At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
Breath from Another
Esthero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why don't you drop my pants, I'll make you squeal like a pig
Feet in the water is not cold enough, you're not woman enough
Inside your daughter is not warm enough, and you're not woman enough, no
Don't compromise what's gold
For the soul you never sold
For the soul you never sold, no
So I follow you down this road
Well you try but you can't let go
So hold on to years ago
Cold as a lover, don't you want to stay?
Breath from another, and I'll have my way
Inside your daughter
You can never hold what you can't let go
'Cause he wants it so
She'd sell her own mother
Just to make a dime before closing time
When he tells her so
Don't compromise what's gold
For the soul you never sold
For the soul you never sold, no
So I follow you down this road
Will you drive? well you can't let go
So long, two years ago
She said she wanted me to hit it
But I said I wasn't with it
Eyes red thighs spread better come get it
While it's hot the goods I got never mind my bad credit
Told me how she was soaking wet and I'm the one who wet it
Can't lie I sweat it, but I knew that if I ran through that
It's up the creek I'm headed
Body was there without nor sight nor vision still embedded
But I knew for fucking sure that in the morning I'd regret it
Had to debt it I jetted
He got me hooked 'til I was shooking in the middle of the game
Teary eyes, touch my thighs, future high you'll be my game
Could have kept it but I left it embedded instead of it dissecting me
Free spirit I feared it but steer it to clear it the stress in me
Possessing me the chemistry mother want me in the ministry
Where misery influenced me corruption claiming custody
And I knew this time that I had to feel the pain
It was needed so I'll see what cause deception in this game
Don't compromise what's gold
For the soul you never sold
For the soul you never sold, no
So I follow you down this road
Will you drive? well you can't let go
So hold on to years ago
I'll try to understand
When you're down on your knees in front of a man
I'll try to understand
The lyrics in Esthero's song "Breath From Another" talk about various themes including temptation, desire, and compromising oneself for material possessions, but also about acknowledging one's mistakes and learning from them. In the first verse, the singer is being tempted by someone to do something that's not good for them. The second verse speaks to the idea that the person being tempted is not strong enough to resist because they do not have inner warmth or strength. The chorus repeats the theme of not compromising what's truly valuable for fleeting pleasures.
The third verse takes on a different point of view, referencing a woman willing to abandon her own moral values to get ahead in life. The final verse is almost introspective, with the singer reflecting on their own mistakes and need for growth.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on society's tendency to chase after temporary pleasures and material success at the cost of one's own morals and values. It suggests that true fulfillment and growth can only be achieved by acknowledging one's mistakes and sticking to one's principles.
Line by Line Meaning
You sure do got a pretty mouth
A suggestive and vulgar comment with the implication of sexual activity.
Why don't you drop my pants, I'll make you squeal like a pig
An even more lewd and graphic comment, indicating a desire for dominance over the other person.
Feet in the water is not cold enough, you're not woman enough
The singer is saying that the other person doesn't have enough strength or resilience to handle difficult situations.
Inside your daughter is not warm enough, and you're not woman enough, no
An even more pointed insult, suggesting that the other person doesn't even have the right qualities to raise a child.
Don't compromise what's gold
The artist is urging the other person not to give up something valuable or important.
For the soul you never sold
The importance of not sacrificing something valuable for a fleeting, material benefit.
So I follow you down this road
The singer is blindly following the other person, even if it may not be the best decision.
Well you try but you can't let go
The other person is holding onto something from the past that they can't seem to move on from.
So hold on to years ago
An encouragement to hold onto old memories or experiences that bring comfort or security.
Cold as a lover, don't you want to stay?
A comment on how unaffectionate or unloving the other person can be, despite the artist still wanting them around.
Breath from another, and I'll have my way
The other person seems to hold power over the singer, with this line suggesting that the singer needs something from the other person to get what they want.
Inside your daughter / You can never hold what you can't let go / 'Cause he wants it so
This is a more cryptic set of lines, but seems to be about a child caught in the middle of a power struggle between multiple people or factions. The artist suggests that the other person can't hold onto the child if they can't learn to let go of something else. The line 'cause he wants it so' could refer to any number of motives or desires.
She'd sell her own mother / Just to make a dime before closing time / When he tells her so
An exaggerated, hyperbolic line to suggest how desperate or cutthroat the other person can be in pursuit of money or success. The 'he' in the final line could again refer to any number of individuals in the situation.
She said she wanted me to hit it / But I said I wasn't with it / Eyes red thighs spread better come get it / While it's hot the goods I got never mind my bad credit / Told me how she was soaking wet and I'm the one who wet it / Can't lie I sweat it, but I knew that if I ran through that / It's up the creek I'm headed / Body was there without nor sight nor vision still embedded / But I knew for fucking sure that in the morning I'd regret it / Had to debt it I jetted
A graphic and explicit verse about sexual temptation, with the singer ultimately resisting the other person's advances due to concern about the consequences. The line 'had to debt it I jetted' suggests that the singer had to pay a cost in order to get out of the situation.
He got me hooked 'til I was shooking in the middle of the game / Teary eyes, touch my thighs, future high you'll be my game / Could have kept it but I left it embedded instead of it dissecting me / Free spirit I feared it but steer it to clear it the stress in me / Possessing me the chemistry mother want me in the ministry / Where misery influenced me corruption claiming custody / And I knew this time that I had to feel the pain / It was needed so I'll see what cause deception in this game
Another cryptic verse, with scattered imagery and language about a wide variety of topics (temptation, spirituality, corruption). However, the overall meaning seems to be about learning from mistakes or difficult experiences in order to avoid further deception or manipulation.
I'll try to understand / When you're down on your knees in front of a man / I'll try to understand
A seemingly empathetic, but also slightly passive-aggressive comment towards the other person. The artist is suggesting that they will try to understand why the other person is in a vulnerable position, but there seems to be some judgement or resentment implied in the tone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Esthero, Martin Daniel Mc Kinney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind