12.21.2024

02.01.2006

Black Eyed Peas – My Humps

Filed under: a group of folks,music,news @ 16:43

Jeff recently lent me Monkey Business by Black Eyed Peas, and I’ve been listening to it on and off over the past few days.

It’s good. There’s several tracks that have, in the immutable words of our generation, huge, catchy hooks. “Pump It”, “Don’t Phunk with My Heart” and “My Style” among them. A couple are pretty sweet remixes of old classics including “Union” (of Sting’s “Englishman in New York”), and “Pump it” again (of Dick Dale’s “Miserlou”). And one track’s just plain fantastic: “Don’t Lie”. Though a couple lines are overly steeped in poppy vocals, the song manages to make it despite.

But the quality of the album as a whole is not what I wanted to comment on today. Rather, I’m more interested in dissecting the lyrics of one song in particular: “My Humps”, a fair to middlingly catchy song about a… shall we say ‘curvaceous’ hot girl. Allow me to reproduce a stanza of the lyrics here.

Tryna feel my hump hump,
lookin at my lump lump.
You can look but you can’t
touch it. If you touch it, I’ma
start some drama.
You don’t want no drama.
No no drama.
No no no no drama.

Consider those last two lines in particular: “No no drama. / No no no no drama.”

That’s one of the worst lyrics I have ever had the misfortune of hearing. I think I can honestly feel a little rivulet of blood pouring from my ears every time I hear that song. What was the songwriter thinking? “Uh… Something that rhymes with ‘drama’. How about ‘drama’? Yeah, that”ll do. And for the next line I’ll use… meh… ‘drama’ again. And for the forth… screw it. Slap another ‘drama’ in there, throw in a few ‘no’s for rhythm’s sake and call it good.”

Well, allow me to retort. You’re a no talent ass-clown. That’s right: no no talent. No no no no talent. And for this reason, I proclaim “My Humps” by Black Eyed Peas a work of sheer Musical Genius.

82 Comments

  1.  
    DrLP 02.02.2006 @ 07:24

    Sounds like a strong potential entrant to be in the next Dave Barry book on popular American music.

  2.  
    jjk 02.04.2006 @ 12:59

    The thing that really gets me about that is that there are so many choices to go with ‘drama’ there. I mean, the three that come to my mind immediately are ‘yo momma’, ‘pajama’, and ‘Senator Barack Obama’. Hell, you could even stretch with some improper pronunciation and go with ‘the state of Alabama’.

    I would love to hear the ‘Senator Barack Obama’ remix, personally.

  3.  
    Charles 02.07.2006 @ 08:35

    Common Kate! I find Fergie quite sexy when she goes like “My hump, my hump …”. Ohhh weee

  4.  
    Jannis 02.10.2006 @ 03:46

    It’s not the lyrics that are…. weird. Look at her dancers:

    http://www.jannis.to/daily/archives/674-Black-Eyed-Peas-My-Humps.html

    Funky…

  5.  
    Adam 02.11.2006 @ 22:26

    Wow, Jannis… that’s… a little scary…

    Anyway, in case you forgot about this from from Tuesday, Mike, you need to add this to your Musical Genius post:

    Kool and the Gang – Open Sesame

    It’s a combination of really bad lyrics and really awesome funk. How can you go wrong with a song about a funk genie?

    “I am the Genie of Sound, everybody get down. Hooah!”

    “Get on your camel and ride!”

    “Alacazam! Abracadabra!”

    “Climb abord my magic carpet and let us take a ride, to the oasis of our minds.”

    “Feel the power and the spirit of the genie! Yeah, c’mon! Doit Toit! Uh-hooah! Up, up, and away!”

  6.  
    Adam 02.11.2006 @ 22:31

    By the way, “My Humps” came up on “Soul Train” today (what can I say, the Olympics were boring, so I started flipping channels). I’d have to list that as one of the more bizzare songs I’ve ever heard. And not particularly in a good way. You call it “a fair to middlingly catchy song”. I agree with the “middlingly catchy” part, but I think I might call “The Macarena” a better song, and that frightens me.

  7.  
    xaosseed 02.12.2006 @ 15:09

    M’kay, I’ve done a week’s worth of research on this, mainly involving nicking Monkey Business and listening to it on the bus to work.

    Now, I agree it ain’t up to much in the lyrical genius bit, but I don’t think the drama bit is the worst – the “boys all think I’m sexy/they say they want to sex me” line is a crime beyond redemption.

  8.  
    Rebecca 03.02.2006 @ 13:15

    I think its a good song sure my sis says its a breast cancer song but its a good song

  9.  

