Let's Get Retarded 1909428 226112460 2008-07-16T21:39:55Z Seán Travers 6734852 {{Infobox Single | Name = Let's Get It Started | Cover = LetsGetItStarted.jpg | Artist = [[Black Eyed Peas]] | from Album = [[Elephunk]] ''and'' [[Barbershop 2: Back in Business]] | Released = 2004 | Format = [[CD single]] | Recorded = &mdash; | Genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip Hop]]<br>[[Dance Pop]]<br> [[Pop Rap]]<br>[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] | Length = 3:34 <small>(album version)</small> <br /> 3:39 <small>(clean/radio version)</small> | Label = [[A&M Records|A&M]] | Producer = | Last single = "[[Hey Mama (Black Eyed Peas song)|Hey Mama]]"<br>(2004) | This single = "Let's Get It Started"<br>(2004) | Next single = "[[Don't Phunk with My Heart]]"<br>(2005) | Misc = {{Extra album cover 2 | Upper caption = Alternate cover | Type = single | Cover = Let'sgetitstarted theurbz.jpg | Lower caption = Let's Get It Started '''The Urbz Edition''' }} {{Audiosample | Upper caption = Audio sample | Audio file = LetsGetRetarded2Sample.ogg }} }} "'''Let's Get Retarded'''" (also known by its radio-friendly version "'''Let's Get It Started'''") appears on the [[Black Eyed Peas]] 2003 album ''[[Elephunk]]''. It is the fourth single from their 2003 album, ''[[Elephunk]]'', and was also included on the ''[[Barbershop 2: Back in Business]]'' and ''[[Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle]]'' soundtracks, as well as the soundtrack for the 2006 romantic comedy "[[It's a Boy/Girl Thing]]". The song was also [[STAR World]]'s first SID. It gained popularity as the theme song for the [[2004 NBA Playoffs]] on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. It was also featured in the film ''[[White Chicks]]''. It was used in UK advertisements for the game [[The Urbz: Sims in the City]]. ==Lyrical controversy== The phrase "Let's Get Retarded" is a slang term used in the United States that means to consume intoxicating alcohol or drugs to the point where you are incapable of verbally communicating past incoherent mumbles.<ref>Urban Dictionary "Get Retarded" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=get+retarded</ref> The phrase is often used in everyday slang, however, "retard" is a pejorative term for the [[Mental_retardation|mentally challenged]]<ref>{{cite web | last = BBC | first = | authorlink = BBC | coauthors = | title = Worst Word Vote | work = Ouch | publisher = | date = [[2003]] | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/yourspace/worstwords/ | format = HTML | doi = | accessdate = 2007-08-17}}</ref>, and "retarded" is sometimes considered offensive as well making the song unsuitable for play on some radio stations and at sports games. In 2004 the song's lyrics were edited because of this and '''"Let's Get It Started"''' found its way onto the airwaves, movie soundtracks, and video games. ==Music video== [[Image:Blackeyedpeas LGIS.video.jpg|thumb|left|[[Will.i.am]] in the music video.]] The music video directed by [[Francis Lawrence]] consists of a nighttime setting, in an urban area. [[Stacy Ferguson|Fergie]] says 'let's get it started' into her phone. The Black Eyed Peas, particularly [[will.i.am]], are on a stage doing energetic dances while singing the song. The video went to #34 on "[[MuchMusic]]'s 50 Most Controversial Videos" for its original song title. ==Chart Performance== The single debuted at #37 in the [[Latin America Top 40]]<ref>[http://toplatino.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=25 Debut Position]</ref> and peaked at #14(four times) four weeks later<ref>[http://toplatino.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=30 Peak]</ref> becoming her second top twenty. It reached #21 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] singles chart in the [[United States]] and #11 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. ==Reincarnations== * A [[Cover version|cover]] by [[lounge]] act [[Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine]] appeared on the [[2005]] album ''[[Aperitif for Destruction]]''. * The song is featured in one of [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s polkas, Polkarama, on his CD, ''[[Straight Outta Lynwood]]''. * The song was played by the [[Francis Howell North High School]] [[marching band]] at the [[Bands of America]] grand national championships in 2005. * A version of this song translated into [[Simlish]] is the theme song for the [[Playstation 2]] game ''[[The Urbz: Sims in the City]]'', also recorded by the Black Eyed Peas themselves. * The [[Detroit Pistons]] formerly played this song in the beginning of every home game to "pump up" the crowd. * The introduction of the song sounds similar to [[Alicia Keys]]' [[2001 in music|2001]] single ''[[Fallin']]''.{{fact|date=July 2008}} ==Track Listing== ;CD Single #"Let's Get It Started" (Spike Mix) #"Way U Make Me Feel" (Album Version Explicit) #"Let's Get Retarded" (Album Version Explicit) #"Let's Get It Started" Music Video ;[[The Urbz: Sims in the City|The Urbz]] Edition &ndash; EP #"Let's Get It Started" (Spike Mix) &ndash; 3:39 #"Ga Ra Ta Da" ([[Simlish]] Version) &ndash; 3:28 #"The Sticky" &ndash; 4:39 #"Friddy Dope" ([[Simlish]] Version) &ndash; 3:46 ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Black Eyed Peas}} [[Category:Black Eyed Peas songs]] [[Category:2003 songs]] [[Category:2004 singles]] [[Category:Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine songs]] [[Category:National Basketball Association music]] [[Category:ABC Sports]] [[it:Let's Get It Started (singolo)]] [[pt:Let's Get It Started]]