Say Hey (I Love You)

Poet, musician and political activist Michael Franti began his music career in 1986 as part of the industrial punk band The Beatnigs. In 1991 he teamed up with the band's dancer and percussionist Rono Tse to form the Hip-Hop duo Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, who had several minor hits in the UK. In 1994, Franti formed a new band called Spearhead with a few studio musicians, which blended hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, jazz, reggae and rock. This radio friendly song is from their sixth studio album, All Rebel Rockers, and when it was released as a single in 2009, it became Franti's first ever American multi-format hit record.

Franti explained in a press release that this is "a song about life's journey." He added: "No matter where it takes us, no matter how hard it may seem to understand at times, there is one thing we know for sure… we love the people who are closest to us." Franti concluded: "People are smiling on this song because in these uncertain times people are connecting with what they value most, friends, family and togetherness. It's also got a hot beat and you can dance to it."

In a Songfacts interview with Michael Franti, he admitted to writing this song in Woody Harrelson's bathroom. "I wrote it on the steam in the glass in his shower," he said. "When I was done, I jumped out and the words were evaporating off the glass, so I quickly took a picture of it with my iPhone. Woody called me and he said, 'How's the songwriting going?' And I said, 'I think it's going great. I think I might have written a hit song in your bathroom.' And Woody said, 'Is it a Number 1 or a Number 2?'"