    […] To my knowledge, Ger enjoyed his birthday party, and we all collected our tickets to buy some shot glasses and a kickass kazoo. Mike then proceeded to serenade us with the Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps” on the kazoo. A fitting end to the evening. Happy Birthday Ger! […]

  10.  
    catrina 03.20.2006 @ 03:02

    i just have to say that pump it and my humps are the best songs in the world and i love dancing and singing to them. i am hoping to get the black eyed peas cd for my b.day on 11th of july i am turning 12 i cant wait. you guys the black eyed peas are my favourite band in the world and 1 of y best friends Shelley love your band 2 and we always make up a dance to it an so does Ashley. GO BLACK EYED PEAS!!!!LUV YA GUYS fROM CATRINA

  11.  
    JAYDEN 03.20.2006 @ 03:06

    I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE THAT SONG EXCPICIALLY PUMP IT YOU ARE MY FAVOURITE BAND!!!!!FROM JAYDEN

  12.  
    cristie 03.20.2006 @ 03:11

    go black eyed peas i luv your song did you know that my cousin whenever it says make you work make you work work make you work she always does that dance move to it it is so digusting and she even does it in front of the class in school.!!!

  13.  
    cristie 03.20.2006 @ 03:15

    go black eyed peas!!! did you know that my cousin whenever it says make you work make you work work make you work she always does that dance move to it it is so digusting and she even does it in front of the class in school.!!!

  14.  
    regina 03.25.2006 @ 18:19

    lil john should have not been in the remixs he should be in the reai thing and trina and buster should have well that what ever body say well i think that yall should do ya thing because yall have been doing ya thing seens yall started to me if i meat yall i would pass out and i can”t wait to meat you and i hope that you and your kids thanks see ya

  15.  
    melissa 04.02.2006 @ 09:10

    I think it was sooooooooooo awesome! my friends and I listen 2 it all the time! GO GO GO! my friends and i watched the vidieo so many times we know all the moves. with love,
    melissa

  16.  
    Jennifer 04.02.2006 @ 09:11

    I think My Humps has too many bad words. They should make a clean version.

  17.  
    nikki 04.08.2006 @ 02:16

    Well pump it by black eyed peas is very weard but its great. And my hump is better than james.

  18.  
    Anonymous 04.14.2006 @ 18:53

    I want the whole words for my humps!!!!

  19.  
    Anonymous 04.17.2006 @ 09:01

    Why don’t you search Google for “my humps lyrics”?

  20.  
    jp 04.18.2006 @ 13:54

    great band- wassup with THESE lyrics??

    Led Zeppelin / Houses of the Holy
    D’yer Mak’er
    (Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant)

    Oh oh oh oh oh oh
    You don’t have to go oh oh oh oh oh
    You don’t have to go oh oh oh oh oh
    Baby please don’t go.

    Ay ay ay ay ay ay
    All those tears I cry ay ay ay ay ay
    All those tears I cry ay ay ay ay ay
    Baby please don’t go.

    *CHORUS

    When I read the letter you wrote, it made me mad mad mad
    When I read the news that it brought me, t made me sad sad sad.
    But I still love you so, I can’t let you go
    I love you- ooh baby I love you.

    Oh oh oh oh oh oh
    Every breath I take oh oh oh oh oh
    Every move I make oh oh oh oh oh
    Baby please don’t go.

    Ay ay ay ay ay ay
    You hurt me to my soul ay ay ay ay ay
    You hurt me to my soul ay ay ay ay ay
    Darling please don’t go.

    CHORUS
    Oh oh oh oh oh oh
    You don’t have to go oh oh oh oh oh
    You don’t have to go oh oh oh oh oh
    (Baby please don’t go)

  21.  
    jjk 04.18.2006 @ 14:55

    Uh oh, it looks like we might have hurt someone’s feelings.

  22.  
    jp 04.18.2006 @ 16:19

    naaa. I have always laughed when I hear this song and think to myself..Great band but how stoned were they when they wrote this one.

  23.  
    isabella 05.29.2006 @ 15:51

    grat song!!! verry good band I love it!!
    some songs I dont like them but it doesent matter!!

  24.  
    harley 06.02.2006 @ 09:50

    cant be botherd

  25.  
    fucker 06.02.2006 @ 09:51

    fuck off u muder fuckers u need 2 fucking suck ur dads cock

  26.  
    Kristin 06.07.2006 @ 13:01

    U SUCK!!!!!!!!!!1 EVERYONE KNOWS THAT SONG ROCKS UR JUST INTO GAY OLD MUSIC SO SHUT IT!

