People on Social Media are Freaking Out After Finding Out the “Real” Lyrics to 69 Boyz ‘Tootsee Roll’
What if I told you that your entire life was a lie?
OK, that was insanely dramatic—but what if I told you that a component of pop culture that is undoubtedly ingrained in your memory is actually a misheard lyric?
Back in 1994, the 69 Boyz took the world by storm with an infectious dance hit called "Tootsee Roll." Back then, the Miami Bass sound had invaded nightclubs, dancefloors, and southern hip hop had definitely latched on and made a style all their own by rapping over the fast, booming beats.
The song broke out of the south and ended up peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early January 1995 after spending 27 weeks in the top 20 altogether.
Needless to say, if you were around at the end of 1994, there was no escaping this song and the lyrics are probably etched into your Gen X/elder Millenial brain forever. Whether you remember the song from your local skating rink, from every school dance that took place that fall, or from whatever nightly countdown you religiously tuned in to on your favorite local radio station, the song was inescapable.
The lyrics were also very elementary, making it super easy to sing along any time you were within an earshot of the record being played.
This is why some Facebook users were absolutely floored to find out they've been singing the wrong lyrics to this '90s jam incorrectly all along. I wasn't kidding earlier when I asked what you would do if you found out your entire life was a lie because multiple people said this exact thing when they came across this post from BigBell TheMan on Facebook.
There were people in the comments who ranged from those who were genuinely floored to others who were in denial.
Some stood their ground, no matter what the screengrab said.
To be fair, there are multiple entries with different lyrics on each respective lyrics site. One thing to keep in mind is that these sites are run by people just like you and me.
One of my favorite lyrics sites is Genius and they have it listed as "Sweetie Gold," so go ahead and throw another log of confusion onto the fire while we're at it.
I just happen to be friends with Jay McGowan, a Grammy-nominated national recording artist who was a staple in groups like Quad City DJs, 69 Boyz, and 95 South. In the early '90s, McGowan wrote numerous platinum hits including “Whoot There It Is,” “Space Jam,” “Come on Ride the Train,” and—you guessed it—“Tootsee Roll."
I reached out to Jay to let him know about this viral debate, and the minute I hear back from him I will give you the update, directly from the source himself, so we can settle this once and for all.
Until then, it will remain to be "sweet as gold."