[Intro: Richard Street]
Ya-ya, ya-ya-ya, ya-ya

[Verse 1: Dennis Edwards]
When you're on the top
There's no place you can really go but down, down, down
People on the street congratulate you
They say they love the way you sound

[Pre-Chorus: Dennis Edwards, Eddie Kendricks, Richard Street, and (Melvin Franklin)]
Well, when you're on the low
No one wants to chit or chat or even know your name (Oh, yeah)
Your agent's never there
Your manager has ripped you off and gone somewhere
Standing on the top

[Chorus: The Temptations & Rick James]
Standing on the top ... top!
On the top getting down, yeah
Standing on the top (Yeah) ... top!
On the top getting down, Temptations sing!

Standing on the top
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Standing on the top
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
[Verse 2: David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks]
When you're on the top
Everyone you meet, they wanna be your long lost friend
They say how great you are, a superstar
But do you have any money to lend?
(Hey, man, can you loan me a few bucks?)

[Pre-Chorus: David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin]
When you're on the low
Where do all the freaks and fancy people go? (I don't know) I don't know
People sit and stare
Asking crazy questions: "Do you braid your hair?"
(And "What's L-7 Square?")

[Chorus: The Temptations & Rick James]
Standing on the top ... top!
On the top getting down, yeah
Standing on the top ... top!
On the top getting down, ho!

[Break: Rick James]
Yeah, ooh!

[Chorus: The Temptations & Rick James]
Standing on the top ... top!
On the top getting down, yeah
Standing on the top ... top!
On the top getting down, down, down, down
Standing on the top (Sing!)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
(Well, well, well, well, well, well)
Standing on the top (Well)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
(Standing on the top getting down)

[Bridge: Rick James + (The Temptations)]
Can you understand it (We understand it)
Can you understand it, what I'm talkin' about
When I say that funk is here to stay
(We understand it)
Can you understand it what I'm talkin' about
The funk is here to stay, oh (We understand it)
If you understand it, say "Yeah" (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
(We understand it) When I say that funk is here to stay
Funk is here to stay

[The Temptations, Richard Street, Dennis Edwards, and David Ruffin]
We want the funk
(We want the funk and nothing else will do
Nothing else will do, no)
We want the funk
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, we want the funk
Nothing but the punk funk)
We want the funk
(Ooh ... we want the funk
And nothing but the funk)
We want the funk
[The Temptations, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and (Mary Jane Girls)]
(We want the funk
All we're saying is we want the funk)
We want the funk
We want the funk and nothing else will do
(We want the funk)
We want the funk and nothing else will do

(We want the funk) We want the funk
We want the funk and nothing else will do
(We want the funk)
We want the funk and nothing else will do
We want the funk
We want the funk and nothing else will do
(We want the funk)
We want the funk and nothing else will do
We want the funk
We want the funk and nothing else will do
(We want the funk)
We want the funk and nothing else will do

Standing on the top
Standing on the top (Yeah)

Hey, what you say; do you like your funk this way?
Hey, what you say (We like it, we like it)
Hey, what you say; do you like your funk this way?
Hey, what you say (We like it, we like it)
Hey, what you say; do you like your funk this way?
Hey, what you say (We like it, we like it)
Hey, what you say; do you like your funk this way?
Hey, what you say (We like it, we like it)
BLOW! [Horn solo] BLOW! BLOW!
Standing on the top (BLOW! BLOW!)
Standing on the top (Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh)

Hey, what you say; do you like your funk this way?
Hey, what you say (Do you like it?) (Yeah)
Hey, what you say; do you like your funk this way?
Hey, what you say
Hey, what you say; do you like your funk this way?
Hey, what you say (Yoooo, ho)

Hey, what you say; what you say; what you say

Hey, what you say; what you say; what you say (Say what?)

We want the funk
(We want the funk and nothing else)
We want the funk
(We want the funk and nothing else)
We want the funk
(We want the funk and nothing else)
We want the funk
(We want the funk and nothing else)

Mmm-hmm, everybody, in this place tonight
If you feel the funk, and you feel all right
Say "Hey...what you say" (Hey, what you say)
(We want the funk and nothing else)
Hey, what you say
(We want the funk and nothing else)
Hey, what you say
(We want the funk and nothing else)
(We want the funk) Hey, what you say...