A Revealing Look Back

They say that to truly know where you are heading, you have to first look back at where you came from. If we look back today, we can see that it has been almost ten years since the last major transition in songwriting. While the iPod may have irrevocably changed how we get and listen to our music, the turn of the century saw music move away from cheery pop songs about that special girl and, instead, zoomed in on the posterior of all the honeys in the house, the hiz house, as well as da heezy, fo’ sheezy.

Before one man led this shift in musical subject matter, songs focused on the actual derrière itself. Musical compositions such as Juvenile’s Back that Azz Up, Mystikal’s Shake Ya Ass, and Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping all extolled the virtues of the fanny, especially in its jiggling movement. These songs all harkened back to Sir Mix-a-Lot’s seminal piece on the topic.

However, in 1999, Sisqo became the first artist to truly take that common subject matter in a new and exciting direction by focusing on the female undergarments and the alluring cover they provide. Instead of going straight to the deed, this booty pioneer’s lyrics were centered around the suspense and buildup to the anticipated unveiling when boom! there dem hams be.

What better way to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of The Thong Song then to explore the song’s lyrics to get a proper prospective on how Sisqo managed to immensely glorify such a skimpy article of clothing. If one takes a closer look at the lyrics, one will find that this tune is not just a misogynistic anthem. It’s more nuanced than anyone has ever realized.

Aware of the inherent lowbrow nature of the subject matter, Sisqo embarks on this musical journey with a vocal introduction where he whispers – quite provocatively, might I add – about the things guys talk about, such as “the finer things in life.” It is clear that Sisqo, like a lot of people, enjoys a good pun. Notice the use of the word finer. It not only describes the types of things men like; it also alludes to the fine string that is the centerpiece of the thong. This little wordplay is what truly separates Sisqo from his peers. This linguistic twist puts the listener on his heels and provides a warning that there is more to this song than just sexy bottoms.

While the subject matter lends itself to criticism and snickering, Sisqo breaks down many of our preconceived notions. In fact, between the bass lines and phat beats lies a rather complex song.

One of the overall messages of the song is that we as a society can no longer hang onto our preconceived notions of race. The thong-wearing ladies are described as “just not urban, but pop cuz she was livin la vida loca.” He’s not just sampling a lyrical snippet from a radio hit; he’s breaking down racial stereotypes. It’s not only the urban crowd gawking at the thongs, but also the pop crowd and the Hispanic crowd. Together, they all enjoy a good thong. This is an article of clothing that doesn’t see color. People of all races and creeds can come together, even over a minor thing like a thong. If only more people could be like that.

It’s an optimistic song at its core.

If you only focus on the music video, themes such as racial harmony get lost amongst such vivid imagery like the beach babes shaking their hips and a hot dog being mustard. Sometimes you have to look beyond the words to see the true meaning of any song. One thing that Sisqo does to help people get past the lurid subject matter is to use the song’s structure to communicate with the listener.

One of the literary techniques used in the song is repetition. Constant singing of the phrase “da na da na” in the chorus conveys how widespread the thong phenomenon is. This phrase is also used as a metaphor to represent the similarities between thongs. The first couplet of “da na” is symmetrical to the second “da na.” This is not a mere coincidence. The dichotomy between the sets shows that in the macro-environment, all thongs are similar. The fact that this small phrase precedes each line in the chorus further represents the high number of thongs currently in use.

When you move away from the big picture and focus in on the micro-environment of this particular piece of lingerie, the “da na” and the other “da na” represents the similarities of the right and left side of the thong, if you know what I’m talking about.

Unlike other musicians, Sisqo avoids explicitly singing about the rear. Instead, he talks about everything up to that point. In this anticipatory plot about the thong and what mysteries lie underneath, Sisqo sings about the area around the thong, including the “dumps like a truck” and the “thighs like what what what.” The repeated “what” is interesting because it would almost seem like Sisqo is literally at a lose for words.

Its as if Sisqo spotted a woman wearing boxer briefs. Confused, he thinks that while biologically she may not need them for the added support, there is certainly an undeniable comfort level to them. This contrasts with the idea that a thong looks uncomfortable to wear, almost like a self-inflicted wedgie. Not to be deterred, Sisqo howls, not sings, but howls “let me see that thong!” He might as well have been telling the beach crowd to put away the granny panties for good. It’s excellent advice from the bard himself.

As part of the chorus – as well as the section that soccer moms and desktop dads alike lip sync with no shame – Sisqo sings about “that thong th thong thong thong.” It’s a little misleading what he is referring to here. On the one hand, the multiple appearances of the word “thong” could signify that the singer is focused on multiple thongs in his field of vision. Since there could be so many to choose from, he can’t afford to dwell on the brand and color of each individual pair. Instead, he speaks of the collective. The repeated use of “thong,” with no adjective to interject the sequence, shows that all thongs just aren’t alike, but rather they all hold equal value. While the color and amount of lace trim may vary widely, each thong is looked upon favorably.

Despite the strong evidence that Sisqo is singing about all the thongs in the area, it cannot be ruled out that Sisqo is singing about a specific woman and her undies instead. Repeated use of the word “thong” in the chorus could point to a low pressure system moving through the area, lowering the temperature and thus requiring this unnamed arctic babe to dress in layers by putting on multiple thongs. Listen closely and the sultry and risqué symbolism really comes through the speakers. This theory has been gaining in popularity recently as lyrical theorists point to “dat dress” that looks “so scandalous” and argue that he is singing about one dress and not multiple ones.

Then again, there may be only one dress since the other thong ladies in the club could have been wearing jeans. This, of course, does not take into account the “commando corollary” and all the titillating theories that conjures up.

These conflicting opinions is just further proof that after ten years, we’re still not truly sure of the underlying message of The Thong Song. Sisqo clearly was ahead of his time at that time, but, in due time, I feel that time will tell all about that thong th thong thong thong.