It starts with a guitar lick. It’s clean, funky, and immediately recognizable. Then comes that voice—Maurice White, effortless and smooth—asking a question that has sparked a million wedding dances and late-night karaoke sessions: "Do you remember the 21st night of September?"
The song is "September." But everyone knows it by those first three words. Honestly, it’s one of those tracks that feels like it’s always existed, like it was woven into the DNA of the 1970s. People search for the lyrics do u remember because the song is a masterclass in phonetic joy. It doesn't just tell a story; it captures a feeling. But there is a massive misconception about what those lyrics actually mean and how they came to be. It wasn't just a random date picked out of a hat.
Well, actually, it sort of was.
The Mystery of the 21st Night
If you've spent years trying to figure out if something significant happened on September 21st in the life of Maurice White or songwriter Allee Willis, you might be disappointed. For a long time, fans speculated. Was it a birthday? An anniversary? A cosmic alignment?
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Allee Willis, the legendary songwriter who co-wrote the track (and later the Friends theme song), eventually spilled the beans. She admitted that there was no real significance to the 21st. They just needed a three-syllable count that felt right. They tried the 1st, the 15th, the 21st. The "twenty-first" just sang better. It’s a rhythmic choice. That’s the secret of great songwriting: sometimes the sound of the word matters more than the definition.
Interestingly, Maurice White’s wife, Marilyn White, later claimed that the 21st was actually the due date of their son, Kahbran. Whether that was a subconscious choice by Maurice or a happy coincidence remains one of those beautiful mysteries of music history. But for Allee Willis, the experience of writing the lyrics do u remember was an exercise in learning to let go of "sense" in favor of "groove."
The "Ba-de-ya" Debate
You know the chorus. You've screamed it in a car with your friends. "Ba-de-ya, say do you remember / Ba-de-ya, dancing in September."
When Willis was first working on the song with White, she was actually annoyed by those nonsense syllables. She kept waiting for him to replace "Ba-de-ya" with real words. She thought it was a placeholder. As the sessions went on, she finally snapped and asked when they were going to fix it.
Maurice White gave her a piece of advice that every creator should tattoo on their arm: "Never let the lyric get in the way of the groove."
He was right.
"Ba-de-ya" is universal. It doesn't require translation. Whether you are in Chicago, Tokyo, or Paris, you can sing along to a feeling. It’s pure gibberish, but it’s gibberish with a soul. That is why the lyrics do u remember have stayed relevant for nearly five decades. They prioritize the human heartbeat over the dictionary.
Why the Song Never Ages
Music critics often talk about "timelessness" as some vague concept, but with Earth, Wind & Fire, it’s technical. The song is written in a major key, but the chord progression—specifically that major seventh feel—creates a sense of "happy nostalgia." It’s looking back at a memory that hasn't faded.
It’s also surprisingly complex. Most people don’t realize how many layers are happening in the arrangement. You have the Phenix Horns providing those sharp staccato stabs. You have Al McKay’s legendary guitar riff. And then there’s the vocal arrangement. Maurice White and Philip Bailey had a chemistry that shouldn't have worked on paper—one a gritty, grounded baritone-tenor and the other a soaring falsetto—but together, they created a wall of sound that felt like sunshine.
The track was recorded during the sessions for the band’s The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 in 1978. Usually, "new" songs added to Greatest Hits albums are filler. Not this one. It hit number one on the R&B charts and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s since been certified 6x Platinum.
The September 21st Phenomenon
Social media has breathed a weird, new life into the lyrics do u remember. Every year, without fail, September 21st becomes "Earth, Wind & Fire Day."
It’s a digital holiday.
Comedian Demi Adejuyigbe famously created annual videos celebrating the date, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity in the process. This is the power of a lyric that invites the listener in. It’s not a closed story about the singer; it’s an invitation for you to remember your own "golden dreams" and "shiny days."
Common Misheard Lyrics
Even though the song is ubiquitous, people still trip over the words.
- "Our hearts were ringing" often gets heard as "Our hearts were swinging."
- "The bell was ringing" is sometimes mistaken for "The band was playing."
- "Never a cloudy day" is the one everyone gets right, mostly because it’s the emotional core of the song.
The song is essentially a flashback. The singer is talking to a lover in December, looking back at a perfect night in September. It’s a song about the endurance of joy. In a world that often feels heavy, "September" is a three-and-a-half-minute escape into a world where the weather is always perfect and the love never fades.
How to Truly Appreciate the Track
If you want to go beyond just humming the tune, you have to listen to the isolated tracks. If you can find the multitrack stems online, listen to the bassline played by Verdine White. It’s a masterclass in melodic bass playing. He’s not just holding down the root note; he’s dancing around the melody.
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Also, pay attention to the percussion. There’s a cowbell, a tambourine, and congas all working in a polyrhythmic weave. It’s what gives the song that "drive." You can’t sit still. It’s physically impossible.
The Legacy of Allee Willis and Maurice White
Maurice White passed away in 2016, and Allee Willis in 2019. They left behind a catalog that defined an era, but "September" remains their crown jewel. Willis initially hated the "Ba-de-ya" lyrics so much she said it was the "sickest lesson" she ever learned in songwriting.
She eventually grew to love it, obviously. She realized that the lyrics do u remember weren't about the words—they were about the spirit. It’s a lesson in simplicity. Sometimes, we try to over-intellectualize art. We want deep metaphors and complex narratives. But Earth, Wind & Fire understood that humans are primal. We react to rhythm. We react to "Ba-de-ya."
The song has been used in countless movies, from The Intouchables to Night at the Museum. It’s a go-to for filmmakers because it instantly signals "good vibes" to the audience. It is the ultimate tonal shortcut.
Actionable Steps for Music Lovers
If you've been searching for the lyrics do u remember to settle a bet or just to sing better in the shower, don't stop at the surface level.
- Listen to the 12-inch Remix: There are extended versions that let the horn section breathe. It’s worth the extra two minutes.
- Check out the Live at Velfarre version: This 1995 recording shows the band’s incredible tight-knit musicianship even decades after the song’s release.
- Learn the actual chords: If you play an instrument, look up the tab for the F#m7 – G#m7 – C#m7 progression. It will change how you hear the song.
- Mark your calendar: Every September 21st, do what the rest of the world does. Put it on repeat.
The song isn't just a relic of the disco era. It’s a piece of functional art. It does exactly what it was designed to do: make you feel better than you did before you pressed play. Whether it's the 21st of September or the middle of a bleak January, those lyrics are a reminder that "the love we share today" is always worth celebrating.