Pitbull, ‘Timber’ Feat. Kesha – Song Meaning
What goes up must come down. It's the simple law of gravity. Pitbull and Kesha's banger 'Timber' doesn't require too much introspection – it's a dance song for god's sake — but there is a clever use of metaphor and double meaning. The song furthers the idea that before you go down for the nigh to, you know, sleep, you must party hard.
The song also promotes the idea that before you hit the deck, make the most of the time you are awake. Seize the day, yo! You remain up when gettin' down.
"It's going down, I'm yelling timber / You better move, you better dance / Let's make a night you won't remember / I'll be the one you won't forget."
Usually, someone, like a lumberjack chopping down a tree in a forest, yells "TIMBER" when the tree is about to fall, warning anyone in a nearby radius so they don't get crushed. Here, it's a warning, but one that has nada to do with trees. S---t's about to go down and it's all about the party, the nightlife and the dancefloor.
"Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane / No, it's just me, ain't a damn thing changed / Live in hotels, swing on planes / Blessed to say, money ain't a thing / Club jumping like LeBron now, Volí / Order me another round, homie / We about to clown wild, 'cause it's about to go down."
While it's true that what goes up must come down, Pit is living it. In this moment, he is on the ascent, but he's still getting down. We know, it's up, it's down, it's up, it's down.
"Swing your partner round and round / End of the night, it's going down / One more shot, another round / End of the night, it's going down / Swing your partner round and round."
Here is why the use of the word "timber" works so flawlessly in this song. It's going down. The night will end with someone face down, either hungover or from dance floor exhaustion. The night is eventually going down -- you can't stop gravity or the morning light, so live it up while you can.
Watch the Pitbull 'Timber' Video Feat. Kesha