Juke Jam
Verse 1: Chance The Rapper
We used to roll at the Rink, we used to roll at the RinkI used to talk way too much, you used to know everythingYou couldn't stand me, I couldn't stand youYou said I'm steady playin', but you steady playin' tooYour big brother footwork, your play sister jukeThe Rink was the place, but in that space and time I was too young for youAs you were for me, too worried 'bout Frooties and Chews'Til I found out all the shorties with cooties was cuteAnd realized what booties could doChorus: Towkio
We gon' get it poppin', we gon' get it jukin'We gon' throw a party, and we ain't gotta do shitYou came with your best friend, came here for the weekendRollin' with your party, so tell me what you thinkin'Said we gon' have a juke jam, we gon' have a juke jamWe can have a party, just listening to musicLike we used to do, I'll get close to youI remember you, you used to, I remember you, 'causePost-Chorus: Justin Bieber
We've got so much history, baby (Juke), maybe (Juke)Maybe you and I were meant to be, maybe (Juke), I'm crazy (Juke)Verse 2: Chance The Rapper
We never rolled at the Rink, we would just go to the RinkYou ain't buy tokens no more, you just hip roll at the RinkYou had a nigga, I couldn't stand himBut when they play "Take You Down," Chris Brown, I am his stand-inI mean, it's just dancing, it's harmless as fuckThen I put my waist to your hips and your legs in my arms just to harness you upThen we hit the floor, all the kiddies stop skatingTo see grown folks do what grown folks do when they grown and they datingPost-Chorus: Justin Bieber
We've got so much history, baby (That's right, that's right), maybe (That's right, that's right)Maybe you and I were meant to be, maybe I'm crazyCrazy 'bout youChorus: Towkio
We gon' get it poppin', we gon' get it jukin'We gon' throw a party, and we ain't gotta do shitYou came with your best friend, came here for the weekendRollin' with your party, so tell me what you thinkin'Said we gon' have a juke jam, we gon' have a juke jamWe can have a party, just listening to musicLike we used to do, I'll get close to youI remember you, you used to, I remember you, 'causeOutro: Justin Bieber
We've got so much history, baby (Juke), maybe (Juke)What the song means
"Juke Jam" is a nostalgic song about two people who knew each other as teenagers at a roller rink and meet again as adults. The narrator looks back on their history with affection and some humor: the early fights and mutual irritation, the awkward crushes, and the moment he realized the person he once found annoying had become attractive. The mood starts playful and reminiscent, then turns more romantic and confident as the adult reunion takes shape, and the chorus becomes an invitation to relive the past at a party.
The key images are the rink, the juke dance, and the candy and childhood slang. The rink stands for a shared youth where everyone was learning to be grown up. The juke, a fast footwork dance style associated with Chicago, shows the closeness and physicality of their dancing, which turns a childhood setting into something sensual. Lines about candy and "cooties" mark the innocence of that earlier time, and the contrast with later lines about "booties" suggests how quickly that innocence changed. The repeated "we gon' get it jukin'" works as a hook that makes the nostalgic memory feel like a fresh start.
Key phrases explained
- steady playin'
- playing games, keeping someone guessing, flirting without committing — Here it describes both of them teasing and toying with each other while pretending indifference.
- juke
- a fast, footwork-based dance style from Chicago — The word names the dance that gives the song its title and ties the memory to a specific place and culture.
- hip roll
- a smooth, rolling hip movement while skating or dancing — It shows how the narrator notices the other person's movement and sees them differently as adults.
- Frooties and Chews
- Frooties and Chewy candy, sweets kids buy at the snack bar — The snacks are a childhood reference that marks how young they were back then.
- cooties
- a playground joke about catching germs from other kids — It sums up the innocent, teasing attitude toward the opposite sex before romance mattered.
- Take You Down
- a Chris Brown song played as a slow, romantic dance track — It sets the mood for the adult, sensual turn in the second verse.
Song info
- Release date
- 2016-05-13
- Album
- Coloring Book
- Written by
- Kai Campos, Dom Maker, Peter CottonTale, Rascal, Justin Bieber, Towkio
- Produced by
- Chance the Rapper, Rascal, Peter CottonTale
- Featuring
- Towkio, Justin Bieber
- Samples
- Mount Kimbie – Adriatic
- Interpolates
- R. Kelly – Feelin’ on Yo Booty
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