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.
Southern Girl
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah show you right
Come on
Sing a lang sang sing a lang song
Sing a lang sang sing a lang song
Sing a lang sang sing a lang song
Twang twang twang twong
I'm from the South
I'm a Southern Girl
Home of the burning church
Don't know much about the world
Home of the pocket stones
Home of the booty songs
Home of the finger wave that lasts
All night long
Home of the On and On
Home of the dominoes
Home of the two piece and the cat fight
Home of the teeth that's gold
Home of the never miss
Home of the platinum hits
I'm a Southern Girl (Southern Girl)
Countryfied
Everything I eat is fried
Gotta Southern drawl
I'm so country y'all
Well that's way down South
Yeah it's way down low
Check my Southern fried style
And my Southern flow
(Southern Girl)
Countryfied
I like my Tofu fried
Got about a hundred friends
That ain't caught on the trends
Don't know about the internet (mm-hmm)
Don't know about the radio (mm-hmm)
Don't know about the television
all I know is bout my flow
My kinfolk sent me out
to make money for the house
Hooked up with my boy Rahzel
I sure hope the record sell
(Southern Girl)
Southern Girl, and I'll rock your world
Fly as a bumble bee (buzz)
Can't nobody fuck with me
I'm a Southern Girl
From way down South
Got a dirty wave
'Cause I got a dirty mouth, dirty South
(Southern Girl)
Twain tiki lang tanga tang tiki tiki
(Southern Girl)
Twain twain twain ta tong
Sounding like a
(Southern Girl)
Twain tiki tang, tang tatang ding ding
(Southern Girl)
Ding dingading dong, D.Y.
Lil' La-double L.A.D.Y
Lil' La-double L.A.D.Y
Lil' La-double L.A. yes
Mmm, mmm, mmm
Yes sir
Get them chickens out the yard
The song Southern Girl by Erykah Badu is an upbeat and vibrant celebration of her southern roots. The song's lyrics are a tribute to her southern heritage, outlining many of the unique features of southern culture that she loves. The upbeat rhythm of the song contributes to the sense of pride and happiness that Badu communicates in her lyrics.
The opening lyrics of the song set the stage by establishing that the singer is a southern girl. She describes her home as the land of the burning church, indicating that her town or region may have a history of deeply-rooted religious traditions. She goes on to list other things she associates with southern culture, such as pocket stones, finger waves, dominoes, and gold teeth.
One of the most striking aspects of the song is how it embraces southern stereotypes, like a love of fried food, a twangy accent, and a lack of familiarity with modern technology. By including these elements in her lyrics, Badu creates a sense of nostalgia for a simpler and more authentic time in southern history. She also takes pride in her heritage as a southern woman, emphasizing her sassy personality and strong sense of community.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing a lang sang sing a lang song
Let's sing in a beautiful way
Twang twang twang twong
The sound of American country music
I'm from the South
I come from Southern USA
I'm a Southern Girl
I am a woman from Southern USA
Home of the burning church
Famous for religious persecution and violence
Don't know much about the world
My knowledge is mostly limited to my own culture
Home of the pocket stones
Famous for pocket-sized rocks for good luck
Home of the booty songs
Famous for sexually suggestive music
Home of the finger wave that lasts / All night long
Famous for a flirtatious gesture that can be sustained for hours
Home of the On and On
Famous for Erykah Badu's own hit song
Home of the dominoes
Famous for the game of dominos
Home of the two piece and the cat fight
Famous for the fried chicken dish and physical brawls
Home of the teeth that's gold
Famous for dental modifications using gold
Home of the never miss
Famous for perfect shooting accuracy
Home of the platinum hits
Famous for achieving popular success in the music industry
Countryfied
Having a rustic, rural charm
Everything I eat is fried
My cuisine mostly consists of deep-fried dishes
Gotta Southern drawl
I speak in a distinctive Southern accent
I'm so country y'all
I am extremely rural in lifestyle and culture
Check my Southern fried style / And my Southern flow
My musical performance has a unique Southern flair
I like my Tofu fried
Even my vegetarian dishes are deep-fried
Got about a hundred friends / That ain't caught on the trends
My social circle is not influenced by mainstream culture
Don't know about the internet (mm-hmm) / Don't know about the radio (mm-hmm) / Don't know about the television / all I know is bout my flow
I am not familiar with modern technology and media, but I excel in my music career
My kinfolk sent me out / to make money for the house
My family supports my artistic aspirations to financially contribute to the household
Hooked up with my boy Rahzel / I sure hope the record sell
I collaborated with Rahzel and I hope our record will be successful
Southern Girl, and I'll rock your world
As a talented performer from the South, I will impress you
Fly as a bumble bee (buzz) / Can't nobody fuck with me
I am confident in my abilities and unbeatable like a bumble bee
From way down South / Got a dirty wave / 'Cause I got a dirty mouth, dirty South
As a Southerner, my unconventional personality (dirty wave) and language (dirty mouth) reflect the diversity of my subculture
Twain tiki lang tanga tang tiki tiki / Twain twain twain ta tong / Sounding like a / Twain tiki tang, tang tatang ding ding / Ding dingading dong, D.Y.
Repetition of nonsensical sounds, possibly a reference to scat singing or Southern rhyming slang
Lil' La-double L.A.D.Y
A nickname or moniker for Erykah Badu
Yes sir / Get them chickens out the yard
Ending the song with a humorous non-sequitur
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERICA WRIGHT, ROZELL MANELY BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind