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.
Time's A Wastin'
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time's a wastin'
Don't you take your time young man
Keep on driftin'
Ain't no tellin' where you'll land
Run baby, run, run
Where you runnin' to?
Some people may not understand
What it means to be a man
Takin' full command
'Cause we're
Livin' in a world that's oh so strange
Boy don't let your focus change
Takin' out the demons in your range, hey
Livin' in a world that's oh so fast
Gotta make your money last
Learn from your past, oh
Time's a wastin'
Don't you take your time young man
Keep on driftin'
Ain't no tellin' where you'll land
Sweet love and sunshine
If it's all in the air
Then it's all on your mind
Uh, breathe baby
Come back to the world
Dig up all your pearls
Teach the boys and girls, hey
We're livin' in a world that's oh so strange
Boy don't let your focus change
Takin' out the demons in your range, hey
Livin' in a world that's oh so fast
Gotta make your money last
Learn from your past, ay
Oh (hum hum), baby (hum hum hum), we (hum hum hum), need to smile (hum hum)
Oh (hum hum hum hum), baby (hum hum), we (hum), need to smile (hum hum)
Ohh oh oh, baby (oh oh), we (oh oh), need to smile (oh oh)
Ohh oh, (baby) baby baby, we, (need) need to smile (oh oh)
'Cause time's a wastin'
Don't you take your time young man
Keep on driftin'
Ain't no tellin' where you'll land
Oh baby we need to smile
Oh (oh oh) baby we need to smile
Oh ooh oh, oh oh oh ooh
Oh, ooh ooh, oh, oh
Oh, time's a wastin' (ooh, oh, oh)
Don't you take your time young man (ay yeah ay)
Keep on driftin'
Ain't no tellin' where you'll land
(Yeah) (ay) (ain't no tellin') (oh)
Oh oh (yeah ain't no tellin' time) oh oh (take your time young man)
Oh, oh (no no), (ain't no tellin') oh
Oh oh (oh ooh oh ooh ay) oh oh, (ain't no tellin'), (no no tellin')
Oh oh (uh ooh uh ooh oh) oh oh (ain't no tellin')
Oh (I'm tellin' you no), oh oh, (yeah) (ain't no tellin') oh, oh oh (ain't no tellin')
Uh, oh (don't turn your baby) oh, oh, oh oh (don't turn your back hey) oh oh
(Don't turn your back I'm tellin' you no)
In "Time's a Wastin'," Erykah Badu uses a mix of spoken word and soulful singing to deliver a message about embracing life and learning from the past. The song appears to be a message to a young man, urging him to stay focused, take control of his life, and not let anything get in the way of his dreams. Badu stresses the importance of remaining positive and learning from mistakes, rather than letting the challenges of life get the best of you.
The chorus of the song, "Time's a wastin', don't you take your time young man, keep on driftin', ain't no tellin' where you'll land," serves as a reminder that time is fleeting, and it's important to stay focused and keep moving forward. Badu also emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge and experiences with others, as she urges the young man to "teach the boys and girls."
Overall, "Time's a Wastin'" is a soul-stirring call to action, urging listeners to embrace life, learn from the past, and focus on their dreams. It's a reminder that time is precious, and we must make the most of every moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Agreeing or emphasizing the point made earlier
Time's a wastin'
Time is passing quickly, and we need to make the most of it
Don't you take your time young man
Don't waste time, and use it productively
Keep on driftin'
Keep moving forward, even if you are uncertain of where you're going
Ain't no tellin' where you'll land
The future is uncertain, and we can't predict where it will take us
Run baby, run, run
Move fast and decisively towards your goal
Where you runnin' to?
What is your ultimate destination? What are you trying to achieve?
And who you runnin' from?
What fears, doubts, or insecurities are you trying to escape?
Some people may not understand
Not everyone shares your vision or goals, and that's okay
What it means to be a man
What it means to be strong, confident, and in control of one's life
Takin' full command
Taking responsibility for one's life and making decisions with confidence
'Cause we're
Because we are all
Livin' in a world that's oh so strange
Living in a world that is unpredictable, and sometimes hard to navigate
Boy don't let your focus change
Stay true to your goals, even if the world around you seems chaotic
Takin' out the demons in your range, hey
Overcoming your fears, doubts, and insecurities to move boldly towards your goals
Livin' in a world that's oh so fast
Living in a world that moves quickly and demands constant action
Gotta make your money last
Be financially responsible and make the most of your resources
Learn from your past, oh
Reflect on your past experiences and use them to inform your future actions
Sweet love and sunshine
The pleasures of life are available to those who seek them
If it's all in the air
If our dreams and aspirations seem uncertain or out of reach
Then it's all on your mind
It is up to us to take control of our thoughts and turn our aspirations into reality
Uh, breathe baby
Sometimes we need to take a step back and just breathe to regain perspective
Come back to the world
Re-engage with the world around us, and take action to achieve our goals
Dig up all your pearls
Find the unique and valuable things that you have to offer the world
Teach the boys and girls, hey
Share your knowledge and experiences with others, and help them to reach their own goals
Oh ooh oh, baby (oh oh), we (oh oh), need to smile (oh oh)
Despite the challenges and difficulties of life, we should try to stay positive and find reasons to smile
Ohh oh oh, baby (oh oh), we (oh oh), need to smile (oh oh)
A repeated emphasis on the importance of staying positive
Oh, time's a wastin'
Time is still passing quickly, and we need to make the most of it while we can
Don't you take your time young man (ay yeah ay)
A repetition of earlier lyrics as a reminder to stay focused
Oh baby we need to smile
Even in the face of adversity, we can find reasons to be happy
(I'm tellin' you no)
An admonition to avoid negativity or pessimism
(don't turn your back hey)
A reminder to stay engaged and focused
(no no tellin')
The future is uncertain, but we can still work towards our goals
(ain't no tellin')
A repetition of earlier lyrics to reinforce the theme of uncertainty in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Erica Wright, Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell, Eugene Young, Shawn Martin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind