The line “Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof”. That is what he says, right? Why does he say that? Is there some hip neologism that I’m too old to know about? Does it have anything to do with stupid hats or formal shorts?
Yep to the Curtis Mayfield similarity. I do wish PW would doff the Mountie hats, though. I’m Canadian and they just look weird on him. Not a meme I would associate with his music or performances.
And to your question, yes, that is what I hear too. It’s a nice simile, not forced, just right. Maybe it does go with the hats.
I hear that too. I don’t know what it means, but it makes me think of "outdoor rooms, like outdoor seating areas at restaurants that are surrounded by walls. Very pleasant places, usually. Happy!
This makes perfect sense to me. We’re so cool, the room isn’t big enough for us. The ceiling cannot contain so much cool. But clap as if the room doesn’t have a roof is just. . . odd.
I took it as being like a really cheerful room with lots of sunlight, but of course that only works on a sunny day but whatever. People do describe rooms with lots of windows as “sunny” or whatever. I don’t know. I just first heard the song now from this thread, that’s how I am. I still listen to “Frontin’” regularly and the other day some kids asked me what song that was and it was only then that I realized it was over a decade old. Made me feel very old!
It may be odd, but we’ve all stopped to consider exactly what the line means, so I guess it’s really sort of brilliant. It’s a great catchy song anyway, but it made us notice the lyrics in more than a strictly superficial way.
I wouldn’t have noticed the lyrics in anything other than a superficial way except that it was brought up. It’s a catchy upbeat song with a cute video but I don’t think it’s very deep.
I was just thinking about this lyric this morning. I came to the same conclusion as Blackberry, that it’s a rather strained reference to a very sunny room. Very catchy song. If I hear it on the way to work, it will get stuck in my head all day. That and Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse”.
I promise this is not thread shitting, and I love music and funky music in particular; but I was in a pub on Friday and the band started to play a song and I asked my friend - what’s this song? He said ‘Have you been living under a rock? It’s Pharrell’s Happy.’
I’m in the UK - I listen to my ipod, Five Live and Radio 4 in the car. When I come home i make music or watch movies/tv.
It’s hard to filter; if you listen to radio/watch music channels, there is too much shit - i gave up on them years ago. Do you all do that filtering? I’m really interested.
I always get a weird artificial “happy” vibe from the song like it’s a musical number from The Stepford Wives or maybe the jingle from a Zoloft or Lexapro ad.
I have the opposite reaction to that line. It makes me think of poor people without a roof over their heads or decrepit houses which only have a few walls standing.
It’s okay, you’re not the only one. Somehow, I missed this song, too. I mean, I was tangentially aware of it from a couple Facebook posts, but never heard it until actually clicking on the link in the OP. I’m not entirely sure how, as I don’t go out of my way to avoid pop culture (and actually like to be somewhat clued in to what’s going on.)