19 2000 Feel Good Inc Gorillaz

19 2000 and Feel Good inc. by the GorillazShow more

19 2000 was originally a rather minimalist (and somewhat dull) rap with the gimmick of a cartoon voice (rather than an angry, heavy bass vocal), a club remix became a huge dance hit at the turn of the century and turned Gorillaz into a household name, both because of how catchy the melody and lyric are and because so few people who love the song seem to know its title - and those who do have no idea why it's called "19-2000." Well, here's the answer: Murdoc Nickels, who operates as the leader of the virtual band said: "I wrote this around the end of the last millennium, as the clocks were changing and the 21st century was dawning. A new age was upon us. It would be ridiculous for the occasion to go unmarked by a band as forward thinking and iconic as Gorillaz. I just needed a title that reflected that change. 19/2000 fitted the bill. It was that or 'Millennium' and that's a s--t name for a song."

For anyone who doesn't know the song by its title, it's the one that starts with rapping about a monkey in the jungle watching a paper trail, followed by a momma telling her kids they have to make their own shoes, and then ramps up to a chorus of "Get the cool! Get the cool shoeshine!"

This samples "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone.

Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club provided backing vocals on this track.

Trugoy the Dove from De La Soul is the rapper on Feel Good inc.. Damon Albarn does the rest of the vocals in character as 2D.

At the 2006 Grammy Awards, this won for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

The song is a throwback to the days of answering machines when callers would wait for the beep and leave a message on a microcassette. After the line:

And all I wanna hear is the message beep
My dreams, they got her kissing, 'cause I don't get sleep

We hear a beep, followed by the first chorus ("Windmill, windmill for the land..."), which is distorted with tape hiss as if we are listening to the message.

That's Trugoy the Dove's De La Soul bandmate PA Pasemaster Mase laughing. He explained to The Guardian that people have always found his guffawing contagious. Mase showcased his laughter on De La Soul's 2000 track "U Don't Wanna BDS," where it worked well. One night, during the performance, Mase giggled and chuckled throughout the entire song, and his De La Soul colleague Posdnuos commented, "He just comes out and laughs and gets a standing ovation."

"When we did the Gorillaz record," he added, "Damon whispered the rhyme in my ear and I knew exactly where he wanted me to laugh."

Writers: Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett
19 2000

The world is spinning too fast
I'm buying lead Nike shoes
To keep myself tethered
To the days I've tried to lose
My mama said to slow down
You must make your own shoes
Stop dancing to the music
Of Gorillaz in a happy mood
Keeping my groove on

They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump

They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump

Here you go, get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine
Get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine
Get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine
Get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine

There's a monkey in the jungle
Watching a vapor trail
Caught up in the conflict
Between his brain and his tail
And if time's elimination
Then we got nothing to lose
Please repeat the message
It's the music that we choose
Keeping my groove on

They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump

They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump (la-la, la-la)
They do the bump

Okay, bring it down here
We'll come back out

Get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine
Get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine
Get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine
Get the cool
Get the cool shoeshine

They do the bump
They do the bump
They do the bump
They do the bump

Feel Good Inc.
Writers: Brian Burton, Damon Albarn, David Jolicoeur, Jamie Hewlett

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
(Change) sha, sha (change) ba-da (change), sha-ba-da-ca, (change) feel good
(Change) sha, sha (change) ba-da (change), sha-ba-da-ca, (change) feel good

City's breaking down on a camel's back
They just have to go 'cause they don't know whack
So while you fill the streets, it's appealing to see
You won't get undercounted 'cause you're damned and free
You got a new horizon, it's ephemeral style
A melancholy town where we never smile
And all I wanna hear is the message beep
My dreams, they got her kissing, 'cause I don't get sleep, no

Windmill, windmill for the land
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is ticking, falling down
Love forever, love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?

Laughin' gas these hazmats, fast cats
Linin' 'em up like ass cracks
Play these ponies at the track
It's my chocolate attack
Shit, I'm steppin' in the heart of this here (yeah)
Care Bear rappin' in harder this year (yeah)
Watch me as I gravitate, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Yo, we gon' ghost town this Motown
With yo' sound, you in the blink
Gon' bite the dust, can't fight with us
With yo' sound, you kill the Inc.
So don't stop, get it, get it (get it)
Until you're cheddar headed
And watch the way I navigate, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha (ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha)

Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good

Windmill, windmill for the land
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is ticking, falling down
Love forever, love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?

Don't stop, get it, get it
Peep how your captain's in it (feel good)
Steady, watch me navigate, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! (Feel good)
Don't stop, get it, get it
Peep how your captain's in it (feel good)
Steady, watch me navigate, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! (Feel good)

Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good
Sha, sha-ba-da, sha-ba-da-ca, feel good