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.
The Light
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gotta be something for me to write this
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
Signed sealed delivered for us to grow together
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I ain't goin' assault em cause I probably did it too
Some niggas recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matching shirts
If relationship is effort I will match your work
I wanna be the one to make you happiest, and hurt you the most
They say the end is near, it's important that we close
To the most, high
Regardless of what happen on him let's rely
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side
There is a light, that shines
Special for you, and me
Yo, yo, check it
It's important, we communicate
And tune the fate of this union, to the right pitch
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Few understand the union of woman and man
And sex and a tingle is where they assume that it land
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
If heaven had a height, you would be that tall
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
Let's stick to understanding and we won't fall
For better or worse times, I hope to me you call
So I pray everyday more than anything
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
This foundation for a family, love ain't simple
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually
Granted we known each other for some time
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side
There is a light, that shines
Special for you, and me
Yeah, yo, yo, check it
It's kinda fresh you listen to more than hip-hop
And I can catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop
Plus you ship hop when it's time to, thinking you fresh
Suggesting beats I should rhyme to
At times when I'm lost I try to find you
You know to give me space when it's time to
My heart's dictionary defines you, as love and happiness
Truthfully it's hard trying to practice abstinence
The time we committed love it was real good
Had to be for me to arrive and it still feel good
I know the sex ain't goin' keep you, but as my equal
It's how I must treat you
As my reflection in light I'ma lead you
And whatever's right, I'ma feed you
Ticka tah, ticka tah, ticka ticka tickah
Yo I tell you the rest when I see you, peace
There are times, when you'll need someone
I will be by your side
There is a light, that shines
Special for you, and me
(I'll) take my chances, before they pass
Pass me by, oh darling,
You need to look at the other side
You'll agree
In this song, Erykah Badu expresses her love for her partner by first acknowledging the unique character of their love, “never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this”. She then writes a letter to her partner, in which she acknowledges that they haven’t seen each other in a while. She signs, seals, delivers the letter to her love, with a hope that they can ‘grow together’. Badu highlights the limitless nature of their love, therefore proposing the idea of spending it ‘slow forever’. She uses her past mistakes and her partner’s prior experiences to show that they have come together despite the weathering of broken hearts.
Badu states that she acknowledges the other men in her partner’s life, rather than harm them, she would prefer to handle her feelings carefully. Badu believes that she and her partner complement each other well and the relationship will work well if both parties match each other’s energy, “If relationship is effort I will match your work”. She expresses the desire to make her partner happy, while at the same time admitting that she may unintentionally hurt her loved one. Badu uses the metaphor of ‘the light’ in the chorus to emphasize their special relationship, ‘There is a light, that shines/ Special for you, and me’.
Line by Line Meaning
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
I never knew a love so unique and special like this
Gotta be something for me to write this
This love is so inspiring that I am writing about it
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
I haven't seen you in a while, my queen
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
I wrote this letter for you and finally decided to send it to you
Signed sealed delivered for us to grow together
I am committed to us growing together and have made it official with this letter
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
Our love has no boundaries and we should take things slow and enjoy it forever
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I understand that you are hurt by what other men did to you in the past
I ain't goin' assault em cause I probably did it too
I won't blame those men for hurting you because I may have also contributed to it
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
You have taught me to be more sensitive and treat our feelings with care
Some niggas recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
Some men acknowledge a special woman like you, but can't handle the pressure of being with you
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matching shirts
I am not the kind of person who emphasizes superficial things like matching outfits
If relationship is effort I will match your work
I am willing to put in as much effort into our relationship as you are
I wanna be the one to make you happiest, and hurt you the most
I want to be the source of your greatest happiness and also the cause of your deepest pain
They say the end is near, it's important that we close
People believe that the end is coming soon, so it's important that we solidify our relationship
To the most, high
To God, the highest power
Regardless of what happen on him let's rely
No matter what happens, let's rely on God
There are times, when you'll need someone
There will be times when you need someone
I will be by your side
I will always be there for you
There is a light, that shines
We have a special connection between us
Special for you, and me
This connection is unique and special for you and me
It's important, we communicate
Communication is key to this relationship
And tune the fate of this union, to the right pitch
We must work together to make sure our relationship is successful
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
I never refer to you in disrespectful terms like 'bitch' or even a term of endearment like 'boo'
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Your name is just a part of who you are as a person
Few understand the union of woman and man
Not many people understand the true connection between a woman and a man
And sex and a tingle is where they assume that it land
People assume that sex and lust are the main components of a relationship
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
But that's just temporary for you and I am writing about our deep and lasting connection
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
Even in the dark, cold, Chicago nights, you are my shining light
If heaven had a height, you would be that tall
You are so amazing that you would be at the highest point of heaven
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
From the ghetto to the coffee shop, you have helped me see the world in a new light
Let's stick to understanding and we won't fall
If we stick together and understand each other, we won't fail
For better or worse times, I hope to me you call
In good times or bad, I hope you will always call on me for support
So I pray everyday more than anything
I pray every day, more than anything else in my life
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
Our love will blossom and we will remain friends throughout it all
This foundation for a family, love ain't simple
Our love is not simple, but we are building a strong foundation for a future family
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually
Why can't we work hard every year to maintain something valuable like our love?
