Career:
Jon Batiste was born in Kenner, Louisiana, into a long line of musicians, including Lionel Batiste and Harold Battiste. At the age of 8, he played percussion and drums with his family's band, the Batiste Brothers Band. At his mother's suggestion, he switched to piano at the age of 11. Jon developed his piano skills by taking classical music lessons and transcribing songs from video games such as Street Fighter Alpha, Final Fantasy VII and Sonic the Hedgehog.
At 17, Batiste released Times in New Orleans. He attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts with Trombone Shorty and graduated in 2004 before going on to receive a bachelor's and master's degree from the Juilliard School. While at Juilliard, he released his second album Live in New York: At the Rubin Museum of Art, and by the end of 2006, had been a featured performer in South Africa, London, Lisbon, Spain, Paris and the United States.
In 2007, Batiste made his debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam at the age of 20, both producing and performing his own show. He conducted music clinics, classes and workshops throughout Netherlands in inner city schools and underprivileged neighborhoods. He was invited back to Carnegie Hall to produce and perform in his own show including six young musicians from the Netherlands. The performance concluded with a finale he composed for choir, jazz combo and orchestral instruments. In the year following, Batiste released a number of music projects including Social Music (2013) which spent over a month at the top of the Billboard and iTunes jazz charts, "The Late Show EP" (2016) with Stay Human and a holiday album "Christmas with Jon Batiste" (2016). In 2017, he released the singles "Ohio" with Leon Bridges and Gary Clark Jr. as well as "Battle Hymn of the Republic" for The Atlantic. Batise's debut solo album Hollywood Africans was released under Verve Records in September 2018. "Don't Stop" served as the lead single. Leading up to the album release, Batiste completed a Summer Festival tour across the U.S. with The Dap-Kings.
Batiste's notable career performances include a tribute to Chuck Berry and Fats Domino during the 60th annual Grammy Awards (performing alongside Gary Clark Jr.), the Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to Carmen De Lavallade, the Concert for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama as well as the National Anthem at the 2017 NBA All Star Game and Opening Night of the 2017 US Open. He has curated the Global Citizen Advocacy Concert with Tom Morello and the Louis Armstrong Wonderful World Festival in Queens, N.Y. Batiste is currently signed with Mick Management.
Stay Human.
In 2005, Batiste began performing regularly around the New York music scene with his Juilliard peers, bassist Phil Kuehn and drummer Joe Saylor. He later added Eddie Barbash on alto saxophone and Ibanda Ruhumbika on tuba. Batiste named the band Stay Human, which draws its moniker from the belief that human interaction during a live musical performance can uplift humanity in the midst of the "plug in/tune out" nature of modern society. The band leads impromptu street performances, which Batiste calls "love riots."
In 2011, Stay Human released the album MY N.Y., which was recorded in its entirety on New York City Subway trains, an idea that came to Batiste after questioning how to connect with people.
On April 22, 2017, the band played for the March for Science rally at the Washington Monument in Washington D.C.
Television and film:
In 2014, Batiste and Stay Human appeared on The Colbert Report to perform the group's single, "Express Yourself", written and produced with Austin Bis. On June 4, 2015, it was announced that the group would serve as house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The show premiered on CBS on September 8, 2015. On the show, Batiste and Stay Human have performed alongside Billy Joel, Will Smith, Wynton Marsalis, John Legend, Grace Vanderwaal, and Nas.
Batiste was cast in the HBO television series Treme, appearing in seasons 2, 3 and 4. He was also cast as T.K. Hazelton in director Spike Lee's film Red Hook Summer and composed and performed the Hammond B-3 organ music that was a part of the film score. Other film scores composed by Batiste include the television documentary Duke 91 & 92: Back to Back and the short film Melody of Choice. He also appears in the film Thrive by Paul Szynol.
Miscellaneous.
Batiste was included in the 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 music list and was named Grand Marshal of Endymion Parade in New Orleans in 2018. He has been awarded the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, the Harry Chapin ASCAP Humanitarian Award and the Movado Future Legend Award. In May 2017, Batiste received an honorary degree from Salve Regina University for his musical achievements and contributions to Newport's 2014 International Jazz Day.
