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.
Back In The Day ft. Lenny Kravitz
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Soul flower, take me flying with you, hey
Gimme dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Gimme some of dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool
We used to meet up with these dudes
Then we rode out on hopes and truths
And would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
Pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well, sayin'
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Soul flower, take me flying with you, hey
Just gimme dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Gimme some of dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Wailin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
The laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dogs don't bark, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dog don't bark, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dogs don't bark, puff
Erykah Badu's "Back in the Day" is a nostalgic and upbeat tune that reminisces about the good times she had as a young person. The song is essentially about the carefree days of the past when all they needed to have fun was music and good company. The lyrics paint a picture of cruising around the park at night with some friends, blasting music with the windows rolled up and having a great time laughing, singing, and jamming.
The song is essentially a love letter to Badu's past, where she describes a simpler time. The lyrics allow people to escape to this time, to experience it and feel its spirit. The use of repetitive phrasing, such as "well, well, well" and "bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp," emphasizes the carefree and fun-loving nature of the era. The song not only takes the listener on a reminiscent journey but also seeks to evoke a feeling of nostalgia within them.
In essence, "Back in the Day" is a celebration of the past, the simpler joys of life, good music, and platonic relationships. The song is a testament to the eternal nature of memories and how they play a role in shaping our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Back in the day now
Looking back to when things were different
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
Reflecting on a time when life was simpler and fun
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Life was more straightforward and less complicated
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Simple joys in life were enough to make us happy
Well, well, well
Reflecting on good times
Soul flower, take me flying with you, hey
Asking for freedom and adventure
Gimme dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Asking for the simple joys that make life enjoyable
Gimme some of dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Asking for the simple things that bring happiness
We used to meet up with these dudes
Revisiting memories with friends
Then we rode out on hopes and truths
Going out with a sense of purpose and positivity
And would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
Spending time doing something fun with friends
Pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Having fun listening to music
Wailin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
Hanging out with friends and sharing good times
And when we get home hope the dogs don't bark, puff
Returning home after a fun night and hoping not to wake anyone up
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
Living in the moment with friends
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Jason Poyser, Joy Grand, Pat Vibas, Erykah Badu, Burton Rashad Smith, Audrey Maggat
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind