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.
On & on
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm feeling high
My money's gone
I'm all alone
Too much to see
The world keeps turnin'
Oh, what a day
What a day, what a day
Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned
If your knowledge were your wealth
Then it would be well-earned
If we were made in his image
Then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in God
But they fear us just the same
Oh, on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Woo, on and on and on and on
(All night 'til the break of dawn)
I go on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Ooh, on and on and on and on
(God dammit I'mma sing my song)
I was born underwater
With three dollars and six dimes
Yeah you might laugh
'Cause you did not do your math
Like one, two, three
Damn, y'all feel that? Oh
Line one, two, three
The world keeps turning
Oh what a day, what a day, what a day
The man that knows something
Knows that he knows nothing at all
Does it seem colder in your summertime
And hotter in your fall?
If we were made in his image
Then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in God
But they fear us just the same
Oh, on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
On and on and on and on
(All night 'til the vultures swarm)
I go on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
On and on and on and on
(Mad props to the god JaBorn)
I am feeling kinda hungry 'cause my high is coming down
Don't feed me yours 'cause your food does not endure
I think I need a cup of tea, the world keeps burnin'
Oh, what a day, what a day, what a day
You rush into destruction 'cause you don't have nothin' left
The mothership can't save you so your ass is gon' get left
If we were made in his image then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in God
But they fear us just the same
Oh, on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Oh, on and on and on and on
(You can't fuck with me so just leave me alone)
Ooh, ooh, way on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Oh, on and on and on and on
(And on and on)
In Erykah Badu's song "On & On," the singer explores the complex themes of faith, knowledge, and the struggles of everyday life. The opening lyrics express a feeling of freedom and euphoria, as Badu sings "Oh, my, my, my, I'm feeling high, my money's gone, I'm all alone, too much to see, the world keeps turnin', Oh, what a day, what a day, what a day." Here, she creates a vivid picture of a person experiencing a high, while also feeling the weight of the world.
Badu then goes on to talk about the manifestation of peace and blessings that come with lessons learned, and how knowledge can become a form of wealth. The line "If we were made in his image, then call us by our names" reminds listeners that everyone has worth and that they should be respected as individuals. She then touches on the idea that most intellects do not believe in God, but they still fear the unknown. The line "The man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all" speaks to the idea that the more one learns, the more one realizes how little they actually know.
The song continues to explore the theme of the cyclical nature of life, with the chorus "On and on and on and on, my cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone" highlighting the constant movement and evolution of life. Badu recognizes that life can be difficult, but it's important to keep moving forward. She explores the idea that nothing endures, whether it's hunger, love, or even knowledge. The song ends with the powerful statement "If we were made in his image, then call us by our names, Most intellects do not believe in God, but they fear us just the same," which speaks to the idea that humans are powerful and deserving of respect, regardless of their beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my, my, my
I'm feeling high
I'm feeling really good and happy right now
My money's gone
I'm all alone
I don't have any money and I'm lonely
Too much to see
The world keeps turnin'
Oh, what a day
What a day, what a day
There's so much going on in the world and every day is eventful
Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned
If your knowledge were your wealth
Then it would be well-earned
You gain good things in life from learning lessons; if you value knowledge, you'll be rewarded
If we were made in his image
Then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in God
But they fear us just the same
We were made in God's image, so we should be acknowledged as such; many intelligent people don't believe in God, but they still respect us
Oh, on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Woo, on and on and on and on
(All night 'til the break of dawn)
I go on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Ooh, on and on and on and on
(God dammit I'mma sing my song)
I keep going and going like a rolling stone, singing my song all night long
I was born underwater
With three dollars and six dimes
Yeah you might laugh
'Cause you did not do your math
I was born with very little, but I still make it work; people might laugh at me, but they didn't bother to understand my situation
Like one, two, three
Damn, y'all feel that? Oh
Line one, two, three
The world keeps turning
Oh what a day, what a day, what a day
Things are always changing in life, and it can be overwhelming but also exciting
The man that knows something
Knows that he knows nothing at all
Does it seem colder in your summertime
And hotter in your fall?
Someone who knows something realizes they still have a lot to learn; climate change can make summers feel colder and fall feel hotter
If we were made in his image
Then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in God
But they fear us just the same
We were made in God's image, so we should be acknowledged as such; many intelligent people don't believe in God, but they still respect us
Oh, on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
On and on and on and on
(All night 'til the vultures swarm)
I go on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
On and on and on and on
(Mad props to the god JaBorn)
I keep going and going like a rolling stone, even when things get tough; shouts out to the artist J Dilla
I am feeling kinda hungry 'cause my high is coming down
Don't feed me yours 'cause your food does not endure
I think I need a cup of tea, the world keeps burnin'
Oh, what a day, what a day, what a day
I'm getting hungry as my high wears off; I don't want your food because it won't last; I need a break with some tea because the world keeps going even when I'm tired
You rush into destruction 'cause you don't have nothin' left
The mothership can't save you so your ass is gon' get left
If we were made in his image then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in God
But they fear us just the same
When you're desperate, you make bad decisions; you can't rely on anyone else to save you; We were made in God's image, so we should be acknowledged as such; many intelligent people don't believe in God, but they still respect us
Oh, on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Oh, on and on and on and on
(You can't fuck with me so just leave me alone)
Ooh, ooh, way on and on and on and on
(My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone)
Oh, on and on and on and on
(And on and on)
I keep going and going like a rolling stone, and I don't want anyone to mess with me; I just keep going and going
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jahmal D. Cantero, Erica Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beaubiden9293
Who’s listening to this masterpiece in 2024?
@benvdwijn3620
This white old man ,
@EmEf-vb5dc
2024🎉
@danamej
'24
@avaictorua
meee
@TheBurnonme
I'm still am
@amandac9894
This isn’t music, this is poetry mixed with a psychedelic trip.
@NasaLamode
a vibe fashoo
@karenc.6029
yes ma'am!!!! :)
@causti9744
I discovered this on an acid trip on a hot summer day and the shit was magical