Batiste has been featured in campaigns for Chase Bank, Apple Watch, Lincoln Continental, and numerous fashion brands including Ralph Lauren, Barneys, Nordstrom, Frye Boots and Bonobos.
In April 2022, his album 'We Are' won Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, making Batiste the first Black artist to win the award since Herbie Hancock in 2008.
Discography
Times in New Orleans (2005)
Live in New York: At the Rubin Museum of Art (2006)
In the Night (2008)
The Amazing Jon Batiste! (2009)
MY N.Y. EP (2011) with Stay Human
Social Music (2013) with Stay Human
The Process (2014) with Chad Smith and Bill Laswell
The Late Show EP (2016) with Stay Human
Christmas with Jon Batiste (2016)
Music of Johny Lewis (2017) with Wynton Marsalis
Hollywood Africans (2018)
ADULTHOOD
Jon Batiste Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Yeah, yeah
It's phenomenal
This boy's gonna find his soul
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It's emotional, room for us to grow, yeah
Superliminal, yeah
Our's is all that you wanna be
Lost my pride, I'm a wannabe
But still I need you, I see (yeah, yeah)
Only you can give me freedom
Only you can make me sing
You make me sing (yeah, yeah)
(Even though, sometimes, real talk)
It's phenomenal, this boy's gonna find his soul
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It's emotional
Room for us to grow, yeah
Lord knows I never thought I'd find a super woman
I know love ain't perfect
But if you feelin' what I'm talkin' 'bout, say yeah, yeah
I never thought that it would be a time
That we wouldn't see eye to eye
But, baby (baby), here we are right now
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wish we can make it right
I pray we can make it right, baby (oh baby)
Said I pray we can make it right, yeah
I'ma need my background to help me sing, woo
Ooh
Oh, oh, oh (mmm)
Dear, Lord
I pray that you bless our relationship (mmm)
I pray that you help us not to fight
And to get along
And to go to church on Sundays
Mama said, do what you can
Gotta be a Holy man
You could tell that I'm a Nolia man
By the way that I talk
And the way that I walk
And I wanna see your pretty face
Light up like the city in springtime
Light up like the crowd when I rhyme
Light up like, shine (get it)
I know you don't like to dance in public
But I love it when you get loose
And show your toes, show your toes (ooh-ooh)
Get loose and show your foes
Let's show them, oh
It's phenomenal, ha, uh, so phenomenal (ooh-ooh)
It's phenomenal, yeah, yeah, we gon' find a way (we gon' find a way)
It's emotional, room for us to grow (emotional, yeah)
It's phenomenal, we gon' find
We gon' find a way
It's emotional, room for us to grow (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
The song "Adulthood" by Jon Batiste expresses the growth and development of a person as they navigate through life. The lyrics talk about finding one's soul, room for growth, and emotional experiences that lead to self-discovery. The words "It's phenomenal, this boy's gonna find his soul" suggest that the singer is confident in their personal journey and the path they are on. They are aware that they may have lost their pride along the way but they need the person they address in the song to grant them freedom and allow them to keep growing. The singer hopes that they can make things right and that they will be able to resolve any issues that might come up in their relationship. They emphasize the importance of finding happiness and embracing it in all aspects of life, including religion (going to church on Sundays). The song ends with a shoutout to the city's vibrancy and a call to let loose and embrace life's experiences.
Overall, the lyrics express the journey of self-discovery and the hope of finding happiness through growth and development.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Indicating passion of the singer.
It's phenomenal
Life's fascinating.
This boy's gonna find his soul
Speaker is confident of finding his purpose in life.
It's emotional, room for us to grow, yeah
Life offers opportunities to learn and grow emotionally.
Superliminal, yeah
Surpassing the limits, expressing extraordinary thoughts.
Our's is all that you wanna be
Speaker has everything one desires.
Lost my pride, I'm a wannabe
Speakers has lost his ego and desires more in life.
