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)
I Need You
Jon Batiste Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We workin' overtime
Don't need another million
You got that gold mine
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you're so genuine
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you
Imagine when I was a lil' nappy head boy
And I never put down my alto saxophone, yeah
Buck trippin' down on the boulevard
I couldn't wait to blow my own horn
It ain't wrong for you to play along
Playin' this song 'til you die, come on, come on
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you
Oh, you make me thank you
Thank you for your love
We done a lot of livin'
We workin' overtime
Don't need another million
You got that gold mine
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you're so genuine
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you (yeah), you (yeah), you (come on now)
Met you when I was a lil' country boy
And I never put down that pork chop and salt (mm)
Then we fell in love on the boulevard
If you was Jenny, I guess I was Forrest (run)
Nah, it ain't wrong for you to sing along
Singin' this song 'til you die (ah-ooh)
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you
Oh, you make me thank you
Thank you for your love
That's alright
We done a lot of livin'
We workin' overtime
Don't need another million
You got that gold mine
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you're so genuine
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you (yeah)
I need you (yeah), you (yeah)
You (oh), you (come on)
You, you
You (yeah, baby)
The lyrics of Jon Batiste's song I Need You are an ode to love, highlighting the fact that amidst all the problems in the world, what people need the most is love. The song opens with the lines "We done a lot of livin'/We working' overtime/Don't need another million/You got that gold mine". Here, the singer states that he doesn't need more material things, for he has already lived a full life; he just needs the love of his partner, whom he likens to a gold mine.
Batiste's lyrics also capture the essence of the early days of his career when he couldn't wait to play his own horn. The lines "Imagine when I was a lil' nappy head boy / And I never put down my alto saxophone" showcase the passion and drive he had to play music from a young age. The song encourages the listener to enjoy their passions and cherish the moments they treasure, playing along until they die.
Furthermore, the artist emphasizes the power of love to overcome all of life's trials and tribulations, as he sings "In this world with a lot of problems/All we need is a little lovin'." Here, Batiste acknowledges the hardships of life but the importance of having someone by your side to make everything smoother. The chorus "I just need you, you, you" signifies his need for a partner's love and affection.
Overall, I Need You is an uplifting song that recognizes the power of love and the significance of having someone to rely on during difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
We done a lot of livin'
We have experienced many things in life
We workin' overtime
We are working hard to achieve our goals
Don't need another million
Money is not the most important thing for us
You got that gold mine
You have something special that is valuable to me
I love the way you're livin'
I appreciate your authentic way of life
'Cause you're so genuine
You are real and sincere
You got that something special
You possess a unique quality that makes you stand out
Didn't you know?
Don't you realize how amazing you are?
I just need you, you, you
I only need you in my life
Imagine when I was a lil' nappy head boy
Picture me as a young child with unruly hair
And I never put down my alto saxophone, yeah
I was always playing my saxophone and never stopped
Buck trippin' down on the boulevard
I saw trouble on the streets
I couldn't wait to blow my own horn
I was excited to showcase my own talent
It ain't wrong for you to play along
It's okay for you to join in
Playin' this song 'til you die, come on, come on
Let's play this music forever
In this world with a lot of problems
With so many issues in the world
All we need is a little loving
What we need most is love
Thank you, thank you
Expressing gratitude
Oh, you make me thank you
You make me feel grateful
Met you when I was a lil' country boy
I met you when I was a young man from the country
And I never put down that pork chop and salt (mm)
I always enjoyed eating pork chops and seasoned them with salt
Then we fell in love on the boulevard
We found love while walking down the street
If you was Jenny, I guess I was Forrest (run)
If you were the character Jenny, then I must be like Forrest Gump
Nah, it ain't wrong for you to sing along
It's perfectly fine for you to join in singing
Singin' this song 'til you die (ah-ooh)
Let's sing this song forever
That's alright
Everything is okay
You (oh), you (come on)
Referring to the person he needs in his life
You, you
Continuing to reference that one person
You (yeah, baby)
Placing emphasis on the importance of that one person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Autumn Rowe, Jonathan Batiste, Tierce A. Person
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lyricq6994
Lyrics
We done a lot of living
We working overtime
Don't need another million
You got that goldmine
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you so genuine
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you
Met you when I was a lil' nappy head boy
And I never put down my alto saxophone, yeah
Buckjumpin' down on the boulevard
I couldn't wait to blow my own horn (woo!)
It ain't wrong for you to play along
Playing this song 'til you die, come on, come on
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you, oh, you make me
Thank you, thank you for your love
We done a lot of living
We working overtime
Don't need another million
You got that goldmine
I love the way you're livin' (hey)
'Cause you're so genuine (genuine)
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you (come on, now!)
Met you when I was a lil' country boy
And I never put down that pork chop and salt
Then we fell in love on the boulevard
If you was Jenny, I guess I was Forrest (run!)
Nah, it ain't wrong for you to sing along
Singing this song 'til you die
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you, oh, you make me
Thank you, thank you for your love
We done a lot of living (whole lotta)
We working overtime (overtime)
Don't need another million
You got that goldmine (goldmine)
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you're so genuine (genuine)
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you
I need you, you, you, you, you, you, you
@abic8023
We done a lot of living
We working overtime
Don't need another million
You got that goldmine
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you so genuine
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you
Met you when I was a lil' nappy head boy
And I never put down my alto saxophone, yeah
Buckjumpin' down on the boulevard
I couldn't wait to blow my own horn (woo!)
It ain't wrong for you to play along
Playing this song 'til you die, come on, come on
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you, oh, you make me
Thank you, thank you for your love
We done a lot of living
We working overtime
Don't need another million
You got that goldmine
I love the way you're livin' (hey)
'Cause you're so genuine (genuine)
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you (come on, now!)
Met you when I was a lil' country boy
And I never put down that pork chop and salt
Then we fell in love on the boulevard
If you was Jenny, I guess I was Forrest (run!)
Nah, it ain't wrong for you to sing along
Singing this song 'til you die
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you, oh, you make me
Thank you, thank you for your love
We done a lot of living (whole lotta)
We working overtime (overtime)
Don't need another million
You got that goldmine (goldmine)
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you're so genuine (genuine)
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you
I need you, you, you, you, you, you, you
@coryvore
YouTube algorithm finally putting this man on his own platform like he deserves.
@SunnySmith2d3dthatsme
🔥🔥🔥💯😘
@galiciaart
Probably because of his grammy for the soul soundtrack
@pattygraham1778
Agree never heard of him till a few minutes ago and I can see him going places he's amazing.
@chocolateangel8743
@@pattygraham1778 His steady job is that of the band leader on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. If you ever watch that show, you will see him a lot.
@riyazeth
“JON BATISTE everyone”....Yes indeed!✌️😄
@kurbatska
I have been in New Orleans, it was exactly like that in one of jazz clubs. I dropped my jaw. it was so dazzling:) Thank you Academy, you gave Grammy to a right person this year!
@Gumboz1953
I was born and raised in New Orleans, and I second this.
@anitabrooks8546
I am a New Orleans Native as well & I have Loved watching Jon for many years & he always delivers!!! This Man is truly Blessed!!!
@judithhileman9759
He is AMAZING!! I’m 68 years old and never knew who he was. I LOVE HIM!! Wrote his name down so I can play him on Alexa!!! He makes me happy & want to move! Thank you Jon!!♥️♥️🙏🙏