The Crossing (ooh the action...)

Song Meaning

Grace Jones's "The Crossing (ooh the action...)" isn't so much a song as a deconstructed myth-making exercise, a collage of spoken-word snippets and repetitive chanting that builds into a potent statement on identity, ambition, and the very nature of stardom. The track pieces together fragments of interviews, pronouncements, and observations about Jones herself, creating a meta-commentary on her public persona. It's a self-aware look at the construction of celebrity, hinting at the artifice and calculated performance that underlies the image of "Miss Grace Jones." The recurring phrase "ooh the action" can be interpreted as a double entendre, referring both to the excitement and dynamism of Jones's life and career, and to the performative "action" of creating and maintaining a public image. The spoken-word segments, particularly the conversation with Paul Morley, delve into Jones's early aspirations and her desire to escape boredom. This yearning for something more, a refusal to be ordinary, seems to be a driving force behind her transformation into an icon. The references to floating on a cloud and never coming down suggest a deliberate rejection of grounded reality in favor of a more fantastical, self-created existence. The inclusion of Jean-Paul Goude's perspective adds another layer, highlighting the pivotal role of belief and self-conviction in Jones's rise to fame. He notes that there was nothing to indicate that Grace could be a star "except her deep conviction," underscoring the power of self-belief in the face of external expectations. Ultimately, "The Crossing (ooh the action...)" is an exploration of the complex relationship between the artist, the audience, and the constructed image. Jones isn't simply presenting herself; she's dissecting the very process of self-presentation. The song is a testament to her unique approach to art and life, her willingness to embrace contradiction and challenge conventional notions of identity and celebrity. It leaves the listener pondering the authenticity and the performance within the carefully crafted world of Grace Jones.