Headley began playing the music of her native country at a young age, including calypso, reggae and soca. She moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at the age of fifteen when her father was offered a job as pastor of McKee Street Church of God (in Anderson, Indiana).
After graduating from Northrop High School, Headley attended Northwestern University to study communications and musical theatre. In 1997, she played Nala in The Lion King, the Broadway musical. Headley's performance was well-received and she then originated the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in 1999.
Headley released her debut album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 on RCA Records. Although its first single, "He Is", was not very successful, the second single, "I Wish I Wasn't", achieved moderate success and earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Headley was also nominated for Best New Artist.
On September 6, 2003, Headley married Brian Musso, formerly of the New York Jets. Her second album, In My Mind, was delayed due to the various executive shake-ups associated with RCA parent BMG's merger with Sony, and Headley joked that it should have been called Caught Up instead. Under BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis for the first time, Headley released the album in January 2006. The title track was released as the first single; it was produced by India.Arie collaborator Shannon Sanders, and its music video was directed by Diane Martel. The song reached number-one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Sunday
Heather Headley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you even know her name?
How am I supposed to make it through to you?
[Chorus]
Is Sunday goin' be my day to take it easy (Make it all about me)
Maybe on Monday think about calling
Maybe Tuesday we'll see how I feel
Maybe on Monday think about calling
Maybe Tuesday, we'll see how I feel
It's 9:30 in the mornin',
I didn't sleep well again
Tossed all night long boy
Can't stand it when we fight like this
Here we go again so I have to be gone
Can't deal with the fallout
Gonna take a time out
I need to take the day off
Gonna gather my thoughts, gather myself
I need some time without you, without you
[Chorus]
Maybe I'll just take a walk
A few blocks get a bite to eat
See a movie (but not a love story)
Try to get in the key, listen to some Stevie
What I need to do is go to church
And pray for that girl that got between us
Pray that I don't see her
Pray that I don't meet her
Pray that I don't try to beat her
[Chorus]
What she says and what she does
Ain't no concern to me
She don't really need to be
All up in ma business
Baby you didn't really take the time
To talk to me
You played me and betrayed me
Now I'm ready I need, I need a sunday [fade into chorus]
[Chorus fades until the end]
The song "Sunday" by Heather Headley is about a woman who is frustrated with her partner, who seems to be preoccupied with another woman. The song begins with her asking how he could let this girl come between them, and whether he even knows her name. The chorus suggests that she needs a break from the drama and promises herself some time to focus on her own needs. The verse continues with the woman feeling unrested and upset about the fighting which leads her to take a break from their relationship. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the importance of self-care and taking a break when needed. The song closes with the woman saying that she doesn't need to know what the other woman is doing or saying, and she just needs some time to herself.
Line by Line Meaning
How you goin' let that girl get between us baby?
Why are you allowing another woman to come between us, without even knowing her?
Do you even know her name?
Do you even have any idea who this woman is that's causing problems between us?
How am I supposed to make it through to you?
I don't know how to communicate with you when you let other people get in the way.
Is Sunday goin' be my day to take it easy (Make it all about me)
I need a day to myself where I can relax and focus on myself.
Maybe on Monday think about calling
I'll consider reaching out to you on Monday, but I'm not sure how I'll feel.
Maybe Tuesday we'll see how I feel
I'll decide how I feel about you and our relationship on Tuesday.
It's 9:30 in the mornin',
The day has already started and I'm awake.
I didn't sleep well again
I couldn't sleep because I'm worried about our situation.
Tossed all night long boy
I couldn't get comfortable in bed because I was tossing and turning all night over what happened between us.
Can't stand it when we fight like this
I hate fighting with you like this, it's too much for me to handle.
Here we go again, so I have to be gone
Since we can't seem to stop fighting and you won't let go of this other girl, I need to get away from you for a bit.
Can't deal with the fallout
I can't handle this situation anymore, it's too much for me.
Gonna take a time out
I need to take a break from you and our problems.
I need to take the day off
I need a day where I don't have to think about anyone else but myself.
Gonna gather my thoughts, gather myself
I need some time to reflect and get my thoughts in order before I can deal with our situation again.
I need some time without you, without you
I need some time to myself without having to worry about you and our problems.
Maybe I'll just take a walk
I may just need to take a leisurely stroll to clear my mind.
A few blocks get a bite to eat
Maybe I'll grab a quick meal while I'm out.
See a movie (but not a love story)
I'll try to distract myself by watching a movie, but not one that will only remind me of our relationship troubles.
Try to get in the key, listen to some Stevie
Maybe I'll listen to some music to try and relax.
What I need to do is go to church
I need to pray and get some spiritual guidance to help me deal with our situation.
And pray for that girl that got between us
I need to ask God to help us overcome this situation with the other woman.
Pray that I don't see her
I don't want to have to encounter the other woman again.
Pray that I don't meet her
I hope I never have to meet her or be in her presence again.
Pray that I don't try to beat her
I need to pray for strength and self-control so that I don't react with violence or aggression towards the other woman.
What she says and what she does
I'm not concerned with her actions or words.
Ain't no concern to me
I don't care what she's up to, I'm focused on my own situation.
She don't really need to be all up in ma business
I don't want her to be involved in our relationship or interfere with our affairs.
Baby, you didn't really take the time to talk to me
I feel like you're not listening to me or engaging in conversation with me about our situation.
You played me and betrayed me
I feel let down and betrayed by your actions.
Now I'm ready, I need, I need a sunday
I need some time to myself on a Sunday to regroup and refocus on me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDWARD JAMES BADEN-POWELL, HEATHER HEADLEY, KWAME AMANKWA KWATEN, STEVE MARSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind