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.
Kiss Me On My Neck
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want somebody, to walk up behind me
And kiss me, on my neck and breathe, on my neck
(Ah mh) I want somebody, to walk up behind me
And kiss me, on my neck and breathe, on my neck
(Been mh) been such a long time, I forgot that I was fine
Just kiss me, on my neck and breathe, on my neck
And kiss me on my neck, and breathe, on my neck
If you want to feel me (hey), better be divine (yeah)
Bring me water (bring me), water for my mind (water for my mind)
Give me nothin', breathe love in my air (yeah), don't abuse me (no)
'Cause these herbs are rare (uh uh)
If you want to feel me (if you), better be divine (be divine)
Bring me water, water for my mind (water for my mind yeah)
Give me nothin', breathe love in my air (breathe)
Don't abuse me (no)
'Cause these herbs are rare (rare, rare, rare, rare, rare, rare, rare, rare, rare, rare)
If you want to feel me baby, better be divine
Bring me water for these flowers, growing out my mind
Give me nothin' just be gentle, breathe love in my air
Use me, don't abuse me, love me, 'cause these herbs are rare (rare, rare, rare)
If you want to feel me (yeah), better be divine (yeah)
Bring me water (bring me), water for my mind (water for my mind, yeah)
Give me nothin', breathe love in my air (breathe love, breathe love oh)
Don't abuse me, 'cause these herbs are rare (the herbs are rare!)
If you want to feel me, better be divine (ay yeah)
Bring me water, water for my mind (aay)
Give me nothin' (yeah yeah), breathe love in my air (yeah)
Don't abuse me (ay, ah!), 'cause these herbs are rare (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I want somebody, to walk up behind me
And kiss me (ooh) on my neck and breathe (ay), on my neck (ay)
I want somebody, to walk up behind me
And kiss me, on my neck and breathe, on my neck
(Been mh) been such a long time, I forgot that I was fine
Just kiss me on my neck and breathe on my neck
(Ah mh) I want somebody (kiss, me) to walk up behind me (on, my neck)
And kiss me on my neck and (breathe) breathe on my neck (my neck)
Da da (kiss) you feel me (me), da da (on) do day (my neck)
Da da (kiss) do day (me), da da (on) do day (my neck)
Da da (kiss) do day (me), da da (on) do day (my neck)
Da da (kiss, me), da da (on, my neck)
Da da (oh), do day, da da do day (oh day)
Da da (yeah), do day (ooh), da da (da), do day (oh day)
Da da (ah) do day (ay), da da (yeah) do day (oh ay)
Da da (yeah), do day (ay), da da, da da (oh ay)
Da da do, da day, ga da da, uh ooh ay
Ga da da, ooh ay, (ay), da da zoo ba da, ba uh ooh
Da da, do day, da da, do day, ba ba, ba ba
In Erykah Badu's song Kiss Me On My Neck, the artist yearns for an intimate moment where someone walks up and kisses her on the neck. She wants to feel desired and cherished, as the sensation of the breath hitting her neck is enough to make her yearn for more. Badu wants someone who is worthy of her attention and indicates that they need to be divine to achieve this. She requests that they breath love into her air and not to abuse her, as she is rare and to be cherished. The song speaks to the desire of wanting to be loved deeply and genuinely.
Throughout the song, Badu emphasizes the rarity of her existence and the need to cherish her. The lyrics indicate that the herbs that are rare, and she is also one of a kind. The song shows Badu's desire for love and affection but also her acknowledgment that she is a rare find, and the person that receives her love should not take it for granted. The song encompasses both romantic and tender moments but also speaks to the value of self-worth and the need to be cherished.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, ooh (yeah), yeah
Opening verse expressing the anticipation of the artist for someone to approach and kiss her neck
I want somebody, to walk up behind me
And kiss me, on my neck and breathe, on my neck
(Ah mh) I want somebody, to walk up behind me
And kiss me, on my neck and breathe, on my neck
Desire for someone to approach from behind, kiss her neck, and breathe on her neck, emphasizing the yearning for physical intimacy
(Been mh) been such a long time, I forgot that I was fine
Just kiss me, on my neck and breathe, on my neck
(Ah mh) I want somebody to walk up behind me
And kiss me on my neck, and breathe, on my neck
She had a long period without physical touch that made her forget how it feels to be wanted, and now she aches for someone to kiss and breathe on her neck from behind to grasp that feel again
If you want to feel me (hey), better be divine (yeah)
Bring me water (bring me), water for my mind (water for my mind)
Give me nothin', breathe love in my air (yeah), don't abuse me (no)
'Cause these herbs are rare (uh uh)
The importance of receiving love gently and naturally; comparing herself to a rare herb that needs scarce attention but needs to be handled in a particular way
If you want to feel me baby, better be divine
Bring me water for these flowers, growing out my mind
Give me nothin' just be gentle, breathe love in my air
Use me, don't abuse me, love me, 'cause these herbs are rare (rare, rare, rare)
Her mind is blooming, which requires someone with a divine essence to understand her and give her gentle attention as she doesn't need any materialistic support; reminds the significance of tenderness and how it's about giving love with an equal balance of taking rather than just using someone solely for feeding one's desires
Da da (kiss) you feel me (me), da da (on) do day (my neck)
Da da (kiss) do day (me), da da (on) do day (my neck)
Da da (kiss) do day (me), da da (on) do day (my neck)
Da da (kiss, me), da da (on, my neck)
Da da (oh), do day, da da do day (oh day)
Da da (yeah), do day (ooh), da da (da), do day (oh day)
Da da (ah) do day (ay), da da (yeah) do day (oh ay)
Da da (yeah), do day (ay), da da, da da (oh ay)
Da da do, da day, ga da da, uh ooh ay
Ga da da, ooh ay, (ay), da da zoo ba da, ba uh ooh
Da da, do day, da da, do day, ba ba, ba ba
The repetition and emphasis on the kissing and breathing on her neck is intended to express the eagerness for someone to be physically intimate with her and the excitement and anticipation of the same is building within her
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: David Holland, Jack De Johnette, James Jason Poyser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind