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.
In Love With You
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stay badu dem day day (swee da do day swee da do day)
Swee da do dem day day (swee da do day)
(Swee da do day swee da do day) dee la do do dem day day (day ay)
(Ay) and she says she needs more than a friend
That's all I ever been yo
Well one day you gon' overstand, yo badu ba dee la do, day day
How could I forget ya?
When you smiled, and I turned and said to you
"Yo, your pure and true"
I'm in love with you, in love with you, in love with you, in love with you
I'm in love with you, in love with you, in love with you, in love with you, yeah
I'm so in love, baby
And I don't care what your mama say
Standing in love lady
And I don't care what your sister say
Yo badu, ba da, ba la, day day, day, I need ya
He said he's really diggin' 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 open up his lips then said this poetry
I'm in love with you, love wit' you
Love wit' you, love with you
Love wit' you (wow), love with you
I'm in love wit' you, love wit' you
I'm so in love baby
I don't care what your brothers say, no (what?)
I'm so in love baby
I don't care what the people say
Well I try and I try and I try
And I try and I try and I try and I try and I try
(Ay) and you said you need more than a friend
That's all I've ever been yo
Well one day you gon' overstand, yo badu ba dee la do, day day
(Ay) and when I look In your eyes, I know that you were meant to be
My solider, so baby come on, I mean it desperately
I'm in love with you, love with you
I'm in love with you, in love with you
No see I'm in love wit' you, love with you
No, no, no I'm in love with you, in love with you
No see 'cause, I'm so in love baby
I don't care what the people say
I'm so in love baby
And I don't care what your teacher say
I'm so in love baby
I don't care what the Raga say, oh (ay)
Dee da do badu ba dee dem, day day (ay ay)
Badu la dee da do day day
(I try, I try) Yo badu la dee da do dem, day day, (I try, I try) badu la dee da do day
(I try, I try) Swee la da la dee da do dem, day day, (I try, I try) dee da do, dem, day day
'Cause you in love with me
You in love with me
No, you in love with me
No, no, no you in love with me
No see you in love with me
No, no, no you in love with me
No, I think you in love with me
No, no, no you in love with me (ha)
I know you're in love with me
No, no, no you in love with me
Alright I'm in love with you
Yes I'm in love you
I'm in love with you, and I'm in love with you
Ooh, I'm in love with you, say, I'm in love with you
Oh, I'm in love with you, I'm in love with you, love wit' you
Badu ba dee la do do, day day
(Oh but Raga don't you know?) yo badu ba dee la do, dem, day day
(Oh, oh but Raga don't you know?) yo badu ba dee la do, dem, day day
(Oh) Badu ba dee la do, dem, day day (la la doo)
(Ay ba da baby) badu ba dee la do, day day
Love with you (swee), love with you (swee ah ay)
(Swee ah ooh day) yes I'm in love with you (day day ay ay)
(Day day) Yes I'm in love with you (day day day ay)
Ay
"In Love With You" by Erykah Badu is a love song that tells the story of falling in love. The song highlights the fact that the singer and the person she is in love with have been friends for a long time. The lyrics explain that the person she loves said they need more than just a friend, which made the singer think about their relationship in a different way.
The song tells the story of how the singer fell in love with their friend and how they are willing to stand in love despite what people say about them. The lyrics are a mix of rap and singing, which adds a unique flavor to the song. The song is an emotional rollercoaster of love and the lyrics are relatable, which makes it one of Erykah Badu's most popular love songs.
The song incorporates various genres and styles, including soul, R&B, and hip hop. The lyrics and music of the song were written by Erykah Badu, James Poyser, and Stephen Marley. The song was released in 2002 on the Mama's Gun album.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Starting the song with excitement and enthusiasm
Stay badu dem day day (swee da do day swee da do day)
Asking Badu to stay and continue singing, with a background beat of 'swee da do day'
Swee da do dem day day (swee da do day)
Continuing the background beat 'swee da do day' for the song
(Swee da do day swee da do day) dee la do do dem day day (day ay)
Adding a variation to the background beat 'swee da do day', with a funky touch of 'dee la do do' and an occasional 'day ay'
(Ay) and she says she needs more than a friend
Introducing the topic of the song which is a woman expressing her feelings towards the singer
That's all I ever been yo
Admitting that the singer has always been only a friend to her
Well one day you gon' overstand, yo badu ba dee la do, day day
Assuring her that one day she will understand that he loves her, with the backing of the cool 'badu ba dee la do' tune
And I remember the first time that we met yo
Reminiscing on the first time they met
How could I forget ya?
Expressing how unforgettable their first encounter was
When you smiled, and I turned and said to you
Describing the moment when the singer complimented her smile
"Yo, your pure and true"
Stating how genuine her smile was
I'm in love with you, in love with you, in love with you, in love with you
Singing confidently that he is in love with her repeatedly
And I don't care what your mama say
Asserting that he doesn't care about what her mother thinks about him
Standing in love lady
Standing confidently in his love for her
And I don't care what your sister say
Asserting that he doesn't care about what her sister thinks about him
Yo badu, ba da, ba la, day day, day, I need ya
Stating how much he needs her with the 'badu' tune in the background
He said he's really diggin' me
Describing what the woman said to him about her feelings
I don't know what to say
Being caught off guard by her confession
I can't imagine why I feel so weak, say, say
Expressing his own emotions of feeling weak just by hearing her confess her feelings for him
That's when he took my heart in his hands
Describing how the singer touched her emotionally
And kissed it gently
Metaphorically describing how the singer made her feel loved and cared for
He open up his lips then said this poetry
Describing how the singer expressed his love for her with poetic words
No see I'm in love wit' you, love with you
Continuing to proclaim his love repeatedly while changing the lyrics slightly
No, no, no I'm in love with you, in love with you
Repeating his proclamation of love with a slight variation
No see 'cause, I'm so in love baby
Explaining that he is extremely in love with her that he doesn't care about what others think of him
I don't care what the people say
Stating that he doesn't care about society's standards or opinions on their relationship
Well I try and I try and I try
Expressing his efforts in trying to win her over
And you said you need more than a friend
Reiterating the woman's need for something more than just friendship
And when I look In your eyes, I know that you were meant to be
Realizing that she is meant to be with him by looking deep into her eyes
My soldier, so baby come on, I mean it desperately
Calling her his soldier as a term of affection and urgency to be with her
Dee da do badu ba dee dem, day day (ay ay)
Backing up his plea to be with her with a 'dee da do' tune, emphasizing his urgency with the 'ay ay'
Now I'm in love with you, now I'm in love with you
Continuing to express his love for her
Yes I'm in love with you, I'm in love with you, love wit' you
Adding a variation to his proclamation of love with a 'love wit' you'
Oh, I'm in love with you, say, I'm in love with you
Adding a playful element to his confession, forcing her to say it back
Badu ba dee la do do, day day
Ending the song with the same catchy 'badu ba dee la do' tune he started it with
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stephen Marley, Erica Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind