https://www.npr.org/2025/06/09/1209525990/sly-stone-obituary
He was an architect of Funk music.
He inspired Motown to move in a different direction.
He is the reason Miles Davis brought electric instruments into Jazz.
His music was a cornerstone of Hip-Hop music.
He inspired countless artists and musicians.
He was truly a musical pioneer.
I'm thankful for everything he brought to music.
RIP Mr. Sylvester Stewart better known as Sly Stone.😎
Sly Stone born 1943
DANCE TO THE MUSIC
Lyrics by sly stone
[Cynthia:] Get up and dance to the music!
Get on up and dance to the fonky music!
Dum-dumm du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm
Du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm - du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm
[All:] Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music
[Freddie:] Hey Greg!
[Greg:] What?
[Freddie:] All we need is a drummer,
For people who only need a beat, yeah!
[Drummer]
I'm gonna add a little guitar
And make it easy to move your feet
[Guitar]
[Larry:] I'm gonna add some bottom,
So that the dancers just won't hide
[Bass]
[Sly:] You might like to hear my organ
I said 'Ride Sally Ride'
[Organ] Cynthia, Jerry!!
You might like to hear the horns blowin',
Cynthia on the throne, yeah!
[Trumpets]
Listen to me
[Cynthia & Jerry got a message they're sayin':]
[Cynthia:] All the squares, go home!
Aaaaah, yeah!!!
[Trumpets]
[Listen to the basses:]
Dum-dumm du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm
Du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm - du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm
[All:] Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music
Video
I CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE
from Otis Redding
Lyrics
I'll never turn you loose now
If I do, I'm gonna lose my pride now
I'll never, never turn you loose, yeah
If I do, I'm gonna lose my pride now
I can't turn you loose for nobody
'Cause I love you, baby, yes I do
Hip shakin' mama, I love ya
I'm in love with only you, child
Do it, baby, if you don't
I'm gonna give you everything that you want
You got to keep on movin'
You gotta keep on pushin' now
You got to keep on movin'
Yeah, baby, gotta move
Hey now
I'll never turn you loose now
If I do, I'm gonna lose my pride now
I'll never, never turn you loose, yeah
If I do, I'm gonna lose my pride now
I can't turn you loose for nobody
'Cause I love you, baby, yes I do
Hip shakin' mama, I love you
I'm in love with only you, child
Do it, baby, if you don't
I'm gonna give you everything that you want (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
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Keep on movin'
You gotta keep on movin'
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
You gotta keep on pushin' now
You gotta keep on movin' now
You gotta keep on singin' now
You gotta keep groovin'
I'll never turn you loose now
If I do, I'm gonna lose my pride now
I'll never, never turn you loose, yeah
If I do, I'm gonna lose my pride now
I can't turn you loose for nobody
'Cause I love you, baby, yes I do
Hip shakin' mama, I love you
I'm in love with only you, child
Do it, baby, if you don't
I'm gonna give you everything that you want now
You got to keep on movin'
You gotta keep on movin'
You gotta keep on movin'
Yeah, baby
Yeah, yeah
You gotta keep on movin'
You gotta keep on pushin'
You gotta keep on singin' now
You, yeah, yeah
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta keep on movin'
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Can't turn you loose
Video
LIFE
lyrics by sly stone
Life, life
Clouds and clowns
You don't have to come down
Life, life
Tell it like it is
You don't have to die before you live, ooh
You might get angry sometimes
But don't let it turn you around
All you gotta do is get your livin' now
Life, life
Clouds and clowns
You don't have to come down
You might be scared of somethin', look at Mr. Stewart
He's the only person he has to fear
He'd only let himself get near
He don't trust nobody
If he stopped bein' so shady
He could have a nice young lady
Life, life
Tell it like it is
You don't have to die before you live
You're gonna be sad sometimes
You might wake up to find your pet is gone
But maybe, he's tired of bein' alone
Dog gets hip, it has to go
If you're lovin', you can't be sad no more
Life, life
Clouds and clowns
You don't have to come down
Life (ooh, ooh), life (ooh, ooh)
Tell it like it is
You don't have to die before you live
video
M'LADY
lyrics by sly stone
[Chorus]
M'lady
M'lady
M'lady
M'lady
[Verse 1]
A smile of pleasure
Beautiful and kind
A pretty face, a pretty face
Oh, what a gorgeous mind
[Verse 2]
She's a winner, hey
Give her some attention
Just thought I'd mention that
[Bridge]
Give her some time (Time, time)
Give her some time (Time, time)
Give her some time (Time, time)
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
[Chorus]
M'lady
M'lady
M'lady
M'lady
[Interlude]
Boo-boo-boo-nigh-ah
Boo-boo-boo-nah
Boo-boo-boo-nigh-ah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
[Outro]
M'lady
M'lady
M'lady
M'lady
M'lady
video
STAND
lyrics by sly stone
[Verse 1]
Stand
In the end, you'll still be you
One that's done all the things you set out to do
Stand
There's a cross for you to bear
Things to go through if you're going anywhere
Stand
For the things you know are right
It's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
Stand
All the things you want are real
You have you to complete and there is no deal
[Chorus]
Stand, stand (Stand), stand (Everybody, yeah, yeah)
Stand (Stand, y'all), stand (Stand), stand (Ooh, ooh)
[Verse 2]
Stand
You've been sitting much too long
There's a permanent crease in your right and wrong
Stand
There's a midget standing tall
And the giant beside him about to fall
[Chorus]
Stand (Yeah, yeah), stand (Stand, yeah), stand (Ah)
Stand (Stand), stand (Stand, y'all), stand (Ooh, ooh)
[Verse 3]
Stand
They will try to make you crawl
And they know what you're saying makes sense and all
Stand
Don't you know that you are free?
