Lyrics Analysis

"We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off"

Not a word, from your lips

You just took for granted that I want to skinny dip

A quick hit, that's your game

But I'm not a piece of meat, simulate my brain, no

The night is young, so are we

Let's just get to know each other slow & easily, oh, oh

Take my hand, let's hit the floor

Shake our bodies to the music

Maybe then you'll score, oh, oh

So come on baby, won't you show some class

Why'd you have to move so fast?

We don't have to take our clothes off

To have a good time, oh, no

We could dance & party all night

And drink some cherry wine, oh, oh

Just slow down if you want me

A man wants to be approached cool & romantically, oh, oh

I've got needs just like you

And if the conversation's good

Vibrations through & through, oh, oh

So come on baby, won't you show some class

Why'd you have to move so fast?

[4x:]

We don't have to take our clothes off

To have a good time, oh, oh

We could dance & party all night

And drink some cherry wine, oh, oh

1. 'You just took for granted that I want to skinny dip' - Skinny dipping is when you go for a swim fully unclothed so she is saying that someone could take advantage of you in that situation as some may see it as sexual. However she is saying that she is doing it for fun. It slightly contradicts 'We don't have to take our clothes off' however that line pretty much means you don't need to have sex to have a good time. So although your clothes are off when your skinny dipping it doesn't mean that someone has to take advantage of you but instead you can just simply have fun by being silly and messing around.

2. 'A quick hit, that's your game' - Nowadays the term 'player' is used for someone who speaks to a lot of girls or boys at once and then once he/she has got what they want from someone, usually sex, they will not care anymore. She is basically calling someone a player as she is referring the quick hit as getting what they want.

3. 'But I'm not a piece of meat, simulate my brain' - Calling someone a piece of meat is very dehumanising and it removes all traits of personality from that person. The line is very empowering for women because many women can be seen as a piece of meat by men but she is clarifying that she is not a piece of meat. 'Simulate my brain' is suggesting that she would rather have an intelligent conversation with someone rather than be treated as a piece of meat.

4. 'The night is young, so are we' - This presents the idea of her being young, innocent and pure. She doesn't want to rush into anything because of her youthfulness. Saying that the night is young shows that she still wants to have fun.
5. 'Lets just get to know each other slow and easy' - This, again, suggests that she doesn't want to rush into anything. It opposes the idea of sex being the only way to have fun. Suggesting that she wants to get to know someone means that its fine to be attracted to people but sex shouldn't be the only thing in mind. Instead she thinks that people should have fun by partying while they're young and getting to know people etc.
6. 'Won't you show some class' - This suggest that having sex straight away is not classy. Ella Eyre has a classy but fun image and I think that this song is a good representation of her. Her audience may be quite young therefore she needs to act as a good role model. This kind of message is positive for young people because it is telling them to have fun and be carefree but also make sure that you respect yourself.


Context
This song was written by Jermaine Stewart in 1981 and in the USA. It was written around the time when the United States recognised a strange new illness amongst gay men. This illness was diagnosed as AIDs. The reason for this song being written was to tell people that you don't need to have sex to have fun and instead you should go out, have fun and party. It was a positive message because it was meant to prevent people from getting this horrible illness.