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.
Fall In Love
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wrong way
If you stay
Prepare to
Have Yo shit rearranged
The way
I say
You better get on away from here
It's gone be
Some slow sangin' and flower bringing
If my burglar alarm starts ringing
You don't wanna fall in love with me
You don't wanna fall in love with me
You don't wanna fall in love with me
You don't wanna fa la la
You ain't the worst one I have done
But you'll do
Till he come
See we gone take this shit from the top
You gotta
Change jobs
Change gods
Or you better get on away from here
You gone see
It's gone be
Some slow sangin'
And flower bringing
If my burglar alarm starts ringin'
You don't wanna fall in love with me
You don't wanna fall in love with me
You don't wanna fall in live with me
You don't want to fa la la
Cause it's gonna be some slow sangin'
And flower bringing
If my burglar alarm starts ringing
(Your funeral)
The lyrics of Erykah Badu's song "Fall in Love" send a strong message to a potential lover, warning them of the consequences if they choose to stay with her. The first verse warns the person that if they decide to stay, they should prepare for their life to be rearranged in the way she sees fit. She asks them to leave and warns them that if her burglar alarm starts ringing, it'll be too late. The second verse implies that the person may not be the worst she's been with, but they'll have to wait until the right one comes along. She suggests that the person change their job, change their gods or leave altogether. The warning is repeated in the chorus, as she tells this person that they don't want to fall in love with her, and that it's not going to end well for them.
The lyrics relay the singer's confidence in herself and her power, suggesting that people who fall in love with her are in for a wild ride. She has experience with lovers who weren't right for her and warns this person against committing to her. However, it is also possible to read the lyrics as self-deprecating, highlighting that she shouldn't be loved because of her imperfections. She acknowledges that she's not perfect and that falling in love with her would ultimately be a bad idea. This could be interpreted as an attempt to protect herself from the potential pain of rejection or disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
You better go back the way you came
You need to turn around and leave because you are going the wrong way.
If you stay
If you continue to stay here.
Prepare to
Be ready to.
Have Yo shit rearranged
Your life is going to change drastically.
The way
In the manner.
I say
I tell you.
You better get on away from here
You need to leave this place.
You gone see
You will witness.
It's gone be
It will be.
Some slow sangin and flower bringing
There will be mourning and flowers at your funeral.
If my burglar alarm starts ringing
If I sense a threat or danger.
You don't wanna fall in love with me
You don't want to develop feelings for me.
You don't wanna fa la la
You don't want to be involved with me.
You ain't the worst one I have done
You are not the worst person I have been with.
But you'll do
However, you will suffice for now.
Till he comes
Until someone else comes along.
See we gone take this shit from the top
We will start from the beginning.
You gotta
You need to.
Change jobs
Find a new career.
Change gods
Change your beliefs or religion.
Or you better get on away from here
Otherwise, you need to leave this place.
Cause it's gonna be some slo sangin'
There will be mourning and slow music.
And flower bringing
And people bringing flowers.
If my burglar alarm starts ringing
If I sense a threat or danger at your presence.
(Your funeral)
You will regret getting involved with me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Missing Link Music
Written by: Burt F Bacharach, Erykah Badu, Hal David, Garry Glenn, Osten Harvey, Karriem Riggins, Christopher Wallace, Erica Wright, Garry Dewayne Glenn, Emmanuel Karriem Riggins, Burt F. Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind