Hey Ya

Song Meaning of Hey Ya by Outkast, and what it is about

André 3000 commencd writing the tune on an acoustic guitar, playing chords for a sound similar to the Smiths and the Buzzcocks. “He had the bulk of it already conceptualized in his head,” said recording engineer John Frye. “It all happened quite fast. We recorded the skeleton part, with the intro and the first verse and hook, all in one night.”

The song at one point was called “Thank God for Mom and Dad,” reflecting the complicated lyrics to maintaining a struggling romantic relationship.

Outkast even called it “the saddest song ever written.”

André 3000 commented, "I think it's more important to be happy than to meet up to...the world's expectations of what a relationship should be. So this is a celebration of how men and women relate to each other in the 2000s".

The song coined the phrase "shake it like a Polaroid picture", copying a technique to quicken the drying of wet photos taken with film made by the Polaroid cameras.

Song lyrics of Hey Ya by Outkast

[André 3000:]

One, two, three, uh!

My baby don't mess around

Because she loves me so, and this I know for sure (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

'Cause the thought alone is killing 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 nothing at all (Ah!)

We get together, oh, we get together

But separate's always better when there's feelings involved (Ah)

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 wanna hear me, you just wanna 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 (Uh-oh)

Hey ya! (Uh-oh)

Just want to make you cum-a' (Uh-oh)

Hey ya! (Uh-oh)

I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm just being honest (Uh-oh)

Hey ya!

I'm just being honest

Hey, all right now, all right now, fellas (Yeah?)

Now, what's cooler than being cool? (Ice Cold!)

I can't hear ya

I say what's, what's cooler than being cool? (Ice Cold!)

All right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right

All right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right

Okay now, ladies (Yeah?)

Now, we gon' break this thing down in just a few seconds

Now, don't have me break this thing down for nothing

Now, I want to see y'all on your baddest behavior

Lend me some sugar, I am your neighbor

Ah, here we go!

Shake it, sh-shake it, shake it, sh-shake it (Uh-oh)

Shake it, sh-shake it, shake it, shake it, sh-shake it (Uh-oh)

Shake it like a Polaroid picture, hey ya!

Shake it, sh-shake it, shake it, sh-shake it

Shake it, shake it (Okay), shake it, sugar

Shake it like a Polaroid picture

Now, all the Beyoncés and Lucy Lius

And baby dolls, get on the floor

You know what to do, oh, 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!)

Hey ya! (Uh-oh) Hey ya! (Oh, oh, uh-oh)

Hey ya! (Uh-oh) Hey ya! (Uh-oh)

Hey ya! Hey ya!