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Afro
Erykah Badu Lyrics


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Excuse us ladies and gentleman
One, two

You need to pick your afro daddy
Because it's flat on one side
You need to pick your afro daddy
Because it's flat on one side
What are you waiting on

Well if you don't pick your afro
You gonna have one side high, ha, ha

Well, you said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
So I braided my hair, well, yes you did
You said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
So I braided my hair, yes I did, corn roll and everything baby

Well, you changed your mind and said we wasn't going
But my momma saw you there
Yes she did, check this out, one time

Well I be blowing up your pager daddy
But you never called me back
Well I be putting in 9-1-1 baby
But you never called me back, no, no

See if you don't know how to use that pager daddy
I'm gonna take that hoe back, yes I will

Overall Meaning

In the opening lines of Erykah Badu's song "Afro", the artist is trying to get people to pay attention to her message by using a spoken-word introduction as she asks for the attention of ladies and gentlemen. The song is a fun, lighthearted take on the experiences of a black woman in the late 90s/early 2000s, where she's encouraging men to take better care of their hair. The first set of lyrics is aimed at men who have afros, specifically those who don't take care of them. Badu is telling them to pick out their afro because it's flat on one side. She uses repetition to drive her point home, stating the same line twice in a row.


In the next set of lyrics, Badu shares a personal experience where someone promised to take her to see Wu-Tang but then changed their mind. She braided her hair to impress them, but they didn't follow through. In the last verse, she's calling out someone for not returning her calls, showing a frustrated side of her personality. The message throughout this song seems to be that it's important to take care of yourself, whether it's your hair or your commitment to others.


Overall, "Afro" is a light-hearted song that showcases Badu's unique style and playful nature. It's an empowering message to take charge of your own life and not let others dictate your choices.


Line by Line Meaning

Excuse us ladies and gentleman
Acknowledging the audience before the start of the song.


One, two
Counting down to the start of the song.


You need to pick your afro daddy
Your hair needs attention.


Because it's flat on one side
Your hair is uneven.


What are you waiting on
Why haven't you fixed your hair yet?


Well if you don't pick your afro
If you don't take care of your hair,


You gonna have one side high, ha, ha
It will look unbalanced with one side being much larger than the other.


Well, you said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
You promised to take me to see Wu-Tang Clan.


So I braided my hair, well, yes you did
So I put my hair in braids, just like you asked.


You said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
You promised to take me to see Wu-Tang Clan.


So I braided my hair, yes I did, corn roll and everything baby
I even put my hair in cornrows to make sure it looked good.


Well, you changed your mind and said we wasn't going
You changed your plans and said we weren't going anymore.


But my momma saw you there
But my mom saw you at the Wu-Tang show without me.


Yes she did, check this out, one time
I'm telling the truth.


Well I be blowing up your pager daddy
I've been trying to get in touch with you.


But you never called me back
You haven't returned my calls.


Well I be putting in 9-1-1 baby
I'm trying to get your attention.


But you never called me back, no, no
You still haven't called me back.


See if you don't know how to use that pager daddy
You might not know how to use your pager.


I'm gonna take that hoe back, yes I will
I'll take the pager back if you're not going to use it to contact me.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: James Jason Poyser, Jafar D. Barron, Erica Wright

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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