At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
Superheroes
Esthero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is a white breast
Waiting for you here
Between the superheroes and the electric blanket is warm
I could be sweet
I could be young, and fresh
If I weren't so old and used
I try not to ruin the moment
Tell me all your secrets and your torments
You're delicious, you're delicious
Send me on a quest for lullabies, and more
What would it take for you to see
What I have got?
I've got more than you know
Open your eyes, I cannot be what I am not
I'm not what I used to be, I'm not what
I'm not what I used to be, and I
I don't know myself from anybody else
I'm not what I used to be, I'm not what
I'm not what I used to be, and I
You don't know what you have done
My frame is here but the mind is gone, gone away
So stay awhile longer, sweet tongue of fur and feather
Don't cut the white breast
I've been waiting for you, here
I'm not who I used to be
Bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
And bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
The song 'Superheroes' by Esthero is a melancholic number which speaks of the singer's desire for love and affection. The opening lines of the first verse, 'Stay awhile longer, sweet tongue of fur and feather, there is a white breast waiting for you here,' paint a vivid image of the singer waiting for her lover while juxtaposing the animal and human realm by referencing 'fur and feather.' The reference to superheroes can be seen as a way of comparing herself and her lover to powerful beings who can conquer all, but in reality, all they need is each other's warmth and comfort. The line 'Between the superheroes and the electric blanket is warm' implies that even superheroes need to rest and find shelter from the world's chaos.
The second verse expands on the singer's insecurities and her desire to be loved purely for who she is. The lines 'I could be sweet, I could be young, and fresh if I weren't so old and used and wet' express the singer's desire to be loved in a way that makes her feel young and fresh again, but she is doubtful of whether anyone would want her as she is 'old and used and wet.' However, the bridge - 'What would it take for you to see what I have got? I've got more than you know' - shows that the singer recognizes her worth and her potential as a partner, even though her partner may not see it yet.
Overall, while the song deals with some darker themes, it ultimately offers a message of hope that everyone has the potential to be loved and appreciated for who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay awhile longer, sweet tongue of fur and feather
The singer is asking someone to stay with her and continue being sweet and flirtatious.
There is a white breast
The singer is referring to her own body and suggesting that someone is welcome to explore it.
Waiting for you here
The singer is excited for her company to arrive and share intimate moments with her.
Between the superheroes and the electric blanket is warm
The singer is suggesting that the space between two extreme passions is a cozy, comfortable place.
I could be sweet
The singer is saying that she can be charming and fun to be around.
I could be young, and fresh
The singer is suggesting that she can look and feel youthful and vibrant.
If I weren't so old and used
The singer is saying that she feels a bit worn out and tired from life experiences.
And wet, and wet, I am wet
The singer is suggesting that she is aroused and ready for intimacy.
I try not to ruin the moment
The singer is saying that she is being mindful of not letting negative thoughts or emotions overshadow the moment.
Tell me all your secrets and your torments
The singer wants to know everything about her companion, including their struggles.
You're delicious, you're delicious
The singer is expressing her attraction to her companion in a playful way.
Send me on a quest for lullabies, and more
The singer is asking her companion to treat her like a child and sing her to sleep while continuing to be intimate with her.
What would it take for you to see
The singer is asking what her companion needs to know to see the value of being with her.
What I have got?
The singer is saying that she has more to offer than her companion might realize.
I've got more than you know
The singer is expressing confidence in her abilities and her worth as a partner.
Open your eyes, I cannot be what I am not
The singer is telling her companion to see her for who she is and not expect her to be anyone else.
I'm not what I used to be, I'm not what
The singer is acknowledging that she has changed over time.
I'm not what I used to be, and I
The singer is continuing to express that she has grown and evolved as a person.
I don't know myself from anybody else
The singer is suggesting that she is unique and cannot compare herself to others.
You don't know what you have done
The singer is suggesting that her companion has made a significant impact on her in a positive way.
My frame is here but the mind is gone, gone away
The singer is suggesting that her mind is focused on something else, most likely her companion.
Don't cut the white breast
The singer is asking her companion not to do anything that would damage or harm her body.
I've been waiting for you, here
The singer has been eagerly anticipating her companion's arrival and being intimate with them.
Bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
The singer is suggesting that she is becoming more passionate and enthusiastic in her intimacy with her companion.
And bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
The singer is continuing to express that her passion and excitement is growing with each moment.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment
Written by: Martin Daniel Mc Kinney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dfreechilling
Stay awhile longer, sweet tongue of fur and feather
There is a white breast
Waiting for you here
Between the superheroes and the electric blanket is warm
I could be sweet
I could be young, and fresh
If I weren't so old and used
And wet, and wet, I am wet
I try not to ruin the moment
Tell me all your secrets and your torments
You're delicious, you're delicious
Send me on a quest for lullabies, and more
What would it take for you to see
What I have got?
I've got more than you know
Open your eyes, I cannot be what I am not
I'm not what I used to be, I'm not what
I'm not what I used to be, and I
I don't know myself from anybody else
I'm not what I used to be, I'm not what
I'm not what I used to be, and I
You don't know what you have done
My frame is here but the mind is gone, gone away
So stay awhile longer, sweet tongue of fur and feather
Don't cut the white breast
I've been waiting for you, here
I'm not who I used to be
Bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
And bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
great white
The production on this entire album is just incredible
Blackbird
I dont have it....I need to gon' ahead and make that purchase : )
loki2240
Perverted Alchemist - Wow, I forgot about Res' How I Do. I used to listen to that and Common's Be each year when we went to a pumpkin path and an apple orchard in the fall. I need to dust that off.
livefromplanetearth
Perverted Alchemist salute to doc
Gracjan Rötke
Agreed!
Amalfi Coast
Doc McKinney is one of my biggest inspirations.
dfreechilling
Stay awhile longer, sweet tongue of fur and feather
There is a white breast
Waiting for you here
Between the superheroes and the electric blanket is warm
I could be sweet
I could be young, and fresh
If I weren't so old and used
And wet, and wet, I am wet
I try not to ruin the moment
Tell me all your secrets and your torments
You're delicious, you're delicious
Send me on a quest for lullabies, and more
What would it take for you to see
What I have got?
I've got more than you know
Open your eyes, I cannot be what I am not
I'm not what I used to be, I'm not what
I'm not what I used to be, and I
I don't know myself from anybody else
I'm not what I used to be, I'm not what
I'm not what I used to be, and I
You don't know what you have done
My frame is here but the mind is gone, gone away
So stay awhile longer, sweet tongue of fur and feather
Don't cut the white breast
I've been waiting for you, here
I'm not who I used to be
Bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
And bigger, and better, and faster, and wetter
Just Me
THIS is my favorite Esthero song...I love this girl..I wish her well and hope she sticks around for a very long time.
Olivier Batiste
One of these albums that I'll listen all life long, such a precious mood it provides. Thanks for sharing this beautiful song.
NJbakintheday
My favorite Esthero song, and that's sayin' a LOT because I love just about all her stuff. Been listening to her since '98 and still not tired! This joint is so chill... I love how she's expressing herself in this one.