This song is so catchy I'm not sure anyone even tries to listen to the lyrics of this song, which seems to be about giving up entirely on the idea of a romantic relationship that lasts.
You can buy the album it's from here:
Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below [EXPLICIT LYRICS] by Outkast
and the single here:
One two three uh!
My baby don't mess around
Because she loves me so
And this I know for shooo..
These first four lines are the happiest in the song, from here it all goes downhill.
Uh, But does she really wanna
But can't stand to see me
Walk out the dooor..
He just said she loves him, but he's got doubts. The character singing the song (we don't have to assume that the song expresses the views of Outkast) could be coming to the conclusions he does in this song based on paranoia.
Don't try to fight the feelin'
Because the thought alone is killing me right nooww..
I think the feeling referred to is the feeling of love. The love is fine, but his thoughts about it are killing him.
Uh, thank god for mom and dad
For sticking two together
'Cause we don't know hooowww...
He envies parents for their ability to stay together. The parents could be a metaphor for his parent's generation, which he may perceive to have a higher rate of marital satisfaction.
UH!
[Chorus:]
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa..
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa..
You think you've got it
Ohh, you think you've got it
But got it just don't get it
Till' there's nothing at
AaaaaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaallllll..
We get together
Ohh, we get together
But separate's always better when there's feelings
InvooooooOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOooooooOOOOOlved
He's saying that if you start feeling for someone, you'd better separate.
If what they say is "Nothing is forever"
Then what makes, Then what makes, Then what makes
Then what makes, Then what makes love the exception?
Nothing is forever, including love.
So why you, why you
Why you, why you, why you are we so in denial
When we know we're not happy heeeerrreeee...
Why hold on to the idea of love lasting when we're just not happy?
Y'all don't want me hear you just wanna dance
The way people happily dance to this song with big smiles on their faces makes this statement true. People want to jump around and boogie to a song about the hopelessness of love.
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (Don't want to meet your daddy, OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (Just want you in my Caddy OHH OH)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH, don't want to meet yo' mama OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (Just wan't to make you come-uh OHH OH)
Here the song turns sexual. If love is hopeless, he will turn to sex.
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (I'm, OHH OH I'm, OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (I'm just being honest OHH OH, I'm just being honest)
Hey, alright now
Alright now fellas, (YEAH!)
Now what's cooler than bein' cool?
(ICE COLD!) I can't hear ya'
I say what's cooler than bein' cool?
(ICE COLD!) whooo...
He's referring to being "ice cold" as an extreme form of being cool, but being cold also means being unfeeling, which matches up with the previous lines.
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, Ok now ladies, (YEAH!)
And we gon' break this thing down in just a few seconds
Now don't have me break this thang down for nothin'
Now I wanna see y'all on y'all baddest behavior
Lend me some suga', I am your neighbor ahh here we go!
Shake it, shake, shake it, shake it (OHH OH)
Shake it, shake it, shake, shake it, shake it, shake it (OHH OH)
Shake it, shake it like a Polaroid Picture, shake it, shake it
Shh you got to, shake it, shh shake it, shake it, got to shake it
(Shake it Suga') shake it like a Poloroid Picture
And the women are just there to shake their bodies. A nitpicky note: You don't need shake a poloroid picture to develop it. It's not even faster. It is just a weird cultural thing in this part of the world that it should be done.
Now while Beyonce's and Lucy Lui's
And baby dolls, get on the floor
(Get on the floor)
You know what to dooo..
You know what to dooo..
You know what to do!
[Chorus]
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (Uh oh, Hey Ya)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (Uh, uh, OHH OH)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
[Chorus continues until fade]