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.
Sometimes
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes
I don't love you anymore
Sometimes
I'm in love with you
Sometimes
I think that I'm going mad
I do
Well
Meanwhile
You been runnin' through my dome
Meanwhile
Won't leave me alone
Ooh chile
Why it got to be this way
Ooh chile
Gone on
Can you tell me where, oh where
Oh where, oh where?
Where did the love go?
Sometimes
I think that you're draining me
Sometimes
I want you at home
Sometimes
I feel like forgiving you
Sometimes
I don't
Meanwhile
I cannot blame you, my love
Meanwhile
I'm sitting here alone
Ooh chile
This love affair ain't what it was
Ooh chile
Gone on
Can you tell me where, oh where
Oh where, where?
Where did the love go?
Ye yo ye yo ye yo ye yo ye yo
Can you tell me where, oh where
Oh where, where?
Where did the love go?
The song "Sometimes" by Erykah Badu is a complex ballad about the ups and downs of a romantic relationship. The lyrics express a sense of ambiguity, as the singer is torn between feeling love and hate towards their partner. The opening lines, "Sometimes / I don't love you anymore / Sometimes / I'm in love with you / Sometimes / I think that I'm going mad / Sometimes / I do," suggest that the singer's emotions towards their partner are constantly changing. They are unsure about their feelings and seem to be grappling with confusing emotions.
The verse "Meanwhile / You been runnin' through my dome / Meanwhile / Won't leave me alone / Ooh chile / Why it got to be this way / Ooh chile / Gone on" suggests the partner is still in contact with the singer, even though their relationship is unstable. The singer seems frustrated by this, possibly due to the partner's inconsistency or inability to fully commit to the relationship. The chorus, "Can you tell me where, oh where / Oh where, oh where? / Where did the love go?" hints at the singer's fears that love may be dwindling or disappearing from their relationship, no matter how much they try to hold onto it.
The final verse "Meanwhile / I cannot blame you, my love / Meanwhile / I'm sitting here alone / Ooh chile / This love affair ain't what it was / Ooh chile / Gone on" expresses a resignation to the fact that the relationship may be doomed to end. The lyrics imply that the singer no longer blames their partner for the state of their relationship but is instead coming to terms with the fact that things have changed.
Overall, "Sometimes" is a poignant and emotional reflection on the complexities of romantic love. The lyrics suggest that love is not always straightforward or easy, and that even when we think we know what we want, we can still be unsure of how we feel or what we truly desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes
At times
I don't love you anymore
I don't feel the same way about you as I used to sometimes
Sometimes
At times
I'm in love with you
I have deep feelings for you sometimes
Sometimes
At times
I think that I'm going mad
I feel crazy or confused about my feelings sometimes
Sometimes
At times
I do
I act impulsively or make irrational decisions about our relationship sometimes
Well
Moving on
Meanwhile
At the same time
You been runnin' through my dome
You've been on my mind and occupying my thoughts sometimes
Meanwhile
At the same time
Won't leave me alone
I can't stop thinking about you sometimes
Ooh chile
Expressing frustration or exasperation
Why it got to be this way
Why does our relationship have to be so complicated sometimes
Ooh chile
Expressing frustration or exasperation
Gone on
Moving on
Can you tell me where, oh where
Seeking an explanation or understanding
Oh where, oh where?
Continuing to seek explanation or understanding
Where did the love go?
What happened to the strong feelings we used to have sometimes
Sometimes
At times
I think that you're draining me
I feel like our relationship is taking a lot of effort or energy from me sometimes
Sometimes
At times
I want you at home
I crave your presence and companionship sometimes
Sometimes
At times
I feel like forgiving you
I have the urge to let go of any negative feelings towards you and move on sometimes
Sometimes
At times
I don't
Other times, I can't forgive you or let go of our issues
Meanwhile
At the same time
I cannot blame you, my love
I acknowledge that our struggles in this relationship are not solely your fault sometimes
Meanwhile
At the same time
I'm sitting here alone
I feel lonely or isolated sometimes
Ooh chile
Expressing frustration or exasperation
This love affair ain't what it was
Our relationship isn't as strong or satisfying as it used to be sometimes
Ooh chile
Expressing frustration or exasperation
Gone on
Moving on
Can you tell me where, oh where
Seeking an explanation or understanding
Where did the love go?
Continuing to seek an understanding of what happened to our strong feelings sometimes
Ye yo ye yo ye yo ye yo ye yo
Repeated vocalization for effect
Can you tell me where, oh where
Seeking an explanation or understanding
Oh where, where?
Continuing to seek an explanation or understanding
Where did the love go?
Asking what happened to the deep feelings we used to have sometimes
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Erica Wright, Ahmir K. Thompson, Leonard N. Hubbard, Kenyatta Saunders, Mel Lewis, James Jason Poyser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind