There is no question about it. Jana Mashonee has a voice. One listen to her… Read Full Bio ↴There is no question about it. Jana Mashonee has a voice. One listen to her performance on her latest recording, "Stay With Me Baby", will tell you that.

Knowing Jana Mashonee and her music is an incredible adventure that is worth the listen.

First signed to Curb Records, her single, Ooh, Baby, Baby was picked as Billboard’s single of the week and went on to become a radio and sales success. More than Life followed, selling over a million copies on its own and as part of numerous compilation albums. A controversial version of Led Zeppelin’s epic, Stairway to Heaven, came next, earning her the honor of being the first Native American to top the Billboard dance charts.

Exploring her cultural roots, Jana then released American Indian Story, a brilliant concept album that garnered her a second GRAMMY nomination. The video for the single, The Enlightened Time, won awards at major film festivals around the world as well as a NAMMY for Best Short Form Music Video. Music from the album is featured on the Discovery Channel’s new hit series, Flying Wild Alaska.

Her first book, American Indian Story – The Adventures of Sha’kona, based on the GRAMMY nominated album of the same was also recently completed. The fantasy filled mystery-adventure is the uplifting story of the young heroine, Sha’kona, and her journey of self-discovery and courage. Fans and critics alike have praised this young adult novel for its characters, magic and message.

Jana continued to pay tribute to her heritage with the exquisite, American Indian Christmas, an extraordinary work featuring ten classic Christmas songs sung in ten different Native American languages accompanied by a full orchestra and traditional Native American instruments. A critical and commercial success beyond her wildest imagination, the album won her another NAMMY award.

A soul-stirring collection steeped in R&B and gospel roots, New Moon Born brought Jana back into the mainstream spotlight. She debuted the featured track, an emotional cover of Sam Cooke’s classic, A Change Is Gonna Come, at the American Indian Inaugural Ball for President Obama. This was her second performance for a First Family. She sang at the First Lady’s Luncheon for Laura Bush. The song went on to win her an eighth Native American Music Award for Song of the Year and the video took the Best Music Video prizes at the prestigious Indie Film Festival and at the American Indian Film Festival. In March of 2012 she was named Best Female Vocalist by the Rockwired Music Awards.

In December 2012 she co-headlined a show with Sarah McLachlan at Carnegie Hall for a magical evening.

With all she has going on and with a tour schedule that has brought her to forty nine of the fifty states as well as overseas, Jana has still found time to give back. Her Jana’s Kids Foundation has been helping Native youth achieve their dreams through its programs and scholarship offerings for almost as long as she has been an artist. In recognition of her efforts, Jana was named 2011 Woman of the Year for her philanthropic work.

Jana can also add acting to her resume. This year Jana’s new movie in which she stars in, "Raptor Ranch", debuts and will be released later in the year. Her songs are featured in Raptor Ranch as well as in Crooked Arrow, another feature movie released in theatres across the country in summer of 2012.

Those are the facts, but to find out who Jana Mashonee really is, give a listen to Stay With Me Baby. That will explain better than any words could ever hope to.

Take Me Back
Jana Mashonee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Remember when
A friend was a friend
Remember when
Summer never would end

Remember when
Days were filled with wonder
So innocent

No one pulled us under
Pulled us under

We knew back then
What tomorrow would bring
We knew back then
How to laugh how to sing

We knew back then
Things might change whenever
And then again
We could live forever
We?d live forever
Forever

Take me back to where I belong (I wish that something better came together right away)
To a better time that?s long gone (It seems that nothing matters we?re in tatters everyday)
Take me back to where I belong (I wish that something better came together right away)
Leave this all behind
Find some peace of mind

How easily
We gave up what we had
How easily
We let it all get so bad

How easily
We lost our thunder
It?s plain to see
We?ve been falling under
We?re falling under
We?re under

Oh I just want to feel the sun on my face
Oh I just want to feel we?ll get to that place

Overall Meaning

In this song, Jana Mashonee reminisces about her childhood years filled with wonder and bliss when the world seemed perfect. She reflects on how everything was simpler back in the day when summer seemed to last forever, and they could laugh and sing with their friends without a care. According to the lyrics, she and her friends once knew what tomorrow would bring and were aware that things could change at any moment. The vocalist laments how easily they let go of the simple things in life and how they have been falling under the pressures of life.

Throughout the song, she expresses a deep longing to return to those carefree days; she desires to be taken back where she belongs - a time and a place where the sun is always shining, and nothing can bring them down. She wants to leave all the negativity and chaos behind and find some peace of mind. Perhaps the lyrics are a call for people to slow down, reflect on the past, and take a moment to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of life's simple pleasures.

Line by Line Meaning

Remember when
A moment in time when something special occurred.

A friend was a friend
The comfort and reliability of friendship in the past.

Summer never would end
Fond memories of summer's endless adventures.

Days were filled with wonder
The imagination and creativity that existed during better times.

So innocent
Being pure and guiltless before sins entered the picture.

No one pulled us under
Feeling free to move along life's path without hindrance or negativity.

We knew back then
Retrospect of life's lessons that have been learned.

What tomorrow would bring
Anticipating life's challenges and goals with optimism.

How to laugh how to sing
Enjoying life through the simplicity of laughter and song.

Things might change whenever
Realizing life's constant evolution and adapting to change.

And then again
Consistently experiencing life's ups and downs and being able to endure.

We could live forever
The feeling of having a life full of possibilities and longevity.

Forever
Infinity and time's limitlessness.

Take me back to where I belong (I wish that something better came together right away)
Wanting to return back to better times and hoping for immediate improvement.

To a better time that?s long gone (It seems that nothing matters we?re in tatters everyday)
Nostalgia for times that were better and frustration with daily existence.

Leave this all behind
Abandoning current difficulties in hopes for a more promising future.

Find some peace of mind
Attaining a mental state of relaxation and tranquility.

How easily
The experience of losing what was once cherished and valued in life.

We gave up what we had
Taking for granted valuable aspects of life and not appreciating their worth until it's too late.

We let it all get so bad
Allowing life's problems to escalate and worsen.

We lost our thunder
Losing the passion and purpose that once propelled life forward.

It?s plain to see
An easy to understand realization of the present circumstances.

We?ve been falling under
Continuously losing ground and descending further into despair.

We?re falling under
The feeling of being submerged, overwhelmed, and overcome by life's challenges.

Oh I just want to feel the sun on my face
The desire to experience the simple beauty and warmth of life.

Oh I just want to feel we?ll get to that place
Living in hope and anticipation for a better future.

Contributed by Aaron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.