Get Busy

Label

Atlantic Records

Genre

Reggae fusion

Media Type

CD

Composer(s)

Sean Paul Henriques/Steven "Lenky" Marsden

Entered Chart

Feb 22, 2003

Peak Date

May 10, 2003

Released

27 January 2003

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

88020

When he started making music in the '90s, Sean Paul had visions of creating songs that reveal the political strife and poverty common in his home country, Jamaica. But it wasn't working, so he made bangers instead. "Get Busy" is a booty song, set in the club where Sean is asking the ladies to shake it non-stop. It was released on his second album, Dutty Rock, in November 2002 and took off when it was released as a single, going to #1 in the US in May, where it stayed for three weeks. His dancehall sound caught on in a big way in America and many other countries. By the end of the decade he had landed more Hot 100 hits than any other Jamaican in history. Sean Paul's songs lend themselves to remixes, and several have appeared for "Get Busy." A popular one is "Get Busy (Clap Your Hands Now)," which features guest-rappers Fatman Scoop and The Crooklyn Clan. The style of this song is properly known as "Diwali Riddim." Now, the term "riddim" is actually the Jamaican pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in Jamaican music this means specifically the instrumental accompaniment to a vocal, usually a rap. Riddims are the primary musical building blocks of Jamaican popular songs. "Diwali," then, is one of these riddims, created by the song's producer, Lenky Marsden. Sean Paul performed "Get Busy" on the TV variety series Saturday Night Live in 2003. It's also appeared in episodes of The Wire, in the 2003 film Grind, and even in a commercial for Carl's Jr. restaurants. In 2006, it was featured on The Office episode "Booze Cruise." Michael Scott tries to get a dance party going as the boat's band plays the tune. Shake dat ting Miss Cana, Cana Shake dat ting Miss Annabella Shake dat ting, yo, Donna, Donna Jodi and Rebecca Before Sean Paul entered the studio to record this song, his girlfriend (later, wife) Jodi and her friend Cana asked him to mention them. "I went in there, did the song, and I was trying to find an intro," he recalled to Genius. "And usually in Jamaica, we kind of talk an intro out and introduce the song. Well, this time I just decided to sing. I was like 'I'm going to put their name in it and freak them out.' I did do it and to this day they're still good friends." Sean Paul's first big hit was "Gimme The Light" at the end of 2002. "Get Busy" came next, followed by a feature on Beyoncé's "Baby Boy," a massive hit at the end of 2003. He landed another US #1 with "Temperature" from his 2005 album The Trinity.

Shake that thing Miss Kana Kana
Shake that thing Miss Annabella
Shake that thing yan Donna Donna
Jodi and Rebecca

Woman Get busy, Just shake that booty non-stop
When the beat drops
Just keep swinging it
Get jiggy
Get crunked up
Percolate anything you want to call it
Oscillate you hip and don’t take pity
Me want fi see you get live ‘pon the riddim when me ride
And me lyrics a provide electricity
Gal nobody can tell you nuttin’
Can you done know your destiny

Yo sexy ladies want par with us
In a the car with us
Them nah war with us
In a the club them want flex with us
To get next to us
Them cah vex with us
From the day me born jah ignite me flame gal a call me name and its me fame
Its all good girl turn me on
‘Til a early morn’
Let’s get it on
Let’s get it on ‘til a early morning
Girl it’s all good just turn me on

Woman don’t sweat it, don’t get agitate just gwaan rotate
Can anything you want you know you must get it
From you name a mentuin
Don’t ease the tension just run the program gals wan pet it
Just have a good time
Gal free up unu mind caw nobody can dis you man won‘t let it can
You a the number one gal
Wave you hand
Make them see you wedding band

[Chorus]
Yo sexy ladies want par with us
In a the car with us
Them nah war with us
In a the club them want flex with us
To get next to us
Them cah vex with us
From the day me born jah ignite me flame gal a call me name and its me fame
Its all good girl turn me on
‘Til a early morn’
Let’s get it on
Let’s get it on ‘til a early morning
Girl it’s all good just turn me on

Woman Get busy , Just shake that booty non-stop
When the beat drops
Just keep swinging it
Get jiggy
Get crunked up
Percolate anything you want to call it
Oscillate you hip and don’t take pity
Me want fi see you get live ‘pon the riddim when me ride
And me lyrics a provide electricity
Gal nobody can tell you nuttin’
Can you done know your destiny

[Chorus]
Yo sexy ladies want par with us
In a the car with us
Them nah war with us
In a the club them want flex with us
To get next to us
Them cah vex with us
From the day me born jah ignite me flame gal a call me name and its me fame
It’s all good girl turn me on
‘til a early morn’
let’s get it on
let’s get it on ‘til a early morning
girl…it’s all good just turn me on

Yo, Shake that thing
Miss Kana Kana shake that thing
Yo, Annabella shake that thing
Miss Donna Donna
Yo Miss Jodi yu’r di one and Rebecca shake that thing

Yo shake that thing
Yo Joanna shake that thing
Yo Annabella shake that think
Miss Kana Kana

[Chorus]
Yo sexy ladies want par with us
In a the car with us
Them nah war with us
In a the club them want flex with us
To get next to us
Them cah vex with us
From the day me born jah ignite me flame
gal a call me name and its me fame
Its all good girl turn me on
‘Til a early morn’
Let’s get it on
Let’s get it on ‘til a early morning
Girl it’s all good just turn me on
[x2]

Let’s get it on ‘til a early morning
Girl it’s all good just turn me on