Across three solo albums, DAWN has honed a style of music that she describes as “genderless and genreless”.
DAWN’s 2019 album New Breed was her most successful to date. Showcasing her home city New Orleans and the Carnival Indian culture makes her latest album a one of a kind masterpiece. Her vocal and dance ability are matched with her production and songwriting skills making her one of most extraordinary talents of our time. New Breed was named as one of the year’s best albums by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Vogue, FACT, LA Times, Spin, Rap Up and many more. DAWN continues to push the boundaries of music and visual technology with her videos and live show, becoming the first artist to perform live in 360 on YouTube. She has also released a VR album debuted by WIRED as well as collaborated with her long time partners Adult Swim making her the first black female singer to do so. What makes DAWN a unique pop sensation and a phenomenon is that she does this all DIY. Being completely Independent with no label or team she has broken ceilings for women, POC, LGBTQ, and so many others. DAWN is more than just her music, she is a movement.
Intro
Dawn Richard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eatin' crawfish and watching my so-called life
I wanna go back, yeah
I wanna go back to JonLee Drive
Where Shanda and Sonja used to kick it every time
I wanna go back, yeah
I wanna do all the things that I used to do
'Cept waking up for Catholic school
And some Camelia Grill or Trolley Stop is cool
I wanna rock where the people don't judge you
They don't hang with you if they don't fuck with you
Parade season where they got the Zulu
Throw a beat at you if you real rude
She's just a girl from the nine
From the nine, from the nine, nine
She's just a girl from the nine
Just a king from the nine
She's just a girl from the nine
From the nine, from the nine, nine
She's just a king from the nine
Don't hold back, you the nine
The lyrics of Dawn Richard's song Intro evoke a nostalgic yearning for the singer's hometown in New Orleans. The first stanza mentions JonLee Drive, a street in the city where the singer used to enjoy eating crawfish and watching the popular TV show "My So-Called Life." She expresses a desire to go back to those carefree days and hang out with friends like Shanda and Sonja. She then lists some of the things she misses about her hometown, including the local cuisine and eateries like Camelia Grill and Trolley Stop. The second stanza paints a picture of a vibrant, accepting community where people don't judge or ostracize others based on their differences. She mentions parade season, a festive time of year, and the Zulu parade, known for its tradition of throwing painted coconuts. The overall message of the song seems to be one of pride in one's roots, and a longing for the sense of belonging that comes with being part of a close-knit community.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen, I wanna go back to JonLee Drive
The singer wants to revisit JonLee Drive.
Eatin' crawfish and watching my so-called life
They want to relive the moments of eating crawfish and watching 'My So-Called Life' on JonLee Drive.
I wanna go back, yeah
The singer is emphasizing their desire to go back to JonLee Drive.
Where Shanda and Sonja used to kick it every time
The artist wants to go back to the time when Shanda and Sonja used to hang out at JonLee Drive with them.
I wanna do all the things that I used to do
They want to engage in all the activities they used to do while they were at JonLee Drive.
'Cept waking up for Catholic school
The only exception is they don't want to wake up early for Catholic school.
I want some snowballs, man
The singer desires to have some snowballs.
And some Camelia Grill or Trolley Stop is cool
They would prefer to have Camelia Grill or Trolley Stop's food, as it's cool.
I wanna rock where the people don't judge you
The artist wants to go to a place where people don't judge others.
They don't hang with you if they don't fuck with you
The people only choose to hang out with the individuals they like.
Parade season where they got the Zulu
The singer wants to go to JonLee Drive during the parade season, where they can see Zulu.
Throw a beat at you if you real rude
If someone behaves rudely, Zulu would throw a beat at them in return.
She's just a girl from the nine
The singer is a girl from the Ninth Ward in New Orleans.
From the nine, from the nine, nine
They're from the Ninth Ward in New Orleans.
Just a king from the nine
They're referring to themselves as the king from the Ninth Ward in New Orleans.
Don't hold back, you the nine
The artist is urging others not to hold back because they're from the Ninth Ward in New Orleans.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, TuneCore Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Dawn Richard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind