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)
Life Lesson
Jon Batiste Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause we were falling, darling, from the start
Always listen to your heart
'Cause we were falling from the start
You're happy until you're not
You're icy until you're hot
I read an article 'bout a star who said that standing
Reminded me of you and I because
That's very much the way our story was
Because my biggest blessing, my biggest blessing (yeah)
He got so mad that in a flash, in just one second
I became his life lesson, I'm his life lesson now
Going through the world alone
Here 'til I right my wrongs
Shadow until the light
From the start, it was all and all
Fears of a place and time
When the space was made and stakes were laid
Say it again, I pray
"What's her name?" I said when she came down
With auburn hair, her dress was long
She's not your type, it made me smile
And she's as sunny as the dawn
Get gone (get gone)
Get gone (get gone)
She rocks a little red car like me, man, she belongs
She wears her hair like mine with a part in the middle
And I think it's cute
But she could be the one to take my place
She was my biggest blessing
She was my biggest blessing
I hope it's cold where you reside
You wake up late at night
And I would reckon
That you'd been guessing, uh-huh
I'm your life lesson
You were my biggest blessing
You were my biggest blessing
It's like a dream, know what I mean?
Things were peachy keen
This very second
And I would reckon
That now you know
Hey
The lyrics of Jon Batiste's "Life Lesson" capture the essence of self-reflection and growth in relationships. The opening lines stress the importance of trusting one's instincts and not doubting oneself, as the journey of love and connection can sometimes feel like a fall right from the beginning. The imagery of falling symbolizes the vulnerability and uncertainty that can come with opening up to someone romantically.
The lyrics also touch on the complexities of relationships and how feelings can shift unexpectedly. The contrast between being happy and then suddenly feeling cold or hot highlights the unpredictable nature of emotions. The reference to a star feeling overshadowed by her husband echoes the idea of feeling lost or diminished in a relationship, ultimately becoming someone's life lesson in a sudden moment of realization.
The song delves into the aftermath of a breakup or a realization that a relationship wasn't meant to be. The singer reflects on the past, acknowledging the mistakes made and hoping for a chance to make amends. The mention of shadows and light represents the journey from darkness to finding clarity and resolution, suggesting that growth and learning can come from difficult experiences.
The final section introduces a new character who resembles the singer and could potentially replace them in the eyes of a former partner. This shift highlights the transient nature of relationships and the idea that someone new could easily take your place. The lyrics express a sense of nostalgia and acceptance, recognizing that people can serve as both blessings and lessons in one's life journey. The dreamlike quality and the notion of things being "peachy keen" underline the bittersweet nostalgia and the realization that some relationships are meant to evolve and ultimately come to an end, leaving behind important life lessons.
Line by Line Meaning
Never second guess yourself
Always trust your instincts and decisions without hesitation
'Cause we were falling, darling, from the start
Our relationship had challenges from the beginning
Always listen to your heart
Follow your emotions and intuition in making choices
'Cause we were falling from the start
Our connection faced difficulties right from the outset
You're happy until you're not
Joy can quickly turn to sorrow
You're icy until you're hot
Emotions can change suddenly
I read an article 'bout a star who said that standing In the shadow of her husband felt so dark
A famous person's experience reminded me of feeling overshadowed in a relationship
Reminded me of you and I because That's very much the way our story was
Our story had similarities to the one I read about
Because my biggest blessing, my biggest blessing (yeah) He got so mad that in a flash, in just one second I became his life lesson, I'm his life lesson now
I became a significant learning experience for him after a sudden conflict
Going through the world alone Here 'til I right my wrongs Shadow until the light From the start, it was all and all Fears of a place and time When the space was made and stakes were laid Say it again, I pray
Navigating life solo until I correct mistakes and embrace positivity after facing challenges
"What's her name?" I said when she came down With auburn hair, her dress was long She's not your type, it made me smile And she's as sunny as the dawn
Your new love interest is different from me and brings a different kind of light to your life
Get gone (get gone) Get gone (get gone) She rocks a little red car like me, man, she belongs She wears her hair like mine with a part in the middle And I think it's cute But she could be the one to take my place She was my biggest blessing She was my biggest blessing
Despite similarities, the new person in your life could replace me as your greatest joy
I hope it's cold where you reside You wake up late at night And I would reckon That you'd been guessing, uh-huh I'm your life lesson You were my biggest blessing You were my biggest blessing
Wishing you discomfort as you reflect on our time together as a valuable lesson learned
It's like a dream, know what I mean? Things were peachy keen This very second And I would reckon That now you know Hey
Our past moments seemed perfect, but now you understand the reality and lessons from them
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jon Batiste, Lana Del Rey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind