Remarks:
This song did not seem to chart in 1982 when it came out, but it still sounds like a classic because it has been sampled to death. They did make a video for the song where swimsuit models wash his car. I did not post that one because I found myself looking at the women instead of listening to the song.
In the 1960s and 1970s Keni Burke was in a band with his three brothers and one sister, the Five Stairsteps. They are best known for their 1970 hit, “O-o-h Child”, another classic.
Lyrics:
-Verse 1-
I know we’re doing
Everything that we want to
Meanwhile, are we losing?
Because we won’t let go
And yet we go
Let’s start thinking what we’re doing
Don’t let nothing change your mind
Let’s start heading homeward bound
Get off the ground
Stop losing, yeah losing
Keep risin’ to the top
-Chorus 1-
(Give it all you got)
You gotta wake up your body
and wake up your body
and wake up your body
and move it around
Wake up your body
wake up your body
wake up your body and move it around
-Verse 2-
Keep on believing
All the dreams inside of you
And don’t stop achieving yeah
Let some love shine on through
And don’t fight the feeling
Keep on dealing
Everybody, keep on moving
Cause I know we can get it over, so baby
-Chorus 2-
(Give it all you got)
Let’s keep rising to the top
(Give it all you got)
And we won’t let nobody stop us
(Give it all you got)
We’ll just keep trying, yeah
(Give it all you got)
Oooh baby
(Give it all you got)
(Give it all you got)
(Give it all you got)
You gotta wake up your body
and wake up your body
and wake up your body
and move it around
Wake up your body
wake up your body
wake up your body and move it around
-Verse 3-
Big time illusions
Create a lot of confusion
But the time has finally come
Let’s get it done
Keep moving, yeah moving
-Chorus 3-
Let’s keep rising to the top
And don’t let nobody stop us
Just keep trying, yeah
Keep on giving to each other
(Give it all you got)
Spread some love a little farther
(Give it all you got)
Keep on giving all you got
(Give it all you got)
Said we’re rising to the top
We won’t let nobody stop
What we’re doing, yeah
(Give it all you got)
Keep moving your body
(Give it all you got)
The feeling’s getting stronger
(Give it all you got)
What we’re doing
(Give it all you got)
Just keep moving your body
(Give it all you got)
The feeling’s getting stronger
(Give it all you got)
2 good 2 B 4gotten! Thanks for jogging our memory banks with this gem!
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The only way I found out about a lot of these older songs (minus the parent’s collection of LP’s) was through sampling in hip-hop.
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@CDF As long as royalties are paid to the proper parties, sampling in rap/hip-hop music is A-OK. Of course, with or without sampling in the music, hip-hop stands on its own as a wonderful, creative culture — a dynamic way of life … as great an improvisational, cultural movement as jazz.
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Norma Jean Wright (formerly of CHIC), and Allan Felder are also co-writers on this song with Keni. I assume they all share the royalties on this song, which should be some nice royalty check$, consider how many times it’s been sampled by artists and groups through the years. Not too bad at all, for a song that didn’t chart very well in 1982!
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