  27.  
    kayla 06.08.2006 @ 08:06

    I WANTED THE WORDS TO THE SONG

  28.  
    jjk 06.08.2006 @ 10:23

    THEN SEARCH GOOGLE FOR “MY HUMPS LYRICS”

  29.  
    skyler 06.16.2006 @ 15:52

    you

  30.  
    kayla krueger 06.17.2006 @ 18:37

    I HATE THAT SONG “my humps” THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A GAYER SONG THAN THAT ONE! THAT SONG IS A INsult to all singers everywhere it kills me that people LIKE that shit TEENYBOPPER MUSIC! THAT SONG SUCKS THE SINGERS IN THAT SONG SUCK! nobody in that hole band has any talent what so ever! infact i plan out HATE THE BLACK EYED PEAS!

  31.  
    jjk 06.19.2006 @ 08:34

    “THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A GAYER SONG THAN THAT ONE!”

    You know, I have to agree here. If I was to pick one song that would be most likely to sexually prefer another song, the Black Eyed Peas’ ‘My Humps’ would almost certainly be it.

    But, now that I think about it, what would the sexual preference of a heterosexual song be? A poem?

  32.  
    sierra 06.26.2006 @ 12:49

    I love my hump it is so so cool and bad day is so so cool to I love sonogs.

  33.  
    lauren 07.21.2006 @ 07:33

    i need to know how to get black eyed peas tickets on the enternet.

  34.  
    Jessica 08.05.2006 @ 11:35

    i don’t think thats messed up i think ur messed up that was a good song but now its old and so ttly boring and lame. but whoeva made this website has alot of issuses keepem too urself. we don’t need that

  35.  
    bob fincklesteen 08.14.2006 @ 17:51

    meow…………..cherry pie is cooler than pump it and my humps!!!

  36.  
    Tammy 08.20.2006 @ 09:56

    the very first time i heard black eyed peas was when i was in a bad mood and it cheered me up and made me laugh

  37.  
    Anonymous 09.04.2006 @ 15:22

    Could some one plz tell me what the first part of the song pump it …. that “HA ha haaaa” is called, it was a very old song and I’ve been looking for it for ages!!!! hope you can help!!! PLZ!!!!!!

  38.  
    MDA 09.05.2006 @ 15:24

    Anonymous, as the original post mentions, “Pump it” is based on Dick Dale’s “Miserlou”.

    Wikipedia has an informative article on Misirlou‘s provenance.

  39.  
    Shelby Mayo 09.08.2006 @ 10:53

    Hey, my boyfriend is Mexican and this is the 1st American song that he has listened to and liked

  40.  
    Drama Meister 11.01.2006 @ 07:49

    Let’s not make so much drama
    about a song. No drama
    We don’t want no drama
    No no no no drama
    No drama
    Lol.

  41.  
    dude 11.04.2006 @ 10:32

    i completely agree…this is such mixed up garbage, it can’t be called music

  42.  
    asuman 12.08.2006 @ 14:30

    hello.my name is asuman:)I’am from TURKEY.

  43.  
    Emilee 12.13.2006 @ 18:35

    I think this musice My Humps” is awsome at my town we think its the bome and you guys and girls who read this GET A DAME LIFE this page is for commets not to say bad stuff losers later.

  44.  
    Bonny 12.14.2006 @ 01:51

    Asuman your from Turkey, okay good to know, what does that have to do with the topic???

    Myself I enjoy the song.

  45.  
    beyonce 01.06.2007 @ 04:46

    this song its beatifule but the voice is horrible andddddd tekst its good goood

  46.  
    britney 01.06.2007 @ 04:49

    i like this song its very good and i have this song in my CD and i lisen this song every daay in my life acept wikends

    this song its very black yak

  47.  
    Anonymous 01.06.2007 @ 04:52

    im natasha from spain i have seen one time BLACK EYED PEAS

  48.  
    Anonymous 01.06.2007 @ 04:54

    WHAT YOU GONAA DO WITH ALL THET,,,,,,,,,,IM MAKE MAKE YOU,,,,,MY HEART MY HEART MYAHEART,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

  49.  
    Anna 01.19.2007 @ 08:38

    My Humps is a good song. Nasty, but I like it.
    Fergie has great back up dancers. She wears this
    cute clothes.

  50.  
    Mary 01.23.2007 @ 12:36

    Ohh.. Fergi is the best in that band!! Yes, of course they other are also good! On my dance we have Black eyed peace song every time! And guess who want to have it? YES, Its me! Are its not funny?:( huh… Ok next time I have a funny schetch. O I love the simpsons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Its fun? Huh… huh…?? Ok I are so boring!! Chiao

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