Can You Jerk Like Me

The Contours

About Can You Jerk Like Me

"Can You Jerk Like Me" (Gordy G7037) is a 1964 R&B song by Motown Records group The Contours, issued on its Gordy Records subsidiary. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #57, and a Top 20 hit on its R&B chart, reaching #16. A single-only release, it did not appear on any original Contours studio album, as the group only had one album release during their 5 years on the label, 1962's Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance). (Note: It has been recently revealed that this song was recorded for a planned, but unreleased Contours album for Motown in 1964 entitled The Contours: Can You Dance (Gordy 910). This album was released, in modified form, by the import label, Kent Records, in 2011 under the name Dance With The Contours under license from Motown Records). A powerful, propulsive up-tempo rocker, tailor-made for Motown's dynamic Contours, this was one of several songs based on The Jerk, a popular 1960s dance craze. Led by Billy Gordon, one of the group's 2 lead singers, this song was written by Motown staff songwriter/producer William "Mickey" Stevenson, (who also doubled as the Motown label's A&R director) and songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter. more »

Year:: 2006
: 2:29
: 57 Views
Playlists:: #2
Afrikaans

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(Oh, yeah) come on, children
(Oh, yeah) hey

Can you do the Jerk
Come on, let's work
Move your shoulders up and down
Your feet don't leave the ground

Anyone can do it
Friends, there's nothing to it
If you're young or old
All it takes is soul

And I just wanna know
Can you Jerk like me
Come on, children, hey
(Can you Jerk like me)
Come on, children now
(Can you Jerk like me)
Hey, baby, I just wanna know
Can you Jerk like me, hey, baby

Get right back in the groove
Like I said, your feet don't move
Get a hump down in your back
Take off all the slack

Come on, let's work
Snap your fingers
Make your backbone jerk
Now you got that feeling
Cause the music got you reeling

And I just wanna know
Can you Jerk like me
Come on, children
(Can you Jerk like me)
Hey, baby (can you Jerk like me)
I just wanna know
Can you Jerk like me, hey, baby
Ow, it's all right

I just wanna know
(Can you Jerk like me)
Hey, baby

Now you roll back in the groove
Like I said, your feet don't move
Come on (oh, yeah) let's work
Snap those fingers
Make your backbone jerk

Now you got that feeling
Cause the music's got you reeling

I just wanna know
(Can you Jerk like me)
Hey, baby
(Can you Jerk like me)
Come on, children
(Can you Jerk like me)
Hey, baby
(Can you Jerk like me)
Come on, children now

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The Contours

The Contours were one of the early African-American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records. The group is best known for its Billboard Top 10 hit, "Do You Love Me," a million-selling song that peaked twice in the Top 20. more »

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Written by: IVY JO HUNTER, WILLIAM STEVENSON

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

12 facts about this song

Genre "Can You Jerk Like Me" is classified within the Motown, Soul, and R&B genres, showing the strong musical roots of The Contours.
Release Year The track was released in the year 1964, during the height of the American Civil Rights Movement, a time often reflected in contemporary music.
Motown Record It’s among the songs released by the Motown Records, an American record company famous for producing hits from various influential black musicians in the 1960s and onwards.
Dance Song "Can You Jerk like Me" is considered a dance song, meant to compliment the popular dance of the time– The Jerk.
The Contours This group was one of the early African American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records, contributing to the genre's mainstream recognition.
Chart Performance Although never reaching the heights of the group's earlier song, "Do You Love Me," "Can You Jerk Like Me" still performed commendably on the charts, reaching number 15 on the Billboard R&B charts.
Famous Connection It was produced by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, a detail that indicates the belief Gordy had in The Contours' talent.
Influential Period The song’s release period is known as the Golden Age of Soul (mid-60s to the mid-70s). "Can You Jerk Like Me" and similar tracks laid the groundwork for future developments in the Soul and R&B genres.
Recording Location The song was recorded at the legendary Hitsville U.S.A. studio, which was home to numerous Motown hits.
Cultural Influence Even decades after its release, the track is often played at oldies dance parties and special events, showcasing its lasting cultural impact.
Lineup The Contours, during the release of "Can You Jerk Like Me," included members Billy Gordon, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Sylvester Potts, and Hubert Johnson.
B-side The song was paired with "That Day When She Needed Me" as the B-side on its original 45-rpm record release.

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"Can You Jerk Like Me Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/8711666/The+Contours/Can+You+Jerk+Like+Me>.

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