Song of the Day #5,772: ‘Ya Ya’ – Beyoncé

Continuing my countdown of the songs on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter

#1c. ‘Ya Ya’

More than a country album, Cowboy Carter is an album about genre — the many ways musical genres can be twisted, combined, and misunderstood. And no song on the album better captures that concept than ‘Ya Ya.’

This foot-stomping epic takes a tour through the history of American music, dabbling in dance, folk rock, surf rock and doo-wop, all with a raucous delivery reminiscent of peak Tina Turner.

‘Ya Ya’ is a deliriously fun romp, but its lyrics can hit pretty hard. “Good ol’ USA, shit, whole lotta red in that white and blue” is a far way from “I just wanna shake my ass,” but this song makes room for it all.

[Intro]
Hello, girls (Hello, Beyoncé)
Hello, fellas (You’re pretty swell)
Those petty ones can’t fuck with me (Why?)
‘Cause I’m a clever girl, we snappin’
(Pretty please) Toms, please
We wanna welcome you to the Beyoncé Cowboy Carter: Act II, ah
And a rodeo chitlin circuit
We gon’ make it do what it do, ya-ya
Put them hands together

[Chorus]
We clappin’
We drummin’ (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
Oh, oh, ya-ya-ya (Oh, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
Oh, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya (Oh, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
Ya-ya-ya-ya (Oh, ya)
(Ya-ya) B-E-Y-I-N-C-E, ya

[Verse 1]
My family live and died in America, hm
Good ol’ USA, shit (Good ol’ USA)
Whole lotta red in that white and blue, huh
History can’t be erased, ooh
You lookin’ for a new America? (America)
Are you tired, workin’ time and a half for half the pay? (Woo-hoo)
Ya-ya (Half the pay, oh-oh)
I just pray that we don’t crash, keep my Bible on the dash
We gotta keep the faith
Wildfire burnt his house down
Insurance ain’t gon’ pay no Fannie Mae, shit
So hold this holster, pour mo’ liquor, please
Hard workin’ man ain’t got no money in the bank
Huh, the ya-ya
Turn up the vinyl and the radio (Radio)
He can’t watch the news nowadays (Nowadays)
Oh, I just pray that he don’t crash, keep his pistol on the dash
He gotta keep the faith

[Refrain]
She’s pickin’ up good vibrations
He’s lookin’ for sweet sensations

[Chorus]
Ladies? (Yeah?)
Fuck it, we shakin’ (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
We swimmin’ (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
We jerkin'(Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
We twerkin’ (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
You wanna touch it, don’t you? (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
Come get this genie in a bottle (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
Come rub it, won’t you? (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
I pop it (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
I walk it like I talk it (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
I got your spurs sparkin’ (Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, oh

[Post-Chorus]
Let loose
Do what you do, baby, Good God

[Verse 2]
I don’t wanna hear no ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
I got you daydreamin’
Put your lips on my lips
And strum me like a guitar
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, you got me movin’, boy
You got me ooh-in’, you might know what you’re doin’ (Ooh-ooh)
Put them babies to bed (Oh-oh)
We sweat out the sheets (Oh)
Got you up all night and now you don’t wanna leave
I can soothe your pain, yeah
When I’m long gone, you’ll call my name, yeah
World of Wind got you insane, yeah
It’s givin’ me the faith

[Refrain]
I’m pickin’ up good vibrations (Ooh)
He’s givin’ me sweet sensations (Oh)

[Bridge]
B-E-Y-I-N-C-E, ya (Get down)
We gon’ bust it down (Ya-ya)
From Texas (From Texas)
To Gary (To Gary)
All the way down to New York City (New York City)
Give me a kiss
Big daddy, you so pretty (So pretty)

[Verse 3]
Got these slugs in my mouth, when I die, don’t take ’em out
(Got these slugs in my mouth, when I die, don’t take ’em out) Ooh
Baby, if you ain’t got no grits, get the fuck up out the South
(If you ain’t got no grits, get the fuck up out the South) Mmh
Life is comin’ at me fast, keep my Bible on the dash
His pistol in my seat, just in case I gotta blast
I just wanna shake my ass (Have a blast), ooh
I just wanna shake my ass (Have a blast), ooh (We vibratin’)
And lover boy, you’re so fine
Ooh, you got me losin’ my mind
But you gotta keep the faith

[Outro]
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
We gotta keep the faith
Ah, vote
Ah, oh, woah-oh

2 thoughts on “Song of the Day #5,772: ‘Ya Ya’ – Beyoncé

  1. Dana Gallup says:

    This is certainly an ambitious track, but I can’t really say it’s one of my favorites.

  2. Amy says:

    This and American Requiem underscore how much Beyoncé is tackling in this album without sacrificing the listener’s sheer pleasure.

    if she doesn’t win AOTY, they were either afraid or just didn’t get it. Neither is an excuse. She better win it this year.

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