Spalding continued to branch out, playing with jazz groups as well as leading her own septet and trio. In 2002 she joined the hip-hop group Black Science Tribe, which gained a sizable following touring along the West Coast.
Since moving East to attend the Berklee College of Music, Ms. Spalding has regularly worked as a freelance bassist and singer, both locally and internationally. Ms. Spalding has worked with many notable Grammy-winning artists such as pianist Michel Camilo, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, saxophonist Joe Lovano, violinist Regina Carter, guitarist Pat Metheny, and singer Patti Austin.
She has also performed as a member of the Boston Pops, with drummers Bill Stewart (John Scofield, Chris Potter, Joe Lovano), Terri-Lyne Carrington (Herbie Hancock), Mark Walker (Paquito D'Rivera), as well as guitarist Adam Rogers (Michael Brecker, Chris Potter), saxophonist Seamus Blake (Mingus Big Band, Bloomdaddies), and trumpeter Byron Stripling and performed as an opening act for comedian and sometimes-jazz drummer/vocalist Bill Cosby.
Recently, Ms. Spalding released her debut album as a leader, Junjo on the Barcelona based jazz label Ayva Music. Her CD features pianist Aruan Ortiz, and drummer Francisco Mela.
She is the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship. Spalding holds a B.M. from Berklee College of Music, where she also enjoys the status as the youngest faculty member ever in the history of the College. Esperanza recently became a new artist represented by the Montuno management agency.
In 2009 she played at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo(Norway), as the Nobel Peace Prize winner,
Barack Obama, artist of choice.
In 2011 she was awarded the Grammy for best new artist, the only Jazz musician to be awarded the Grammy.
I Know You Know
Esperanza Spalding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You look at me
When you think
I'm not looking
Tells me
Your heart's
A sleeping giant
By someone
You loved before me
I see you're scared
Unconvinced by
What I've tried to say
That I am yours
And that nothing
Will take me away
You already know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
I know that you know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
The way
You always call me
With some question
And every time
Try to pretend
You didn't call me
Just 'cause
I was on your mind
Too soon for you
To say out loud
But I know
You love me
And though
We don't say it
Already shows
You already know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
I know that you know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
You already know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
You already know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
I'll wait for you
To open up
But, it's not a bore
You're just
What I've been
Looking for
Why do you keep
Your head in the sand?
Whoever
You loved before me
That ran
Nothing like me
Nothing like me
Nothing like me
You already know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
I know that you know
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
You already know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
I know that you know
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
The way you look at me
When you think
I'm not looking.
The way you call me up
Just to see
What's cooking
The way you look at me
When you think
I'm not looking
I look at you
That way too
You just don't know
That I do
I know that you know
You already know
I know you know and
I know it shows that
I know you know
And you really love me baby
I can see you love me
I love
I already know,
But sing it again
Sing in again
In "I Know You Know," Esperanza Spalding sings about the love she shares with her partner. The opening lines express her affection for the way her partner looks at her when they believe she's not looking. It's a loving and endearing moment that is indicative of the trust and support she shares with her partner. However, the lyrics also reveal that her partner is hesitant to open up, which suggests that they have been hurt before by a past lover. Although Esperanza has tried to reassure them, they remain unconvinced.
Esperanza's lines throughout the song express her desire to love and support her partner, no matter how scared or uncertain they may feel. She understands that their heart is a "sleeping giant" that might still bear the scars of past hurt. The song is about love, but it is more about how it takes time and patience to grow, especially when people have to overcome things that have broken them in the past. In the end, the song's running theme is that no matter how much she sings to her partner, they are already aware of how much she loves them.
Line by Line Meaning
The way
You look at me
When you think
I'm not looking
Tells me
The way you observe me when you think I'm not aware, gives me a glimpse of your true feelings
Your heart's
A sleeping giant
Worn out
By someone
You loved before me
Your heart has the potential to love immensely, but past hurt from someone you loved before me still lingers
I see you're scared
Unconvinced by
What I've tried to say
That I am yours
And that nothing
Will take me away
It's evident that you're afraid and uncertain about my feelings for you and my commitment to being with you
You already know,
But I'll sing it again
I love you babe
And nothing
Will take me away
I understand that you're already aware of my feelings, but I need to reiterate that I love you and nothing can come in between us
The way
You always call me
With some question
And every time
Try to pretend
You didn't call me
Just 'cause
I was on your mind
Whenever you have a question, you always call me but try to play it cool and act like you didn't call just because I was on your mind
Too soon for you
To say out loud
But I know
You love me
And though
We don't say it
Already shows
Although it might be too early for you to say it out loud, I know that you love me and your actions already prove it
I'll wait for you
To open up
But, it's not a bore
You're just
What I've been
Looking for
I'm prepared to wait for you to open up because I know it's worth it. You're not boring - you're exactly what I've been searching for
Why do you keep
Your head in the sand?
Whoever
You loved before me
That ran
Nothing like me
Nothing like me
Nothing like me
Why do you avoid facing your past? Whoever you loved before me ran and was nothing like me
I know that you know
You already know
I know you know and
I know it shows that
I know you know
I know that you're aware of my feelings already, and I'm aware that you know. The way you act around me indicates that you know too.
And you really love me baby
I can see you love me
I love
I already know,
But sing it again
Sing in again
I can sense that you really love me, and I feel the same. I already know this, but I still need to hear it again.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ESPERANZA SPALDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind