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.
Turn Me Away
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
Can't lie to you honey
I just want your money
Hi answer me munny
Don't run from me trying to
Get away just stay OK
'Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
I look like a model
I'll do what I gotta do
To stay in the running 'cause I want your money
Give me some
I'll be the one back stage
'Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
I'll wait on your doorstep
Till you let me come in
Hey I'll be your best friend
Say munny can you come out and
Play I'll stay or I'll come back
'Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
Fresher than the others
I'll cook like your Mother
I I'll bring the honey
You just bring the money
Fingers crossed behind my back
'Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Jewels Cars and Candy Clothes
Electric garden hose
Down to the minerals
Tickle tickle before stroke
I love your solid golds
I love your pearly ball
You know that I am still
Just how you want to feel
Ew uh oh
Dropped your mind
Scooped it up
Put it in my sock
I'll be your robot girl
Come into me my world
I will wait
Ew we boy
Let me drop ya off
I'm your predator hey
'Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
The song "Get MuNNY" by Erykah Badu is a playful and provocative commentary on the cultural obsession with money and its perceived value in relationships. The repeated phrase "Can't turn me away, I believe in your heart, I'll always want to stay" is a sarcastic takedown of the notion that love and loyalty are fueled by financial gain. Badu challenges this idea by openly admitting that she just wants the money, and she will do whatever it takes to get it.
The lines "I look like a model, I'll do what I gotta do, to stay in the running because I want your money" further emphasize the idea of a transactional relationship. Badu is willing to play the part of the perfect partner, whether that means cooking like your mother or bringing the honey, in exchange for financial gain. She is not coy about her intentions, as she boldly proclaims "Can't lie to you honey, I just want your money, hi answer me munny."
The verse "Jewels Cars and Candy Clothes, Electric garden hose, Down to the minerals Tickle tickle before stroke" is a list of material objects that are often seen as symbols of wealth and success. Badu juxtaposes these objects with the phrase "tickle tickle before stroke," which may be interpreted as the idea that the pursuit of material objects is a temporary distraction from human desires and emotional connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Get munny
This song is about getting money.
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
The singer is confident that the listener will not reject her and she will always remain interested in them.
Can't lie to you honey
I just want your money
Hi answer me munny
Don't run from me trying to
Get away just stay OK
Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
The singer acknowledges that she wants the listener's money and asks them not to run away because she wants them to give her the money she desires.
I look like a model
I'll do what I gotta do
To stay in the running cause I want your money
Give me some
I'll be the one back stage
Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
The singer emphasizes that her appearance is good enough to make the listener notice her and she will do anything to get their money, even if it means staying in the background and not getting recognition.
I'll wait on your doorstep
Till you let me come in
Hey I'll be your best friend
Say munny can you come out and
Play I'll stay or I'll come back
Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
The singer is willing to wait for the listener to let her in and be their friend, as long as they give her the money she wants.
Fresher than the others
I'll cook like your Mother
I I'll bring the honey
You just bring the money
Fingers crossed behind my back
Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
The singer promises to be better than others and cook like the listener's mother, but she is still only interested in their money.
Jewels Cars and Candy Clothes
Electric garden hose
Down to the minerals
Tickle tickle before stroke
I love your solid golds
I love your pearly ball
You know that I am still
Just how you want to feel
The singer expresses her liking to the listener's luxurious possessions and mentions the tickling sensation before the final stroke of hitting the jackpot.
Ew uh oh
Dropped your mind
Scooped it up
Put it in my sock
I'll be your robot girl
Come into me my world
I will wait
The singer talks about manipulating the listener's mind and taking control of them, offering to be their slave and waiting for them.
Ew we boy
Let me drop ya off
I'm your predator hey
Cause munny I want you back
La la la la
The singer portrays herself as a predator waiting to attack and get the listener's money.
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
Can't turn me away
I believe in your heart
I'll always want to stay
The singer repeats her confidence in the listener not turning her away and her willingness to stay interested in them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Erica Wright, James Bedford Jr., Roy Ayers, Sylvia Denise Striplin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind