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.
My Life
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Staring at the puddles on the ground
Tryin' to figure out a way up out of this town
And I know yeah, I'm not the only one
So many people out there chase the sun
If you're looking for a free ride, you better run child
'Cause you sure won't get too far, oh oh
You'd better dance a dance to make the rain come down
If you want to be a star, oh my my life
My Life (brother you know)
Sure ain't been too easy
My life (brother you know)
The life I wanna live
My life (mama you know)
You're gonna go through changes
My life
No turnin' back, I'm tellin' you no
Every now and then I
Wanna to throw my hands up in the sky
'Cause one day I know I'll be flyin' high
And I know yeah I got to get down, on my knees and pray
'Cause in my heart I know I'll see that day
When my freedom comes along
I'm gonna run child
'Cause I know that I'll go far oh, oh
Can't let nobody kill my soul and bring me down
And they know who they are, oh my my life
My Life (sister you know)
Sure ain't been too easy
My life (brother you know)
The life I wanna live
My life (mama you know)
You're gonna go through changes
My life, no turnin' back, I'm tellin' you no (no turnin' back yeah)
My Life (sister you know)
Sure ain't been too easy
My life (brother you know)
The life I wanna live
My life (mama you know)
Gonna go through changes (yeah, yeah)
My life (yeah)
No turnin' back, I'm tellin' you no (no turnin' back yeah oh)
(Hey) no turning back, yeah oh (hey)
No turning back yeah
(Hey) no turning back
(Hey hey hey), no turning back (oh oh ooh)
(Oh ooh oh) no turning back
No turning back (oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oooh)
No turning back (hey hey ay yeah)
No turning back (yeah yeah yeah oh)
No turning back yeah oh
No turning back yeah oh
No turning back yeah oh
No turning back yeah
The lyrics of Erykah Badu’s “My Life” explain struggles of finding one’s way in life and achieving success. The song begins with the singer standing downtown, looking at puddles on the ground, and trying to find a way out of her town. She acknowledges that many people are in similar situations, trying to chase their own dreams. However, the path isn’t easy, and the options for shortcuts are limited. Erykah sings that “if you’re looking for a free ride, you better run child,” implying that success must come from hard work and perseverance.
The chorus of the song reinforces the struggles and challenges of life. Erykah sings that “My Life sure ain’t been too easy,” but the path she has chosen is the life she wants to live. She advises that if someone wants to accomplish great things, they must go through changes, and there is no turning back once the decision is made. The lyrics suggest that life is a journey, and one must learn to dance in the rain to achieve great things.
Erykah Badu’s “My Life” is a powerful song, resonating with anyone facing challenges and struggles to achieve their dreams. The song’s themes of determination, perseverance, and hope are inspiring and encouraging, making it a popular choice for many people, especially those facing challenges in their careers or personal lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing down down, downtown
Staring at the puddles on the ground
Tryin' to figure out a way up out of this town
And I know yeah, I'm not the only one
So many people out there chase the sun
I'm stuck in this place and I hate it. But I know I'm not alone. So many others are trying to escape just like me.
If you're looking for a free ride, you better run child
'Cause you sure won't get too far, oh oh
You'd better dance a dance to make the rain come down
If you want to be a star, oh my my life
There's no such thing as a free ride. You have to work hard to succeed. But if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen.
My Life (brother you know)
Sure ain't been too easy
My life (brother you know)
The life I wanna live
My life (mama you know)
You're gonna go through changes
My life
No turnin' back, I'm tellin' you no
My life has been tough, but it's the life I want to live. Everyone goes through changes, and I'm not turning back. I'm moving forward no matter what.
Every now and then I
Wanna to throw my hands up in the sky
'Cause one day I know I'll be flyin' high
And I know yeah I got to get down, on my knees and pray
'Cause in my heart I know I'll see that day
Sometimes life gets me down, but I know I'll make it. I have to pray to keep my faith and stay strong. One day I'll be successful and happy.
When my freedom comes along
I'm gonna run child
'Cause I know that I'll go far oh, oh
Can't let nobody kill my soul and bring me down
And they know who they are, oh my my life
When I finally have the freedom to live the life I want, I'm going to run towards my dreams. No one can bring me down or stop me. I know who the haters are, but I won't let them defeat me.
My Life (sister you know)
Sure ain't been too easy
My life (brother you know)
The life I wanna live
My life (mama you know)
You're gonna go through changes
My life, no turnin' back, I'm tellin' you no (no turnin' back yeah)
My life has been difficult, but it's the life I want. Everyone goes through changes, but I won't turn back. I won't give up on my dreams.
(Hey) no turning back, yeah oh (hey)
No turning back yeah
(Hey) no turning back
(Hey hey hey), no turning back (oh oh ooh)
(Oh ooh oh) no turning back
No turning back (oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oooh)
No turning back (hey hey ay yeah)
No turning back (yeah yeah yeah oh)
No turning back yeah oh
No turning back yeah oh
No turning back yeah oh
No turning back yeah
I won't ever turn back from my dreams. No matter how hard things get, I'll keep pushing forward. I won't let anyone or anything hold me back. I am unstoppable.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: James Jason Poyser, Robert D. Bradford, Adam Keefe Horovitz, Darryl Matthews Mcdaniels, Rick Rubin, Joseph Ward Simmons, Erica Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shaun Babineaux
This is what ALL people (no matter the race or intelligence) listen too when they want something to fill the soul and soothe the beast in all of us!
Matthew
It blows my mind daily that this isn't a single or cult hit or something that should be played at house parties and the place goes crazy....
Wanna test those around you... Blare this song at a gathering and anyone that snaps their fingers or head nods or even better.. sings the lyrics! Wife em, Husband em... Shit, at least shake their hand and say thank you for knowing GREAT music and soul
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[Shakes your hand]
Geovanni Gómez Valle
Matthew In a country like Costa Rica, man, I struggle with negativity daily but it's hard for me imagine someone here listen or even knowing artistes like this girl or PJ Harvey let's say. Kinda feel alone in this place but my dream is go change that minset of mine and bring unique music to my country and world...
Portia Burch
im only 20 years old but i swear shes been speaking my lanugage since i was a child. I love her and her music. its amazing how she can sing a note and you was wanna sit back and think and chill. i love it....
Buckspring95
No turnin' back...the syncopation in this tune is sublime!
WallezOne
my mamas gun favorite.great Beat, great Voice.luvin it
vVincent
cool pfp is it from the marvin and mos mashup?
Muneba Pupedis
Agree,agree, Erykah 'ever- evolving sister'- I'm feeling your music,words and spirit. It soothes my mind, ignites my heart,nourishes my spirit and inspires me to use my creativity. Such food for thought, with gratitude and pure joy from my heart. Sista Moonbeam
Sirhc7000
God Bless Badu and RIP DILLA!!! People, this...this is music.