Well, at least in your mind if you want to be (Everybody)
[Chorus]
Stand, stand
[Outro]
Stand, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na
Stand, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na
Stand, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na
Stand, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na
Stand, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na
video
I WANT TO TAKE YOU HIGHER
lyrics by sly stone
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Beat is gettin' stronger
Music gettin' longer, too
Music is a-flashin' me
I want to, I want to, I want to take you higher
I wanna take you higher
Baby, baby, baby, light my fire
I wanna take you higher
Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Beat is nitty-gritty
Sound is in your city, too
Music's still flashin' me
Don't ya, don't ya, don't, don't, don't ya wanna get higher?
Don't ya wanna get higher?
Baby, baby, baby, light my fire (Woo)
I wanna take you higher
Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom
Higher
Higher
Higher
Higher
Higher (Won't ya light my fire?)
Higher (Woo, yeah)
Higher (Wanna take you higher)
Higher
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Beat is there to make you move
Sound is there to help you groove
Music's still flashin' me
Take your places
I wanna take you higher (Higher)
Wanna take you higher
Baby, baby, baby, light my fire (Woo)
I wanna take you high, high, high, high, high, high, high, high
Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom
(Higher)
Wanna take you, do you wanna go
Wanna take my fire
Wanna take you higher
Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom, Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom
(Higher)
Don't ya wanna get higher?
I wanna take you higher
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom
I wanna take you higher
I wanna take you higher
Boom laka-laka-laka, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom
Everybody higher, higher, higher
video
EVERYDAY PEOPLE
lyrics by sly stone
[Verse 1]
Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in
[Chorus]
I am everyday people, yeah, yeah
[Verse 1]
There is a blue one who can't accept the green one
For living with a fat one, trying to be a skinny one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby
[Refrain]
Ooh, sha-sha
We got to live together (Ooh, sha-sha)
[Verse 2]
I am no better and neither are you
We are the same, whatever we do
You love me, you hate me, you know me and then
You can't figure out the bag I'm in
[Chorus]
I am everyday people, yeah, yeah
[Verse 3]
There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair
For being such a rich one that will not help the poor one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby
[Refrain]
Ooh, sha-sha
We got to live together (Ooh, sha-sha)
[Verse 4]
There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one
That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby
[Chorus]
Ooh, sha-sha
I am everyday people (Ooh, sha-sha)
video
HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME
lyrics by sly stone
All: End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi Hi Hi Hi there
Them summer days, those summer days
That's when I had most of my fun, back
High high high high there
Them summer days, those summer days
Rose: I "cloud nine" when I want to
Freddie: Out of school, yeah
Larry: County fair in the country sun
Sly: And everything, it's true, ooh yeah
All: Hot fun in the summertime x 4
All: First of the fall and then she goes back
Bye bye bye bye there
Them summer days, those summer days
Rose: "Boop-boop-ba-boop-boop" when I want to
Freddie: Out of school, yeah
Larry: County fair in the country sun
Sly: And everything, it's true, ooh yeah
All: Hot fun in the summertime x 4
video
THANK YOU ( FALETTINME BE MICE ELD AGIN)
Lyrics by sly stone
[Verse 1]
Lookin' at the devil, grinnin' at his gun
Fingers start shakin', I begin to run
Bullets start chasin', I begin to stop
We begin to wrestle, I was on the top
[Chorus]
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
[Verse 2]
Stiff all in the collar, fluffy in the face
Chit-chat chatter tryin', stuffy in the place
Thank you for the party, but I could never stay
Many things on my mind, words in the way
[Chorus]
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
[Verse 3]
Dance to the music all night long
Everyday people sing a simple song
Mama's so happy, mama start to cry
Papa still singin', you can make it if you try
[Chorus]
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again (Different strokes for different folks, yeah)
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
[Verse 4]
Flamin' eyes of people fear burnin' into you
Many men are missin' much, hatin' what they do
Youth and truth are makin' love, dig it for a starter
Now, dyin' young is hard to take, sellin' out is harder
[Chorus]
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
Thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
I want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again
video
FAMILY AFFAIR
lyrics by sly stone
[Chorus]
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
[Verse 1]
One child grows up to be
Somebody that just loves to learn
And another child grows up to be
Somebody you'd just love to burn
[Verse 2]
Mom loves the both of them
You see, it's in the blood
Both kids are good to mom
Blood's thicker than the mud
[Chorus]
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
Over there, world gone bad
[Verse 3]
Newlywed a year ago
But you're still checking each other out, hey
Nobody wants to blow
Nobody wants to be left out, uh-huh
[Verse 4]
You can't leave 'cause your heart is there
But, sure, you can't stay 'cause you been somewhere else
You can't cry 'cause you'll look broke down
But you're cryin' anyway 'cause you're all broke down
[Chorus]
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
Oh, hey, a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
(It's a family affair) It's a family affair
Well
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
video