She is best known for her singles You Got Me her collaboration with The Roots, as well as her own songs Tyrone, Love of My Life, On & On, Bag Lady, The Healer, Honey and Soldier. Her lyrics are highly personal urban philosophy which throw emotional challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical influences together creating a rich texture of sound.
Some music journalists have labeled her Nu soul, nouvelle-soul or neo soul, often comparing her to Billie Holiday in lyrical delivery and grouping her with Maxwell and D'Angelo in musical genre.
Baduizm, Badu's highly acclaimed debut album, was released in early 1997 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Lead single On & On reached #12 on the singles charts in both the U.S. and UK. Badu received notice for her introspective lyrics and jazzy, bass-heavy sound, and was hailed as one of the leading lights of the burgeoning neo soul genre. Her sophisticated style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday. Baduizm eventually went triple platinum and, along with On & On, won Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremonies.
During that year, Badu became involved with rapper André 3000 of OutKast, with whom she had a child, Seven, who was born in 1997. Their relationship ended sometime in the late 90s. Badu recorded her first live album, Live, while pregnant with Seven, and the release of the recording coincided with the birth to her child. Live reached #4 on the Billboard charts, selling double platinum, and spawned another R&B hit single in Tyrone a song chiding a selfish, cheap, and inattentive boyfriend. Badu also collaborated with The Roots (who had previously handled production duties on a number of tracks on Baduizm) on their breakthrough 1999 release, Things Fall Apart. She was featured on the song You Got Me co-written by Jill Scott, which hit the top 40 and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
After taking some time off to raise her child, Badu returned in 2000 with Mama's Gun, an album more organic in sound than her previous studio album, and primarily produced by the Soulquarians and noted bassist Pino Palladino. A remix of one of the album's songs, Bag Lady was issued as the first single and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. The album was well-received, with the lyrical content winning notices from many publications who found some of her lyrics hard to decipher on her initial releases. Despite not charting as high as her first two albums, Mama's Gun was another platinum-selling success, and Bag Lady was nominated for a Grammy.
By 2000, Badu was in a romantic relationship with fellow Soulquarian Common, and Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop) was released as a collaboration between the two on the Brown Sugar soundtrack. Love of My Life hit #9 on the pop charts, topped the R&B listings, and Badu was awarded her fourth Grammy for the song in 2003.
After the release of Mama's Gun and Love of My Life, Badu went through a period of writer's block. She hit the road throughout 2002 and much of 2003 on what she dubbed the "Frustrated Artist Tour," in search of inspiration to write and perform new material. The conclusion of the tour saw Badu head back to the studio with new material, and in September of 2003, the Worldwide Underground was released. More jam-oriented than any of her prior releases, Badu was quoted as saying that the release was designed to serve as one continuous groove. Worldwide Underground reached #3 on the Billboard charts and was certified gold not long after its release, and Badu received four further Grammy nominations for the EP.
After almost four years and the birth of a daughter, Puma, it was revealed in 2007 that Badu had three albums in the works over the course of 2007 and 2008. Honey, a new single produced by 9th Wonder, was leaked online in November 2007, and the new album, titled New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), was released on February 26, 2008.
On August 23, 2008, Badu joined the rock band My Morning Jacket on stage at their show in Dallas, Texas to perform her song Tyrone. Her surprise appearance was met with an enthusiastic reaction from the audience.
On February 1, 2009 Badu gave birth to her third child, a girl named Mars Merkaba with her boyfriend Jay Electronica.
Her album New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) was released on March 30, 2010.
