This is a song about the current state of relationships in the world.
The Song of Many Titles
André “3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton are the only two members of OutKast, the group that revolutionized Southern hip-hop. “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” from 2003 was the duo’s fifth album. That’s when “Hey Ya!” was finally unleashed to the world, and it’s no exaggeration to say that it was a long time coming.
In a Huffington Post interview, André 3000 explained, “The song went through several working titles. ‘Thank God For Mom And Dad’ was one of them. ‘Hey Ya!’ was actually the oldest one on the album because I had started writing it during the Stankonia Tour.”
He went on to say, “The song isn’t autobiographical, it’s more like fantasies or tangents based on real life. Moments from my life spark a thought when I’m writing.”
What Relationships Mean Today
This song contains a feindishly simple but irresistibly iconic opening words that serve as the perfect way to kick things off: “One, two, three, uh!”
André 3000 said in an interview with VH1 that the song is about “the state of relationships today.” He added, “A lot of people stay together for tradition. All I’m saying is I think it’s more important to be happy than to meet up to somebody else’s expectations or the world’s expectations of what a relationship should be.”
Each verse gives the listener a different scene from a relationship. These may be interpreted as the same couple over different points in their lives or different people altogether going through various highly relatable relationship struggles.
While it may seem innocent enough on first listen, “Hey Ya!” does contain some adult themes tucked neatly away squarely in the middle of the song. Woven between the titular refrain are suggestive verses that become more graphic and obvious as they go:
“Don’t want to meet your daddy / Hey ya! (Uh oh) / Just want you in my Caddy (Uh oh) / Hey ya! (Uh oh) / Don’t want to meet your mama / Hey ya! (Uh oh) / Just want to make you cum-a (Uh oh) / Hey ya! (Uh oh) / I’m, I’m, I’m just being honest (Uh oh) / I’m just being honest”
Don’t Shake the Pictures
No analysis of this song would be complete without an examination of the famous lines about what to do with a particular brand of instant film:
“Shake it, sh-shake it, shake it, sh-shake it / Shake it, shake it, shake it, sugar / Shake it like a Polaroid picture”
His best explanation to the Huffington Post about those lines was, “I have no idea! In rap, lyric writing is what comes to mind, that was just the visual I had. And you’re apparently not even supposed to do that.”
These lyrics are easy enough to understand at face value: To shake it means to dance.
It should be noted that it isn’t necessary to shake a Polaroid picture for it to develop properly. In fact, it is not recommended that you shake your Polaroid photo prints as there’s a chance it might cause bubbles to form. Still, some impatient photographers employ this technique to make it dry faster, which is what these lines refer to.
Lyrics
One, two, three, uh
My baby don’t mess around
Because she loves me so
And this I know fo sho (uh)
But does she really wanna
But can’t stand to see me walk out the door? (Ah)
Don’t try to fight the feeling
Because the thought alone is killin’ me right now (uh)
Thank God for Mom and Dad
For sticking two together
‘Cause we don’t know how (c’mon)
Hey ya! Hey ya!
Hey ya! Hey ya!
Hey ya! Hey ya!
Hey ya! Hey ya!
You think you’ve got it
Oh, you think you’ve got it
But got it just don’t get it ’til there’s nothin’ at all
We get together
Oh, we get together
But separate’s always better when there’s feelings involved
If what they say is
“Nothing is forever”
Then what makes, then what makes
Then what makes, then what makes (what makes, what makes)
Love the exception?
So why, oh, why, oh
Why, oh, why, oh, why, oh
Are we so in denial when we know we’re not happy here?
(Y’all don’t want to hear me, you just want to dance)
Hey ya! (Uh oh) Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Don’t want to meet your daddy
Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Just want you in my Caddy (Uh oh)
Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Don’t want to meet your mama
Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Just want to make you cum-a (Uh oh)
Hey ya! (Uh oh)
I’m, I’m, I’m just being honest (Uh oh)
I’m just being honest
Hey! Alright now
Alright now, fellas (Yeah?)
Now, what cooler than being cool? (Ice cold!)
I can’t hear you
I say what’s, what’s cooler than being cool? (Ice cold!)
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Okay, now ladies (Yeah?)
Now, we gon’ break this thang down in just a few seconds
Now, don’t have me break this thang down for nothin’
Now, I want to see y’all on y’all baddest behavior
Lend me some sugar, I am your neighbor
Ah! Here we go
Shake it, shake, shake it, shake it, shake, shake it (Uh oh)
Shake it, shake, shake it, shake it, shake it (Uh oh)
Shake it like a Polaroid picture, hey ya!
Shake it, shake, shake it, shake it, shake, shake it
Shake it, shake it, shake it, sugar
Shake it like a Polaroid picture
Now, all Beyonce’s, and Lucy Liu’s
And baby dolls
Get on the floor
Get on the floor, you know what to do
You know what to do
You know what to do
Hey ya! (Uh oh) Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Hey ya! (Uh oh) Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Hey ya! (Uh oh) Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Hey ya! (Uh oh) Hey ya! (Uh oh)
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Andre Benjamin
Hey Ya! lyrics © BMG Rights Management