"He's the Groove" is a 1980
novelty song by Snuky Tate, the stage persona of American funk and punk rock musician
Lionel White. The song is about
Pope John Paul II.
Concept
"He's the Groove" is a song which praises
Pope John Paul II as being ''the
groove and the man'' and ''no dope''. It predicts that ''when he comes to town, everybody will get down''. The lyrics are set over a danceable
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
beat. At the time of its release, during the 1980 papal visit to the United States, a
music video was created featuring White and his backing band performing the song, while
archive footage of
Pope John Paul II's public appearances intercuts the images.
Reception
When
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
was a guest in
Dr. Demento's radio show he played this song as part of his DJ set. He told the host that he had met Snuky in New York City. Another fan of the song is
James Ford of
Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco are an English electronic music duo and production team, formed in 2003 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production. Ford is also known for his production work.
...
.
References
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Songs about Pope John Paul II
Songs about dancing
1980 songs
1980 singles
Novelty songs
American funk songs
American disco songs