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)
SHOW ME THE WAY
Jon Batiste Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alright, Jon, what do you wanna listen to?
If I don't know
If I don't know
If I don't know
You gotta show me the way (uh, oh)
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey
If I don't know
If I don't know
If I don't know
You gotta show me the way (uh, oh)
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey
I've been digging into Ella Fitzgerald
Billie Holiday, Jonathan McReynolds
When you talk about gettin' it in
I wanna say, come on
I really do
Listening to Wu-Tang Clan
Wanna drive down to the new Dazz band
Stevie Wonder on the way home
I wanna say, come on
I need you (do you wanna come around?)
You (I really wanna get down)
You (do you wanna come around?)
(I really wanna get down)
If I don't know
If I don't know
If I don't know
You gotta show me the way (uh, oh)
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey
If I don't know
If I don't know
If I don't know
You gotta show me the way (uh, yeah)
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey
I wanna feel a little Hubert Laws
And Thelonious
On the phone with us
Vibin' on Nina Simone
I gotta say, come on
I really do
Now I wanna hold your hand
Lil' Darlin, Lover Man
Beatles or Rolling Stones
I gotta say, come on
I need you (do you wanna come around?)
You (I really wanna get down)
You (do you wanna come around?)
Oh (I really wanna get down)
If I don't know
If I don't know
If I don't know
You gotta show me the way (show me the way)
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey
If I don't know
If I don't know
If I don't know (I don't know)
You gotta show me the way (uh, oh)
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey (ooh)
I really ain't tryna play no games
You and me in exotic lands
Traveling through a space and time for (space and time, space and time)
Just to relax, get cool, unwind (yeah)
Turn that record player on
Blast me your favorite song (yeah)
If I don't know
If I don't know (oh yeah)
If I don't know
You gotta show me the way
(You gotta show me the way)
(You gotta show me the way) show me the way, hey, hey, hey
If I don't know
If I don't know
If I don't know
You gotta show me the way (gotta show me the way)
(I really wanna know the way)
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey
"Show Me the Way" by Jon Batiste is a song that talks about the artist's desire to explore different types of music and the need for someone to show him the way. He mentions different musicians including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Wu-Tang Clan, Jonathan McReynolds among others, indicating his deep appreciation for various genres of music. The chorus, "if I don't know, you gotta show me the way", emphasizes the importance of guidance and helping each other explore various aspects of our lives. The lyrics show the importance of being open-minded, learning from others and embracing new experiences.
The verse, "I really ain't tryna play no games, you and me in exotic lands, traveling through a space and time for just to relax, get cool, unwind" talks about the artist's desire to connect with someone and travel the world, explore different cultures to unwind and relax. This indicates the importance of taking a break from our busy lives to explore different cultures and experiences.
Overall, "Show Me the Way" highlights the importance of embracing diversity, being open-minded and learning from others' experiences. The need for someone to guide us while we navigate through our different passions and desires is also emphasized.
Line by Line Meaning
Da da da da day
Opening of the song with a sound effect.
If I don't know
The singer is unsure about what music to play.
You gotta show me the way (uh, oh)
The singer is asking the listener to help him choose the music to play.
Show me the way, hey, hey, hey
The singer is repeating the request to the listener to help him find the right music.
I've been digging into Ella Fitzgerald
The singer has been listening to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald's music.
Billie Holiday, Jonathan McReynolds
The singer mentions other artists he has been listening to.
When you talk about gettin' it in
The singer is excited about playing music and having a good time.
I wanna say, come on
The singer wants to express his enthusiasm for the music.
Listening to Wu-Tang Clan
The singer is listening to Wu-Tang Clan's music.
Wanna drive down to the new Dazz band
The singer wants to go somewhere and listen to Dazz Band's new music.
Stevie Wonder on the way home
The singer wants to listen to Stevie Wonder's music on his way home.
I need you (do you wanna come around?)
The singer wants the listener to join him and enjoy the music together.
You (I really wanna get down)
The singer wants the listener to feel the rhythm and enjoy the music with him.
If I don't know
The singer is still unsure about what music to play.
You gotta show me the way (uh, yeah)
The singer repeats the request to the listener to help him choose the music.
I wanna feel a little Hubert Laws
The singer wants to listen to some of Hubert Laws' music.
And Thelonious
The singer wants to listen to Thelonious Monk's music too.
On the phone with us
The singer wants to share the music with someone else on the phone.
Vibin' on Nina Simone
The singer wants to listen to Nina Simone's music and feel the vibe.
I gotta say, come on
The singer wants to express his enthusiasm for the music.
Now I wanna hold your hand
The singer wants to hold the listener's hand and enjoy the music with him/her.
Lil' Darlin, Lover Man
The singer mentions the names of some songs he might want to listen to.
Beatles or Rolling Stones
The singer wants to listen to the songs of either Beatles or Rolling Stones.
If I don't know (I don't know)
The singer is still unsure about what music to play.
You gotta show me the way (uh, oh)
The singer repeats the request to the listener to help him choose the music.
I really ain't tryna play no games
The singer is serious about wanting to listen to good music and have a good time.
You and me in exotic lands
The singer imagines he and the listener dancing and enjoying the music in exotic places.
Traveling through a space and time for (space and time, space and time)
The singer envisions himself and the listener traveling through space and time while listening to music.
Just to relax, get cool, unwind (yeah)
The singer wants to listen to music and unwind with the listener.
Turn that record player on
The singer wants to play some records.
Blast me your favorite song (yeah)
The singer wants the listener to play his/her favorite song.
(You gotta show me the way)
The singer repeats the request to the listener to help him choose the music.
show me the way, hey, hey, hey
The singer repeats the request with enthusiasm.
(I really wanna know the way)
The singer emphasizes his desire to know the music the listener wants to play.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Autumn Rowe, Jonathan Batiste, Tierce A Person
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jazziz Cafรฉ
Great tune, love it! Thanks for share it!
๐ฃ๏ธ La reconocida autora britรกnica Zadie Smith le pregunta a Jon Batiste... 'Alright Jon, what do you want to listen toโ, al principio de este "Show me the way" inspirado en el R&B de los setenta, nuevo sencillo de "We Are" el รบltimo trabajo del mรบsico de Metairie (Luisiana).
๐ Batiste acaba de recibir en febrero el premio a 'Mejor Banda Sonora Original' en los #78 Premios Golden Globes, junto a Trent Reznor y Atticus Ross miembros de la banda Nine Inch Nails, coautores de la mรบsica para la pelรญcula Soul, de Pixar.
#RnB
Walt Bionik
This brother is hitting home runs with all these new songs!
anamorphosys85
Jon Batiste is the perfect amalgamation of the jazz, blues, R'n'B, soul, funk of the last decades - all coming together in one genius mind! I love the timeless groove he oozes!
Merry Martin
Beautiful. Every song is lush and has a separate identity, but they all are clearly Batiste
The1GeeDub
That 60โs - 70โs soul vibe with a touch of Earth Wind & Fire damn thatโs goooooooood ๐
Ken
Don't leave out Curtis Mayfield. I hear him in this song.
Providencia
@Ken you and The1GeeDub are spot on!
Ed L
Definitely Earth wind and fire!
MoonlitMapleLeaf
That old school funky feel is perfect! I love his music!
Ken
Old school feel is the best feel.
Karen Barreto
Petition for Jon to play an entire virtual show on Colbert