A catchy song and a breathtaking dance.

This other video is a parody, with Justin Timberlake dancing.

You can also sing to the karaoke version here.

All the single ladies! (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies! (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies! (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies! (Now put your hands up!)

Up in the club, we just broke up, I'm doing my own little thing;
You decided to dip, and now you wanna trip, 'Cuz another brotha noticed me...
I'm up on him, he up on me, "Don't pay him any attention..."
'Cuz I cried my tears straight for three good years; you can't be mad at me...

Cuz if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
Don't be mad once you see that he want it!
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it...
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh

If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
Don't be mad once you see that he want it!
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it...

I got gloss on my lips, a man on my hips, and we tighter than my Dereon jeans;
Actin' up, drank in my cup; I can care less what you think...
I need no permission; did I mention "Don't pay him any attention"?
Cuz you had your turn, but now you gon' learn what it really feels like to miss me...

Cuz if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
Don't be mad once you see that he want it!
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it...
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh

If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
Don't be mad once you see that he want it!
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it...
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh;
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh..

Don't treat me to these things of the world (I'm not that kind of girl);
Your love is what I prefer; what I deserve
Is a man that makes me, then takes me, and delivers me to a destiny, to infinity and beyond!
Pull me into your arms, say I'm the one you want;
If you don't, you'll be alone, and like a ghost, I'll be gone...

All the single ladies! (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies! (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies! (All the single ladies)
All the single ladies! (Now put your hands up!)
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Whoa oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh

Cuz if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
Don't be mad once you see that he want it!
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it...
Whoa oh oh...
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it;
Don't be mad once you see that he want it!
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it...
Whoa oh oh!

Note on pronunciation: notice that when she pronounces the sound /ʃ/ (sh) after an /n/ it sounds very similar to /tʃ/ (ch). This is not something normal, but some people in America do it. For instance, pay attention to how she pronounces "attention" (that sounds like /ətenʃən/, but she makes it more similar to /ətentʃən/) or "don't be mad once you see": "once you" has an assimilation and may sound /wʌnʃu:/, but she makes it similar to /wʌntʃu:/.

ALL THE SINGLE LADIES= This song is addressed to all the single ladies, so she begins by asking them to listen.

PUT YOUR HANDS UP= In this context it means to show that you're there, ready to fight for your rights.

UP IN THE CLUB= Over there, in the bar.

WE JUST BROKE UP= We have stopped our relationship a moment ago.

I’M DOING MY OWN LITTLE THING= I’m minding my business, I’m living my life.

DIP= To run fast away from something, to leave abruptly. You decided to dip = you had suddenly stopped our relationship.

YOU WANNA TRIP= You want to overreact, to go crazy.

CUZ= Because.

BROTHA= Brother. Among black people, a brother/sister is another black person. This spelling simply reflects the common black AmE feature of not pronouncing the R unless it is followed by a vowel (same as in BrE)

NOTICED ME= Saw me.

I’M UP ON HIM, HE (is) UP ON ME= They are dancing closely with each other, both of them touching the other person. (They are practically on top of each other)

"DON’T PAY HIM ANY ATTENTION"= This is what she told her new friend when her exboyfriend began to shout at her.

I CRIED MY TEARS= I cried, wept.

MAD (AmE)= Angry. (BrE mad = AmE crazy)

SHOULDA= Should have (this is a very common way to pronounce it in conversational English, even in BrE).
YOU SHOULDA PUT A RING ON IT= You should have put a ring on my finger. If you put a ring on your girlfriend’s finger you’re asking her to marry you and you (boyfriend and girlfriend) become fiancé (male) and fiancée (female) until the day you get married; that day you are bride (female) and bridegroom (male), and later you are husband and wife.

HE WANT IT= It should be "he wants it", but in very colloquial English they often drop the S for the 3rd person singular. And something that happens very often in America is that N+T=N, so "want it" sounds here like "wannit".

GLOSS= A transparent but shiny liquid you put on your lips (or on your nails) to make them shine.

HIPS= The part of your body right below your waist.

DEREON JEANS= A fashionable brand of jeans.

ACTIN’ UP= Behaving improperly.

I CAN’T CARE LESS... = I don’t care at all.

YOU HAD YOUR TURN= You had your opportunity.

YOU GON’ LEARN= You are going to learn.

DON'T TREAT ME TO THESE THINGS OF THE WORLD= I don't want presents and luxury (what I want is your true love)

DESERVE= If you deserve something, you should have it because you are good enough for it.

DELIVERS ME to= Sends me to, takes me to.

AND BEYOND= And farther away.

PULL ME INTO YOUR ARMS= Hold me, hug me, embrace me.

GHOST= The spirit of a dead person.

This couple have been together for three years, but he didn’t want to make a commitment. They were in a bar (club), had an argument about this problem and he decided to break up (to stop the relationship). There was another man who was interested in her, so they started to dance. The man got jealous when he saw his ex-girl dancing with another guy (probably what she wanted) So Beyonce or Sasha Fierce is saying "if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it." If you wanted her then you should have made a commitment, then she wouldn't be out dancing with another dude.

This song is a lesson to all the men who don't want to make a commitment: don't be mad if someone else is interested in your girl. You may not want to marry her, but someone else might.