Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine – English Lyrics

• By: James Brown, The Original J.B.s
• Album: Sex Machine

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and James Brown's "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine" offers a fantastic entry point into the world of English slang and the rhythmic call-and-response that is central to funk music. The song's simple, repetitive lyrics make it easy to follow along and pick up phrases related to energy, dancing, and empowerment. What makes this song special for learners is its raw, conversational style, which provides a glimpse into a more informal and expressive side of the English language, all while grooving to an iconic beat.

[English]

Fellas, I'm ready to get up and do my thing (yeah, go ahead)

I wanna get into it man, you know (go ahead)

Like a, like a sex machine, man (yeah, go ahead)

Movin' and doin' it, you know (yeah)

Can I count it off? (Go ahead)

One, two, three, four

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Stay on the scene (get on up)

Like a sex machine (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Stay on the scene (get on up)

Like a sex machine (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Stay on the scene (get on up)

Like a sex machine (get on up)

Wait a minute

Shake your arm and use your form

Stay on the scene, like a sex machine

You got to have the feeling

Sure as you're born

Get it together, right on, right on

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Ha

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

You said, you said you got

You said the feeling

You got to get-a

You give me the fever

And a cold sweat

The way I like, it is the way it is

I got mine, don't worry about his

Get up (get on up)

Stay on the scene (get on up)

Like a sex machine (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Bobby, should I take 'em to the bridge? (Go ahead)

Take 'em on to the bridge (take 'em to the bridge)

Can I take 'em to the bridge? (Yeah)

Take 'em to the bridge? (Go ahead)

Hit me now

Come on

Stay on the scene, like a sex machine

The way I like it, is the way it is

I got mine (dig it), he got his

Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine

Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine

Stay on the scene

I wanna count it off one more time now (go ahead)

You wanna hear it like it did on the top, fellas? (Yeah)

Hear it like it did on the top? (Yeah)

Hit it now

Get on up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get on up (get on up)

Stay on the scene (get on up)

Like a lovin' machine (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Taste (get on up)

Bein' (get on up)

Taste (get on up)

Bein' (get on up)

...

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Stay on the scene (get on up)

Like a sex machine (get on up)

You gotta have the feelin' (get on up)

Sure as you're born (get on up)

Get it together, right on, right on

Right on, right on, (right on, right on)

Right on, right on, (right on, right on)

Right on, right on, (right on, right on)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

And then, shake your moneymaker

Shake your moneymaker

Shake your moneymaker

Shake your moneymaker

Shake your moneymaker

Shake your moneymaker

Shake your moneymaker

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

...

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Get up (get on up)

Can we hit it like we did one more time, from the top?

Can we hit like that one more time? (One more time)

One more time

Let's hit it and quit (go ahead)

Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah)

Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah)

Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah)

Hit it

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
get /ɡet/ A1	verb - to receive or obtain something verb - to move to a specified place or into a specified state or situation.
up /ʌp/ A1	adverb - toward a higher place or position verb - to increase
machine /məˈʃiːn/ A2	noun - an apparatus using mechanical power and having parts each with a definite function and together performing a particular task.
sex /seks/ B1	noun - sexual activity, including specifically sexual intercourse.
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to.
move /muːv/ A1	verb - go in a specified direction or manner; change position.
scene /siːn/ B1	noun - the place where an incident in real life or fiction occurs or occurred.
shake /ʃeɪk/ A2	verb - move (something) with quick, short movements, up and down or from side to side.
form /fɔːrm/ B1	noun - the visible shape or configuration of something.
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ B1	noun - an emotional state or reaction.
born /bɔːrn/ A2	verb - having started life
fever /ˈfiːvər/ B1	noun - an abnormally high body temperature, usually accompanied by shivering, headache, and in severe instances, delirium.
sweat /swet/ B1	noun - moisture exuded through the pores of the skin, typically as a result of heat or exertion.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection.
taste /teɪst/ A2	noun - the sensation of flavor perceived in the mouth and throat on contact with a substance.

Key Grammar Structures

• Fellas, I'm ready to get up and do my thing

  ➔ Present Simple (be ready) + Infinitive of Purpose (to get up and do)

  ➔ Use of the present simple "I'm ready" to state a current state of readiness. The infinitive phrase "to get up and do my thing" expresses the purpose or intention.

• Like a, like a sex machine, man

  ➔ Simile using "like"

  ➔ Comparing oneself to a sex machine using "like" to create a vivid image. It is figurative language.

• Can I count it off?

  ➔ Modal verb "Can" for permission

  ➔ "Can" is used to ask for permission to start counting off the beat. It implies seeking agreement or authorization.

• Shake your arm and use your form

  ➔ Imperative mood (Shake, Use)

  ➔ "Shake" and "Use" are imperative verbs used to give instructions or commands, encouraging movement and style.

• Sure as you're born

  ➔ Idiomatic expression (as sure as)

  ➔ Meaning 'certainly' or 'without a doubt', "sure as you're born" is an intensifier.

• You got to have the feeling

  ➔ Semi-modal verb "got to" expressing obligation or necessity.

  ➔ "Got to" is an informal way of saying "have to", indicating a requirement to possess the feeling described.

• Bobby, should I take 'em to the bridge?

  ➔ Modal verb "should" for suggestion or asking for advice

  ➔ "Should" is used to ask for guidance or permission to proceed with a specific musical section (the bridge).

• Can we hit it like we did one more time, from the top?

  ➔ Past Simple (did) in a relative clause, Modal verb (Can)

  ➔ The use of the past simple "did" in the relative clause describes an action that happened previously. "Can" seeks permission to repeat the section.