"Miss Celie's Pants" is a song featured in the 2023 film The Color Purple with lyrics written by Stephen Bray, Allee Willis, and Brenda Russell. The song expresses Celie Harris Johnson's empowerment and independence as she starts her own business of making pants for women in her community. She changes the cloth, the print, the waist, and the pocket of her pants, creating styles that make women feel like queens. The song also celebrates Celie's reunion with her sister Nettie, who had been separated from her for many years.
Lyrics[]
Celie:
All I need's a needle and a spool of thread
Got about a million patterns in my head
All the ladies' legs are gonna love to dance
When they in Miss Celie's pants
Seamstresses:
Gabardine, velveteen, satin or lace
Buttons and bows all over the place
Celie:
Styles that'll make you feel like a queen
Seamstresses:
That woman's a whiz with a sewin' machine!
Celie, Shug, Sofia, Squeak, and Seamstresses:
Who dat say? Who dat say? Who dat?
Who dat say? Who dat say? Who dat?
Who dat say? What you say?
In Miss Celie's pants! Who dat say?
Who dat say? Who dat?
Sofia:
Lookit here, get out my way
Sofia's back, and I'm here to stay
Celie, Shug, Sofia, Squeak, and Seamstresses:
In Miss Celie's Pants
Shug:
Girl, you swept out the mem'ries,
Filled this place with joy
Sofia:
In this big ol' store!
Squeak:
Got your sewing machines
Shug:
Mirrors shiny clean
Squeak:
And a fittin' room
Smell like sweet perfume
Sofia:
That man might have
Sofia, Shug, and Squeak:
Done you wrong...
Sofia:
And brought you to tears, made you believe you're not strong
Sofia, Shug, Squeak, and Seamstresses:
Strong
Celie:
But look...
I said, look...
Are you lookin'?
Shug:
We all lookin', honey
Celie:
Look who's wearin' the pants now!
All:
Who dat? Who dat say? Who dat say?
Who dat? Who dat say? Who dat say?
Who dat? Who dat say? What you say?
In Miss Celie's pants!
Who that say, who that say, who that (Who that say)
Who that say, who that say, who that (Who that say)
Who that say, what you say
In Miss Celie's pants
Dwee-n-doo-dat, Dwee-n-doo-dat,
Dwee-n-doo-dat, Daah Dwee, Dwee Doo-Da,
Ba-Ba-Doo-Day, Ba-Ba-Doo-Day, Ba-Ba-Doo-Day
Celie:
Who dat say, who that say, who that say
All:
Dwee-Doo-N-Dow, Dwee-Doo-N-Doo, Doo-Ba-Doo-Da,
Who dat say? Who dat say? Who dat?
Who dat say? Who dat say? Who dat?
Who dat say? What you say?
In Miss Celie's pants!
