Monday, September 1, 2008

That Was Like, SO 2 Years Ago...

Song lyrics and I have a love/hate relationship.

See, they stick in my head forever. Whether I've got them in there correctly or not is quite irrelevant. I find myself repeating them at the oddest times, like when I'm trying to calm myself, or when I need extra energy at the end of a run, or really for no apparent reason at all.

Sometimes this gets me into trouble. Especially when the lyrics that are stuck in my head are not the actual lyrics of the song.

Once circa 1987 I remember walking through a crowded dance floor with a friend, singing "Do it Like a Lady!" and apparently Aerosmith and I are not exactly attuned, because it took me a long time and a serious bout of humiliation to figure out that those were NOT the actual lyrics.

Even when I remember the real lyrics, they get me into trouble.
"Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir", anyone?

So anyway, today I was singing along with the radio and it occurred to me that once again, I have no idea whether I understand the words to the song, and if I do, what in the world they mean.

So here it is:
What the heck is a "hollow back girl"? And should I be embarrassed if I start singing it randomly?


PS - Googling to answer this question is totally not allowed!
PPS - My daughters say I should mention that the radio station I listen to is squeaky clean, and is running the "clean" version of this song. (The fact that there has to be a clean version of this song should probably be my first clue, right?)

34 comments:

Corrine said...

Wow this is a first, me first?

I always thought it was "hauler back girl" As in give me a haul like give me a call, and I know I am not even spelling it right..but I thought it meant a girl who calls back loudly you know...

Corrine said...

is it haller? i know i so didn't spell it right...

and I so do the same thing...

jjstringham said...

Wait. What? "Do it like a lady" isn't what they say? Well don't I feel like an idiot. I'm so googling the right lyrics now.

And I thought it was a Holla Back Girl (as in holler back). As in the same thing the person above is talking about.

jjstringham said...

Oh wait. Now I remember the right lyrics. But I still sing the same lyrics as you do out of habit. Hopefully I don't ever do it out in public.

Amander said...

It's holla back girl, and it means a girl that can be walked all over or called just for a booty call. So the guy "hollas back" to the girl and she comes running for whatever he wants.

Working with teens has it's benefits!

Yvonne said...

I guess we all need to be more careful about what we sing ; ) It reminds me of the scene in 27 Dresses where they're singing Benny and the Jetts.

Heather of the EO said...

wow that Amanda is a smart and hip lady!
I had NO idea what it meant, but I knew it was something in relation to holla (hollering) back. Weird.

I LOVE this post because I'm obsessed with asking people with lyrics they've had wrong and even sung in front of people who then laughed at them. LOVE it.

I did a post on it once and had people share lyrics they've mis-heard in the comments. Oh, how I loved that day...

Earl and Vickie said...

I had a hard time understanding those lyrics, so my brain figured it was something like "ain't no Harlem black girl" with the negative on being from Harlem....... so just goes to show.

ganelle said...

When I was teaching high school, I used to ask the kids the words to the various popular songs - simply to avoid what you are describing.

I know the song you are talking about, but I don't have a clue as to the right answer. Sorry!

M said...

Yeah, no clue. I've never even heard the song. I don't listen to the radio. And I'm not a fan of Gwen or No Doubt. Am I out of touch?

When I was a kid singing "Love One Another" in primary, I always wondered what a "shallmeno" was. I was in my high-teens or 20's before I figured it out.

Janell said...

Oddly, I've had "Lady Marmalade" stuck in my head today.

Miggy said...

Oh I would have LOVED to answer this as I am a big Gwen Stefani and No Doubt fan. Have been for years...although I will admit while I knew it was Holla Back Girl, I didn't exactly know what it meant. Obviously it was negative and I figured something to the extent of not being a sissy or one to back down. Amanda's explanation was perfect.

ps--Hey Randi...we're great over in our 'hood. How are you? Thanks for checking in on me now and then. :)

Pezlady Jana said...

OH my GOSH! I laughed so hard. I have so many embarassing moments of singing the wrong lyrics that I could write a book. Crazy! I think you're funny and I knew that it was Holla back girl, but I sure didn't know it meant what it does. YIKES!

Elizabeth-W said...

I think a kid on Project Runway told Tim something about holla'ing. But that's all I know.
I'm 100% lame-o.

Anonymous said...

Don't come running with me then. Somedays the old MoTab just ain't working for me and the talks get played out. It's then that I call on my ghetto bump tunes to keep me moving...or just shut down my brain so I can pound my frustrations out of my feet.

Bad music is a guilty pleasure I excuse by saying I only listen to the clean versions of each song.