Granted we known each other for some time
Although we have known each other for a while
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
It doesn't take much time to recognize something amazing and bright like you
It's kinda fresh you listen to more than hip-hop
It's cool that you listen to a variety of music, not just hip-hop
And I can catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop
I love that you have different tastes and styles, from glamour to thrift shops
Plus you ship hop when it's time to, thinking you fresh
You can transition from one style to another with ease, thinking you are always fresh
Suggesting beats I should rhyme to
You even suggest the type of beats I should rap to, showing how well you know me
At times when I'm lost I try to find you
When I feel lost, I always try to find my way back to you
You know to give me space when it's time to
You also understand when I need space and give it to me willingly
My heart's dictionary defines you, as love and happiness
In my heart, you are the epitome of love and happiness
Truthfully it's hard trying to practice abstinence
Honestly, it's difficult to resist being intimate with you
The time we committed love it was real good
When we first fell in love, it was amazing
Had to be for me to arrive and it still feel good
It had to be something special for me to have stayed this long and still feel great about us
I know the sex ain't goin' keep you, but as my equal
I know that sex alone won't keep you, but I respect you as my equal
It's how I must treat you
This is how I must treat you, with respect and equality
As my reflection in light I'ma lead you
As your partner, I will guide you and help you grow
And whatever's right, I'ma feed you
I will provide what is right for you and nourish our relationship
Ticka tah, ticka tah, ticka ticka tickah
This is just a sound effect used in the song
Yo I tell you the rest when I see you, peace
I'll continue this conversation when I see you in person, bye for now
(I'll) take my chances, before they pass
I will take a risk before it's too late
Pass me by, oh darling,
Please don't let this opportunity pass us by, my love
You need to look at the other side
You need to consider the other possibilities and take a chance with me
You'll agree
I'm sure you will agree with me once you see how special our love is
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, BENDAN MUSIC
Written by: HARRIS, KANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nellyluscious
R.I.P. to the Musical Genius J.Dilla!!! I swear that man was on another Planet in another element!!! Dope!!!
@kevinclarkecoaching
Yeah
@BlackAnbuOps
Jesus. Dilla made a CLASSIC beat with this song then turned around AND REMIXED IT MAKING THIS SONG EVEN BETTER. We lost such a talent 😰
@iprofessionalamateur
J Dilla beats is so sweet. Makes me want to Hug someone. This is Love.
@rodrigoescobar7134
Dillas drums make me cry.. they just touch me in a very rare way... God rest your soul king
@DopeItzTheeOne
They don’t make music like this no more! Timeless classic music even a youngin like myself can appreciate!
@jasongold708
The first time I've heard this remix. Dilla the Great! This was Common's best album.
@forunner3047
Jason Gold
No doubt. You are telling the truth.
@cnndkaden1934
This shit is fire especially in the first part with Erykah Badu special for you
@bigstacks1463
Dilla chopped up that Lalo Schrifin to oblivion. Ridiculous. Incredible track!!! He obliterated his own amazing OG version.