If you’ve ever heard Young MC’s 1989 hit “Bust a Move” (and chances are good that you have), you know he’s talking about a particular kind of move. Just like Reel 2 Real’s “I Like to Move It” is not about transporting furniture or large appliances, “Bust a Move” isn’t about playing chess or football. Though the song has several references to dancing, Young MC isn’t referring to fancy disco moves either. So let’s figure it out, the meaning of “Bust a Move” by Young MC.
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He gets close to the heart of the song’s meaning in its opening lines: This here’s a jam for all the fellas / Tryin’ to do what those ladies tell us. “Bust a Move” is a sex song—one aimed at those who lack confidence around women. The song’s premise provides Young MC with an excuse to poke fun at a humbling situation that many can relate to, but aren’t always comfortable discussing.
First and foremost, the appeal of “Bust a Move” comes from its groove. The melding of a guitar sample from “Found a Child” by Ballin’ Jack, a variety of sampled beats, and a bass line from Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers is irresistibly danceable. But Young MC makes the song even more memorable with nimble (though occasionally demeaning) wordplay.
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Same Conundrum, Different Day
The lyrics of “Bust a Move” form a clear pattern. Each of the four verses begins with Young MC’s protagonist feeling lonely, sexually frustrated, and having to overcome some obstacle that’s in the way of connecting. In the latter part of each verse, an attractive woman approaches our protagonist with some apparent romantic interest. Let’s recap the scenarios Young MC presents us in each of these verses.
Verse 1
The setting: a fancy luncheon
The obstacle: Food is served and you’re stone-cold munchin’ / Music comes on, people start to dance / But then you ate so much, you nearly split your pants
The romantic opportunity: A girl starts walkin’, guys start gawkin’ / Sits down next to you and starts talkin’ / Says she wants to dance ‘cause she likes to groove
Verse 2
The setting: a movie theater
The obstacle: From frustration, first inclination / Is to become a monk and leave the situation
The romantic opportunity: Then ya spot a fine woman sittin’ in your row / She’s dressed in yellow, she says, “Hello / Come sit next to me, you fine fellow”
Verse 3
The setting: a beach
The obstacle: Girls are fakin’, goodness sakin’ / They want a man who brings home the bacon
The romantic opportunity: So on the beach you’re strollin’, real high-rollin’ / Everything you have is yours and not stolen / A girl runs up with somethin’ to prove
Verse 4
The setting: a wedding
The obstacle: In the ceremony, you’ll be the best man / You say, “neat-o,” check your libido / And roll to the church in your new tuxedo
The romantic opportunity: So you start thinking, then you start blinking / A bridesmaid looks and thinks that you’re winking / She thinks you’re kinda cute, so she winks back
Young MC ends each of these verses with the same advice: bust a move. It’s hardly the first song that offers its listeners encouragement to “make the first move,” but it does so in an especially catchy way.
About “Bust a Move”’s Songwriters
Young MC co-wrote “Bust a Move” with Matt Dike and Michael Ross, who also produced the song. (Young MC is credited by his birth name, Marvin Young.) In addition to releasing eight albums, Young MC co-wrote Tone Loc’s hits “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina.”
Dike and Ross co-founded the Delicious Vinyl label, on which Young MC released his 1989 debut album Stone Cold Rhymin’. Prior to starting Delicious Vinyl, Dike was a studio assistant to the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. He subsequently co-wrote the tracks for the Beastie Boys’ 1989 album Paul’s Boutique. Dike died in 2018 as a result of complications from salivary gland cancer.
The Impact of “Bust a Move”
“Bust a Move” hit the Top 10 of five different Billboard charts, including a No. 7 showing on the Hot 100. The single was certified Platinum in January 1990. It was the first of two Top 40 hits from Stone Cold Rhymin’. (The other was “Principal’s Office,” which peaked at No. 33.) The album, which was co-produced by Quincy Jones and the Dust Brothers, went to No. 9 on the Billboard 200. It also reached No. 8 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
“Bust a Move” has been featured in several movies, including Uncle Buck, The Blind Side, and Up In the Air. Young MC makes a cameo appearance in the latter film, appearing as himself performing the song. It has also been used in the TV series Glee, Futurama, and The Big Bang Theory, as well as in numerous commercials.
Young MC’s signature hit was one of the first hip-hop songs to cross over into massive mainstream popularity. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1990—just the second year in which the award was given. “Bust a Move” has had staying power, both in terms of critical recognition and popularity. VH1 placed the song at No. 47 on their “100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop” list in 2008. As of this writing, Spotify users have streamed it more than 122 million times. It turns out that the combination of a good groove with clever lyrics doesn’t go out of style.
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