston." This high-energy track is a perfect introduction to the reggae genre, allowing you to experience its infectious rhythms and the soulful power of Toots Hibbert's vocals. Learning this song can help you grasp the unique phrasing and cultural nuances of Jamaican Patois embedded within its lively lyrics, making your language learning journey both fun and authentic. What makes it special is its ability to seamlessly blend reggae, funk, and soul, creating a sound that's both deeply rooted in Jamaican culture and universally uplifting.

[English]

Everybody, give it to me!

...

Hey, hey, hey!

...

All right, oh yeah!

Hey, hey, hey!

All right now, now give it to me!

I want you to believe every word I say

I want you to believe every thing I do

I said music is what I've got to give

And I've got to find some way to make it

Music is what I've got baby

I want you to come on and shake it, shake it

Shake it shake it baby!

Oh yeah, hey!

...

Funky, funky, funky!

Funky Kingston is what I've got for you, oh yeah

Funky Kingston, yeah, is what I've got for you

Funky Kingston

Oh yeah!

...

Lemme hear your funky guitar...

Yo reggae...

...

Hear the piano, lick it to me... lick it to me

Oh yeah, oh now, oh yeah!

...

Watch me now, you watch me now! All right!

Playing from east to west, now

I just play from north to south, yeah!

All over America

People keep on asking me for Funky Kingston

But I ain't got none

Someone take it away from me

You gotta go and fetch one

Funky Kingston now!

They keep on asking me

But I ain't got none

Somebody take it from me

You gotta go and fetch one

Funky Kingston now!

Funky Kingston now!

Funky Kingston now!

Oh Lord!

...

East to west, now

From north to south, now!

All over America

People keep on asking me for Funky Kingston

But I ain't got none

Somebody take it away from me

You gotta go and fetch you one

I ain't got none

Funky Kingston now!

Somebody take it away from me

You gotta go and fetch yourself one

Funky Kingston now!

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
give /ɡɪv/ A1	verb - to freely transfer the possession of something to someone
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to have a desire to possess or do (something)
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of
say /seɪ/ A1	verb - to utter words
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - discover or perceive unexpectedly or while looking for something
shake /ʃeɪk/ B1	verb - to move (something) with quick, short movements
funky /ˈfʌŋki/ B2	adjective - having or using qualities (such as a strong rhythmic element) considered characteristic of funk
guitar /ɡɪˈtɑːr/ A1	noun - a stringed musical instrument with a neck and a flat soundbox
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)
piano /piˈænoʊ/ A1	noun - a large keyboard musical instrument with strings struck by hammers
lick /lɪk/ B2	verb - pass the tongue over (something) so as to taste, moisten, or clean it noun - (in popular music) a short series of notes, typically forming part of a solo.
watch /wɒtʃ/ A1	verb - look at attentively over a period of time
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
east /iːst/ A1	noun - the direction toward the point of the horizon where the sun rises at the equinoxes
west /west/ A1	noun - the direction toward the point of the horizon where the sun sets at the equinoxes
north /nɔːrθ/ A1	noun - the direction toward the point of the horizon 90° clockwise from east
south /saʊθ/ A1	noun - the direction toward the point of the horizon 180° clockwise from north
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively
take /teɪk/ A1	verb - lay hold of (something) with one's hands; reach for and hold
fetch /fetʃ/ B1	verb - go for and then bring back (someone or something) for someone

Key Grammar Structures

• I want you to believe every word I say

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Implied)

  ➔ While not explicitly using the subjunctive, the sentence expresses a desire or wish. A more formal version could be 'I want that you should believe every word I say', though less common. Here 'want' is followed by an object pronoun 'you' and an infinitive phrase 'to believe'.

• Music is what I've got to give

  ➔ Relative Clause with "what"

  ➔ "What" functions as a relative pronoun introducing a clause that acts as the object of the verb 'is'. The clause 'what I've got to give' is equivalent to 'the thing that I have to give'.

• And I've got to find some way to make it

  ➔ Modal Verb "got to" expressing obligation or necessity

  ➔ "Got to" is an informal equivalent of "have to" or "must", indicating a requirement or obligation. The speaker feels compelled to find a way to share their music.

• I want you to come on and shake it, shake it

  ➔ Imperative + Infinitive

  ➔ The sentence uses the pattern "want + object + to + verb" where the object is "you" and the infinitive is "to come on and shake it". "Come on" is a phrasal verb used to encourage someone, while "shake it" is an imperative.

• Funky Kingston is what I've got for you, oh yeah

  ➔ Cleft Sentence with "what"

  ➔ This sentence is a cleft sentence, used to emphasize a particular piece of information. The structure "is what" highlights "Funky Kingston" as the thing the speaker has for the listener. A non-cleft version would be "I've got Funky Kingston for you".

• Somebody take it away from me

  ➔ Imperative sentence with an indefinite pronoun

  ➔ This is a command (imperative) directed at an unspecified person (somebody). The phrase "take it away from me" implies the speaker wants to be relieved of something, in this case, seemingly 'Funky Kingston' itself or the demand for it.