Moving On Up by M People - Songfacts

Moving On Up

Album: Elegant Slumming (1993)
Charted: 2 34
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Songfacts®:

  • This is the biggest hit from the British soul group M People. In it, a woman discards her cheating, boorish man, and is going to better her life now that he's gone. Frontwoman Heather Small provides very distinctive vocals.
  • The song features on a number of film soundtracks, including The Full Monty, The Next Karate Kid, The First Wives Club and Trance.
  • "Moving On Up" is the only chart entry for M People in the US, but they had a string of hits throughout Europe in the '90s, when every single they released charted in their native UK.
  • M People's Mike Pickering (the M in the group's name) hit out at the use of the song at the 2022 Conservative Party Conference as the walk-on music for Prime Minister Liz Truss' keynote speech.

    Pickering said that the band had contacted their lawyers, who told them they couldn't stop Truss walking out to the song.

    He added that if Ms. Truss had "bothered to read the lyrics, it's hardly suitable" as it refers to "go and pack your bags and get out'" and taking a "sip from the devil's cup."

Comments: 2

  • Mike from Matawan, NjDidn't George and Weezie originate this?
  • Lars from Columbia,sc (danish Import)Yeah
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