But still I need you, I see (yeah, yeah)
Speaker recognizes the importance of the person in their life.
Only you can give me freedom
Your presence in my life is vital to me.
Only you can make me sing
Only you can make my life happy and singable.
(Even though, sometimes, real talk)
Speaker is taking this moment to be truthful.
Lord knows I never thought I'd find a superwoman
I wasn't expecting to find someone as amazing as you!
I know love ain't perfect
Acknowledgement of love's flaws.
But if you feelin' what I'm talkin' 'bout, say yeah, yeah
Agreement is important to move on.
I never thought that it would be a time That we wouldn't see eye to eye
Challenges in relationships are unexpected.
But, baby (baby), here we are right now
Despite the challenges, we are together and that's what matters.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wish we can make it right
An expression of longing to fix what is not right now.
I pray we can make it right, baby (oh baby)
Praying is necessary to fix the relationship.
Said I pray we can make it right, yeah
Reiterating the importance of fixing things.
I'ma need my background to help me sing, woo
Speaker needs your support to face all problems together.
I pray that you bless our relationship (mmm)
Asking for God's blessing on the relationship.
I pray that you help us not to fight
Asking for peace and understanding in the relationship.
And to get along
Asking for agreement and rapport.
And to go to church on Sundays
Asking for commitment to religion and its values.
Mama said, do what you can
The mother's words of advice on making the best of life.
Gotta be Holy man
An expression of aiming to be good in character and actions.
You could tell that I'm a Nolia man
A reference to being from New Orleans
By the way that I talk
An acknowledgment of having a distinct accent.
And the way that I walk
An acknowledgment of having a distinct style.
And I wanna see your pretty face
Admiration for your beauty and wishing to be close.
Light up like the city in springtime
Wishing you to be as happy and beautiful as the city in Spring.
Light up like the crowd when I rhyme
Wishing you to enjoy my music and my performances.
Light up like, shine (get it)
An outburst of enthusiasm
I know you don't like to dance in public
I understand your shyness
But I love it when you get loose
I enjoy seeing you enjoy the moment.
And show your toes, show your toes (ooh-ooh)
A playful invitation to be unselfconscious.
Get loose and show your foes
A playful dare to show others how confident you are.
Let's show them, oh
Encouragement to be confident with each other and show it.
It's phenomenal, ha, uh, so phenomenal (ooh-ooh)
Reiterating how amazing life is.
Yeah, yeah, we gon' find a way (we gon' find a way)
Being optimistic about the future.
It's emotional, room for us to grow (emotional, yeah)
Encouragement to see the positive side of emotions in life.
We gon' find a way
All problems are solvable with effort.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
An expression of enthusiasm and agreement.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jonathan Batiste
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeremy Pickett
I really want to talk about the deconstruction of this tune, cause that's what nerds do. But I can't right now, the sparse soulfulness is just so on point. Jon, you are so pheonominal.
Caper. here
His interview on broken records. He talks about how the song came about, in detail.
Jeremy Pickett
@Caper. here Noice! :D Some day imma gonna get a fist bump from that genius. Oh, and even though Jon isn't on colbert anymore it seems, Louis the new band leader is rockin. Geez I want his guitars.
theJONeG cle
Jon Batiste ... don't stop doin' what you do ... it's a gift from God !
broccolihart71
This song is so underrated. It should be a lot more popular than some of the ruckus floating around on various Bluetooth speakers lately.
tekkenjazzaiko
This makes me smile into the darkness knowing the morning star has my back
no I ain’t black
I’d never understand
But I put in the work into the soul and into my city
How else we gonna change the system
With a whole lot of soul vibes
cuz soul is universal 💘
Jessica
What an amazing talent. The music is rich, complex, detailed, varied like a journey, emotive, and just so darn interesting. Truly Art.
Aisha Tailford
Dude you have been killing it lately! I feel like it's the summer already.
Praise Matsekete
Lovely music! You are such an inspiration. Lots of love from Zimbabwe!
jm 91
The land of Mtukudzi!