PS And sometimes I totally catch myself singing along. The people out watering their yards don't seem to mind...much. I just smile and wave.

goddessdivine said...

Well, it looks like your question was answered.

Don't worry....I seriously think sometimes these artists are drunk when they record their songs because they slur a lot of the words together.

Caroline C. Bingham said...

Holla!

I think you ??? has been answered enough, don't you?

Meanwhile, let's discuss how gorgeous Gwen Stefani is. ♥ her!

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Ummm...I don't know, but it sounds kinda gross and innuendo-ey.

Super Happy Girl said...

Holla back is just to holler back, to "Call back".
The song has nothing bad EXCEPT for the "s" word and of course the fact that it's a chick fight (she is not just talk but also action) someone is going to get beaten.

Tough chick fight ;P

Help I need a user name! said...

Yeah...she be talkin' bout how she ain't no hollaback girl, and, like, how this other chick was, like, gettin' all up in her BIDness about how he's HER man, and how the one singing is a Hollaback girl. Yeah. Word. Uh-huh. And, then, the singer? She like, she be goin' OFF on this poor excuse for a Wo-Man, tellin' her she AIN'T nobody's hollaback girl. Ummmmm-hmm. Das' right. And you KNOW you know what a hollaback girl izz, right. Ah-ight, then.

P. S. I didn't know what a hollaback girl was either when I first heard the song, especially when they started singing about Bic Bananas. But I did some research, and apparently, I think, a "hollaback girl" is what one might term a lady one calls, if one would like to have an enjoyable time later in the evening. You know. For tea and crumpets, and discussing polo games. Ahem.

Jillybean said...

My mom used to think that Bon Jovi was singing "You give love a band-aid"

I love the fact that I can google song lyrics. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent finding out that the words that I've been singing for years have been wrong.

"Come sail away" by Styx...........
"Set an open course full of urgency"
is actually
"Set an open course for the virgin sea"

Who knew?

mormonhermitmom said...

So I could google the lyrics to Jumpin Jack Flash? Cool.

Mrs Andy said...

It's Holla-back girl...

There are two meanings, one ok and one not-so-ok...

1--The girls in the cheer squad who "holla back" to the crowd to get them revved, up....

2--A girl with questionable morals, who is there when her man "needs" her.

So there you go....sorry about the song lyrics...

Anonymous said...

I was on a date my senior year in high school and my date was playing Motley Crue. The song on was a particularly awful one with even worse lyrics. I said, "how can you listen to this? this song is so satanic." "really, he replied, "what does it say?" I proceeded to tell him. He was totally shocked. "I never listen to the words, I just like the song. Now I can never listen to this song again!" Helps to know the words! I am a fanatic about knowing what I song says when I listen to it. You can go to lyrics.com to find out. It opened my eyes, let me tell you.

Whitney said...

I almost never sing the right words. I've been made fun of, for sure. But once I have an idea of what they are in my head, it's almost impossible to fix it to the right words. So I continue to sound dumb. But oh well :D

Tori :) said...

Isn't it "I aint no holla back girl. I aint no holla back"?? And it means she'll stand up for herself and not get screwed around- I think.

Tori :) said...

Sei NEVER sings the right words. Ever.

Melissa said...

Yeah... I think it's been explained enough :) I get lyrics wrong too. And if I wasn't so tired, I could probably think of some of them!

talitha said...

yeah, I had a 30 minute discussion on this song with my teenaged kids...I think we determined that Gwen is NOT a holla back girl, and she wishes most feverently that the girls which attend her school would not refer to her in such a way.

At least, that was what I got out of it.

Nancy Face said...

My hubby is always singing the wrong words. If I tell him what the right words are, he pretends to glare at me and says, "Who's singing this song anyway?" :D

Anonymous said...

I love this post. And here's one of my along the same lines...
http://hereinfranklin.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/a-dilemma/

... said...

i always thought it was holla - like hollar (sp?) - as in yelling at someone. but i don't know the song well and wouldn't know what the meaning is.

Elisa said...

I have never heard that song... guess i'm old.

I used to think Journey's Open Arms was saying: "I need you Tuesday..." (really says "I need you to stay")

I was always puzzled as to why he would only want her on Tuesdays. Why not Fridays?? Or Saturdays? What is so special about Tuesday?

TRS said...

The other day I was singing an old Men At Work Song... 'day after day, we drink beer. Night after night my heart beats for the beer."

My boyfriend chuckled and finally revealed that those were not the words.
But we had more fun making up an entirely new song about beer.