Apple Tree Café
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have some food in my bag for you
Not the edible food, the food you eat, no
Perhaps some food for thought
Since knowledge is infinite
It has infinitely fell on me, so um
It was a stormy night, you know the kind where the lightnin' strike
Ooh wee ooh wee ooh wee
The night was long, the night went on, people coolin' out until the
Break of dawn
Incense was burnin' so I'm feelin' right, aight
See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
My Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I don't waste my time trying to get what you got
I work at pleasin' me
Cause I can't please you and that's why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
Doo wee doo wee doo wee
And if you don't want to be down with me, then you don't want to pick
From my
Apple tree [Repeat x3]
And if you don't want to be down, you just don't want to be down
I have a hoe
And I take it everywhere I go
Cause I'm plantin' seeds so I reaps what I sow, ya know, ya know
On and on, and on and on my (?) keep's movin' like a rollin' stone
I can't control the soul flowin' in me
Ooh wee ooh wee
See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
My Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I don't waste my time trying to get what ya got
I work at pleasin' me
Cause I can't please you and that's why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
Doo wee doo wee doo wee
And if you don't want to be down with me, you don't want to pick from my
Apple tree [Repeat x3]
And if you don't want to be down with me, you just don't want to be down
Oh my my my my, oh my my my my, oh my my my my my my my
I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
My Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I don't waste my time trying to get what you got
I work at pleasin' me
Cause I can't please you, and that's why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
Doo wee doo wee doo wee
And if you don't want to be down with me, you don't want to pick from my
Apple tree
And if you don't want to be down with me, dumb dumb diddy
And if you don't want to be down with me, you don't want to pick from my
Apple tree
And if you don't want to be down with me, you just don't want to be down
You just don't want to be down,
You just don't want to be down
The song "Apple Tree Café" by Erykah Badu is a dedication to all the children out there, and the food she has to offer them is not edible, but rather, "food for thought." Knowledge is something that she believes is infinite and has always fallen on her, so she shares it with those who are willing to listen.
Badu’s lyrics reflect her unique approach to friendship where she picks her friends like she picks her fruit, a lesson that her grandmother taught her when she was young. She doesn't try to be someone she's not, and instead, she focuses on pleasing herself because she knows that she cannot please everyone else. Her soul is free to fly like a willow tree, and she implores the listener to join her and pick from her "apple tree."
The song is an invitation to embrace individuality and to not try to change oneself to please others. It is a commentary on the importance of self-care and acceptance, and it encourages listeners to stay true to who they are. Overall, "Apple Tree Café" is a message of empowerment and self-love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to dedicate this to all the children
This song is dedicated to every child out there.
I have some food in my bag for you
I have something important to share with you.
Not the edible food, the food you eat, no
Not the physical nourishment, but more like intellectual insight.
Perhaps some food for thought
Maybe some ideas that will make you think deeply.
Since knowledge is infinite
There is always more to learn, and I am constantly seeking it.
It has infinitely fell on me, so um
I've learned so much that it's become a part of who I am.
It was a stormy night, you know the kind where the lightnin' strike
Setting the mood for a flashback, the kind that gives you goosebumps.
And I was hangin' out with some my Yahtzee friends
I was chilling with my close friends.
Ooh wee ooh wee ooh wee
Expressing how good the vibe was.
The night was long, the night went on, people coolin' out until the Break of dawn
The night was endless and full of enjoyment, until the sun started to rise.
Incense was burnin' so I'm feelin' right, aight
The smell of incense adding to the ambiance and sense of relaxation.
See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
I am selective with who I surround myself with.
My Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
This habit of making thoughtful choices in friends was passed down by my grandmother.
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I am genuine and true to myself.
I don't waste my time trying to get what you got
I don't aspire to have what others have, I focus on what's important to me.
I work at pleasin' me
I prioritize my own happiness and well-being.
Cause I can't please you and that's why I do what I do
I've learned that trying to please others is not a fruitful endeavor.
My soul flies free like a willow tree
My spirit is free and unrestricted.
Doo wee doo wee doo wee
Just a little vocalization expressing the good vibes.
And if you don't want to be down with me, then you don't want to pick From my Apple tree [Repeat x3]
If someone doesn't respect me for who I am, then they don't deserve to benefit from my intellectual insight.
And if you don't want to be down, you just don't want to be down
If someone doesn't want to be a part of my life, I accept that and move on.
I have a hoe
I have a tool for planting and cultivating.
And I take it everywhere I go
I'm constantly working toward creating a better future.
Cause I'm plantin' seeds so I reaps what I sow, ya know, ya know
I am intentionally planting the right ideas to see them come to fruition in the future.
On and on, and on and on my (?) keep's movin' like a rollin' stone
Life keeps moving forward, and so do I.
I can't control the soul flowin' in me
I am guided by my soul, and I can't always predict or control what that means.
Ooh wee ooh wee
Another little vocalization of good vibes.
And if you don't want to be down with me, you don't want to pick from my Apple tree [Repeat x3]
Again, emphasizing that people who don't appreciate me for who I am, won't benefit from my knowledge or insight.
And if you don't want to be down with me, dumb dumb diddy
A playful way of calling out people who don't understand or appreciate me.
You just don't want to be down
People who choose not to be a part of my life are missing out.
Oh my my my my, oh my my my my, oh my my my my my my my
An expression of enthusiasm and positive vibes.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERICA WRIGHT, ROBERT BRADFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind