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.
I'm In Love With You
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah
(Skat)
And she said she needs more than a friend
That's all I've ever been yo
Well, one said when are you gon overstand
(Skat)
And I remember the first day that we met ya
When you smile and I turned and I say to you yo
Yo your pure and true
I'm in love wit you
In love wit you
In love wit you
In love wit you
I'm in love wit you
In love wit you
In love wit you
In love wit you yeah
I'm so in love baby
I don't care what your mama say
Standing in love baby
I don't care what your sister say
(skat)
I need you
Eryka Badu:
He said he's really digging me
I don't know what to say
I can't imagine why I feel so weak
Say, say
That's when he took my heart in his hands
And kissed it gently
He opened up his lips then said this poetry
I'm in love wit you
In love wit you
In love wit you
Love you too
In love wit you
In love wit you
I'm in love wit you
In love wit you yeah
I'm so in love baby
I don't care what your brother say
I'm so in love baby
I don't care what the people say
Stephen Marley and Eryka Badu:
Well I try and I try
And I try
And I try
And I try
And I try
And I try
And I try
Stephen Marley:
Aeh, And you say you need more than a friend
That's all I've ever been yo
Well, one day you will overstand
(Skat)
Eryka Badu:
And when I look in your eyes I knew you were meant to be
My soldier, so baby come on I need it desperately
-The rest is just repeated lines, basically back and forth between Badu and
Marley-
The song "I'm in Love with You" by Erykah Badu featuring Stephen Marley is about two people who are in love with each other and want to take their relationship to the next level. The song starts with Marley singing about how the woman he loves needs more than just a friendship, and how he wants to be with her. He remembers the first day they met and how he was struck by her purity and truth. He professes his love for her through the lines "I'm in love with you."
Badu then takes over the song and sings about how she feels weak and unable to resist the man's advances. She describes how he takes her heart in his hands and kisses it gently, and recites poetry to express his feelings for her. She too professes her love for him through the lines "I'm in love with you."
The song ends with both singers repeating their love for each other, and how they are determined to be together despite any objections from family or society.
Overall, "I'm in Love with You" is a beautiful love song that expresses the deep feelings of two people for each other. The lyrics evoke a sense of passion, romance, and desire, which are enhanced by the smooth and soulful melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah
An expression of agreement or enthusiasm
And she said she needs more than a friend
A woman expressed her desire for something more than just friendship
That's all I've ever been yo
The man is acknowledging that he has only been a friend to her so far
Well, one said when are you gon overstand
Someone asked when he would finally understand something
And I remember the first day that we met ya
The man recalls the day he first met her
How could I forget cha
He cannot forget her
When you smile and I turned and I say to you yo
The man expressed his admiration for her smile when they first met
Yo your pure and true
The man expressed his belief that she is pure and true
I'm in love wit you
The man is declaring his love for her
In love wit you
The man repeatedly declares that he is in love with her
I need you
The woman is expressing her need for the man
He said he's really digging me
The woman talks about the man expressing his attraction to her
I don't know what to say
The woman is unsure of how to respond
I can't imagine why I feel so weak
The woman admits to feeling weak or helpless
That's when he took my heart in his hands
He took her heart in his hands, a symbol of his affection for her
And kissed it gently
He kissed it tenderly, symbolizing his love and tenderness towards her
He opened up his lips then said this poetry
He expressed his love through words and poetry
Love you too
The woman reciprocates the man's love
I'm so in love baby
Both the man and the woman are deeply in love
I don't care what your brother say
The woman does not care about other people's opinions
I don't care what the people say
The woman reiterates that she does not care about others' opinions
Well I try and I try
The man is trying his best
And you say you need more than a friend
The woman reiterates her need for more than friendship
And when I look in your eyes I knew you were meant to be
The woman knows that they are meant to be together
My soldier, so baby come on I need it desperately
The woman affectionately refers to the man as her soldier, and expresses how much she needs him
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stephen Marley, Erica Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind