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"Talkin' Out the Side of Your Neck" is a song by American funk band Cameo and the third track on their 1984 album, She's Strange. The song was released as a single with "Léve Toi!" in 1984. Since its release, it has become associated with HBCU bands and the LSU Tiger Marching Band.

Composition

"Talkin' Out the Side of Your Neck" features elements of hip hop and funk music. Daryl Easlea, writing for BBC Music, described the song as "an attack on the Reagan government rocking a metal groove, full of sassy uptown horns with Talking Heads-style keyboard washes". The song's lyrics mention presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, with the chorus repeating "You're gonna get what's comin' to you yet".

Legacy

"Talkin' Out the Side of Your Neck" has become a commonly played arrangement for many marching bands, particularly HBCU bands. The tradition's origins are unknown, but multiple Norfolk State University alumni claim its first marching band performance to have been the 1984 edition of the Battle of the Bay, NSU's football rivalry with Hampton University.

The song has also become associated with the LSU Tiger Marching Band and LSU Tigers football. Performances of "Neck" have become controversial due to a vulgar crowd cheer ("Suck that Tiger dick, bitch"), based on the song's chorus, that resulted in the arrangement being officially discontinued in 2010. After being brought back in 2013, it has reportedly been used sparingly. During a 2017 home game against Texas A&M, NFL wide receiver and former Tiger Odell Beckham Jr. approached the band director and convinced them to play the song, reportedly offering to cover any fine the performance would incur. During a 2018 game against Georgia, the crowd broke into the chant several times despite the tune never being played. The night before the 2020 CFP National Championship between LSU and Clemson, a performance of "Neck" on Bourbon Street drew large crowds. The song is reportedly planned to be included in the upcoming video game EA Sports College Football 25.

Charts

References

1. RIAA Certified Gold Sales Award via Facebook.
2. "Cameo – Talkin' Out The Side Of Your Neck". Discogs. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
3. ^ Huggins, Gerald (December 30, 2019). "The Origin of 'Neck': How Cameo's hit became an HBCU band anthem". HBCUGameday. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
4. ^ Johnson, Richard (November 26, 2017). "LSU's band mighta played "Neck" at the behest of Odell Beckham". SBNation.com. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
5. Easlea, Daryl. "BBC - Music - Review of Cameo - She's Strange". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
6. "No 'Neck,' no problem for LSU student section". NOLA.com. October 15, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
7. "Watch: They let (a) band play NECK on Bourbon Street — and it was quite a sight". The Advocate. January 12, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
8. "LSU football anthem 'Neck' will reportedly appear in College Football 25 video game". Yahoo Sports. May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
9. "Cameo Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 11, 2024.

• 1984 singles
• 1984 songs
• Cameo (band) songs
• Songs written by Larry Blackmon