Word Up – English Lyrics

• By: Cameo

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a fun and engaging experience, and what better way to do it than through the infectious grooves of Cameo's 'Word Up!'? This 80s funk anthem is not just a great dance track; it's a window into the slang and culture of its time. By listening to 'Word Up!', you can pick up on the popular urban colloquialism of the era and get a feel for the energetic and expressive nature of African American Vernacular English. The song's simple and repetitive lyrics make it easy to follow along and sing, helping you to improve your pronunciation and rhythm. Let the funky basslines and catchy chorus of 'Word Up!' be your guide to a more vibrant and musical way of learning English.

[English]

(CROWD CHATTERING)

- CAMEO.

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP.

WE'VE GOT THE PLACE SURROUNDED.

(CROWD BOOING)

(HIP HOP MUSIC)

♪ OH ♪

♪ YO PRETTY LADIES AROUND THE WORLD ♪

♪ GOT A WEIRD THING TO SHOW YOU ♪

♪ SO TELL ALL THE BOYS AND GIRLS ♪

♪ TELL YOUR BROTHER, YOUR SISTER ♪

♪ AND MAMA TOO ♪

♪ 'CAUSE THEY'RE ABOUT TO GO DOWN ♪

♪ AND YOU'LL KNOW JUST WHAT TO DO ♪

♪ WAVE YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR ♪

♪ LIKE YOU DON'T CARE ♪

♪ GLIDE BY THE PEOPLE AS THEY START TO LOOK AND STARE ♪

♪ DO YOU DANCE, DO YOUR DANCE ♪

♪ DO YOUR DANCE QUICK ♪

♪ MAMA ♪

♪ COME ON BABY, TELL ME WHAT'S THE WORD ♪

♪ WORD UP ♪

♪ EVERYBODY SAY ♪

♪ WHEN YOU HEAR THE CALL ♪

♪ YOU'VE GOT TO GET IT UNDERWAY ♪

♪ WORD UP ♪

♪ IT'S THE CODE WORD ♪

♪ NO MATTER WHERE YOU SAY IT ♪

♪ YOU'LL KNOW THAT YOU'LL BE HEARD ♪

♪ NOW ALL YOU SUCKER DJS ♪

♪ WHO THINK YOU'RE FLY ♪

♪ THERE'S GOT TO BE A REASON ♪

♪ AND WE KNOW THE REASON WHY ♪

♪ YOU TRY TO PUT ON THOSE AIRS AND ACT REAL COOL ♪

♪ BUT YOU'VE GOT TO REALIZE ♪

♪ THAT YOU'RE ACTING LIKE FOOLS ♪

♪ GIVE US MUSIC, WE CAN USE IT ♪

♪ WE NEED TO DANCE ♪

♪ WE DON'T HAVE THAT TIME ♪

♪ FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL ROMANCE ♪

♪ NO ROMANCE ♪

♪ NO ROMANCE ♪

♪ NO ROMANCE FOR ME, MAMA ♪

♪ COME ON BABY TELL ME WHAT'S THE WORD ♪

♪ WORD UP ♪

♪ EVERYBODY SAY ♪

♪ WHEN YOU HEAR THE CALL ♪

♪ YOU'VE GOT TO GET IT UNDERWAY ♪

♪ OW ♪

♪ OW ♪

♪ DIAL L FOR LOW ♪

♪ AHHHHH ♪

♪ HEY, HEY ♪

♪ COME ON, ALL YOU PEOPLE SAY ♪

♪ W-O-R-D UP ♪

♪ W-O-R-D UP ♪

♪ W-O-R-D UP ♪

♪ W-O-R-D UP ♪

♪ W-O-R-D UP ♪

♪ HEY, HEY ♪

♪ W-O-R-D UP ♪

♪ HEY ♪

♪ HEY, HEY, HEY, YEAH ♪

♪ NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO ♪

♪ SAY IT LIKE THAT ♪

♪ LIKE THAT ♪

♪ SAY IT LIKE THAT, YA'LL KNOW IT ♪

♪ WHAT'S THE WORD? ♪

♪ EVERYBODY'S GOT TO KNOW-OW ♪

♪ EVERYBODY SAY IT, WOAH! ♪

♪ OW ♪

♪ THEY THINK REAL LOW ♪

♪ AS LOW AS YOU GO ♪

♪ AHHHH, LOW, LOW, LOW, LOW ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ladies /ˈleɪdiz/ A1	noun - women
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features.
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music noun - an act of dancing
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the terminal part of the arm, from the wrist to the fingertips
mama /ˈmɑːmə/ A1	noun - mother
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child
girls /ɡɜːrlz/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
boys /bɔɪz/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
call /kɔːl/ A2	verb - to cry out loudly; summon noun - a cry
brother /ˈbrʌðər/ A2	noun - a male sibling
sister /ˈsɪstər/ A2	noun - a female sibling
people /ˈpiːpl/ A2	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively.
fly /flaɪ/ B1	adjective - fashionable, stylish
hear /hɪr/ A1	verb - perceive with the ear the sound
weird /wɪərd/ B1	adjective - suggesting something supernatural; uncanny
sucker /ˈsʌkər/ B2	noun - a gullible or easily deceived person.
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.
reason /ˈriːzn/ B1	noun - a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event.
cool /kuːl/ A2	adjective - fashionable or attractive.

Key Grammar Structures

• Got a weird thing to show you

  ➔ Use of 'Got' as a colloquial form of 'Have got'

  ➔ While grammatically, 'have got' is more formal, 'got' is frequently used in informal contexts to express possession or obligation. Here, it means 'I have something weird to show you'.

• Cause they're about to go down

  ➔ 'Be about to' + Infinitive (to + verb)

  ➔ This structure indicates that something is going to happen very soon. 'They're about to go down' means 'They are going to be in trouble/defeated very soon'.

• Wave your hands in the air like you don't care

  ➔ Use of 'like' as a conjunction showing manner (as if)

  ➔ 'Like' here means 'as if'. The sentence means 'Wave your hands in the air as if you don't care'.

• Glide by the people as they start to look and stare

  ➔ Use of 'as' as a conjunction indicating simultaneous action.

  ➔ 'As' connects two actions happening at the same time. You glide by the people, and at the same time, they start to look and stare.

• We don't have that time for psychological romance

  ➔ Use of the determiner "that" to specify time, indicating a particular amount or duration of time that is unavailable.

  ➔ The word "that" specifies the type of time they don't have. Here, the expression conveys a sense of urgency or impatience with elaborate emotional interactions.