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)
We Are
Jon Batiste Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haha, my bad
The ghetto is full of stars
Watch them shine from afar
On days when it's hard
And always
Nana knows how to sing
And soothes us all
From summer to fall
And always
Joy
She won't let it go
Oh no
Joy
That she doesn't know
That she doesn't know
We are, we are, we are, we are the golden ones (oh, oh)
We are, we are, we are, we are the chosen ones
We are, we are, we are, we are the chosen ones
We are, we are, we are, we are the golden ones
We're never alone, no, no
We're never alone
The country is full of stars
But they're in a war
Blind in the dark
He's hoping to medicate
The painful ache
To change his fate
Joy
He won't let it go
Oh no
Joy
That he doesn't know
What he doesn't know
We are, we are, we are, we are the golden ones
We are, we are, we are, we are the chosen ones (we are)
We are, we are, we are, we are the chosen ones (we are, oh, oh)
We are, we are, we are, we are the golden ones
We're never alone, no, no
We're never alone
And then I said, uh
(Neither angel or a king could break this thing)
(We gotta get our soul)
(We get that inner peace, you hear me? Haha)
(Ain't nothing, man cannot give you that)
One, two, ready and
We are never alone, yeah
We are never, we're never alone
We are never alone
We are, we are, we are, we are the golden ones (we're never alone, no, no)
We are, we are, we are, we are the chosen ones (we're never alone, no, no)
We are, we are, we are, we are the chosen ones (we're never alone, no, no)
We are, we are, we are, we are the golden ones (we're never alone, no, no)
(Yeah, they save songs about these wars)
Tell the truth, ooh
Tell the truth, ooh
Tell the truth, ooh
Tell the truth, ooh
Tell the truth, ooh
Tell the truth, ooh
Tell the truth
The song "We Are" by Jon Batiste is an uplifting and hopeful song, celebrating the resilience and strength of communities in the face of adversity. The lyrics highlight the struggles of growing up in the inner city and the importance of finding joy and connection in music and community. The opening lines "Uh, I started feeling something, my bad" suggest a sense of self-awareness, as if the singer is apologizing for feeling emotions that they are not supposed to feel or express. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is about finding joy and hope in spite of difficult circumstances.
The following lines "The ghetto is full of stars, watch them shine from afar" suggest that there is beauty and light even in the darkest of places. The "stars" may be a metaphor for the people who live in these communities - despite the challenges they face, they are bright and shining. The song then pays tribute to the healing power of music with the line "Nana knows how to sing, and soothes us all from summer to fall." The reference to seasons suggests a cyclical nature of life and the importance of finding comfort in familiar rhythms.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, I started feelin' somethin'
I sensed a feeling beginning to arise in me.
The ghetto is full of stars
The town's destitute area has a lot of bright individuals.
Watch them shine from afar
Observe their brilliance from a distance.
On days when it's hard
During difficult days.
And always
Unconditionally and consistently.
Nana knows how to sing
Grandma knows how to perform music.
And soothes us all
And makes us all feel better.
From summer to fall
From season to season.
And always
And at all times.
Joy
Happiness.
She won't let it go
She refuses to let go of joy.
Oh no
An expression of concern.
That she doesn't know
Though she is experiencing it, she might be unaware of it.
That she doesn't know
Though she is experiencing it, she might be unaware of it.
We are, we are, we are, we are the golden ones (oh, oh)
We are extraordinary and full of promise.
We are, we are, we are, we are the chosen ones
We have been selected for something special.
We're never alone, no, no
We're never without support.
The country is full of stars
The nation is bursting with talented people.
But they're in a war
They're currently fighting a conflict.
Blind in the dark
Incapable of seeing in the absence of light.
He's hoping to medicate
He aspires to heal himself.
The painful ache
The aching and anguish he feels.
To change his fate
To alter his destiny.
Joy
Happiness.
He won't let it go
He refuses to give up happiness.
That he doesn't know
That he might not be aware of it.
What he doesn't know
What he is unaware of.
And then I said, uh
And then I spoke, uh.
(Neither angel or a king could break this thing)
(Neither a divine being nor a regal figure is capable of dismantling this thing).
(We gotta get our soul)
(We need to improve ourselves).
(We get that inner peace, you hear me? Haha)
(We obtain internal tranquility, do you hear me? Haha).
(Ain't nothing, man cannot give you that)
(There is nothing that a human being is incapable of providing you).
One, two, ready and
One, two, prepared and.
We are never alone, yeah
We will never be by ourselves, yes.
We are never, we're never alone
We are never free of company or assistance.
(Yeah, they save songs about these wars)
(Yeah, they record songs about these war times).
Tell the truth, ooh
Speak the truth, ooh.
Tell the truth, ooh
Tell the truth, ooh.
Tell the truth, ooh
Express the truth, ooh.
Tell the truth, ooh
Say the truth, ooh.
Tell the truth, ooh
Talk the truth, ooh.
Tell the truth, ooh
Communicate the truth, ooh.
Tell the truth
Disclose the truth.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Autumn Rowe, Jonathan Batiste, Tierce A Person
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
godwin bright
I guess Grammy really know what they're doing. It's not about main stream and getting millions of followers. We need to listen to music that touch the soul and talk about love often. Thank u Grammy.
Kitti Ball
Dude, thus song has absolutely no signs of love or passion and shit, billie Finneas, Harry styles actually work on songs especially sia, have u seen the meaning behind their songs?
Or have u never heard music?
Sameer Rajakumar
But u forgot to say thank you John Batiste, he made this brilliant song
cheryl melina
This song speaks to those of us who have been marginalized undervalued and not appreciated! I.e. ppl of color,WOMEN,LGBQT .. we ARE the chosen one! ✨️
Nana Rose
And no matter how many times I've heard this song, it still touches my heart and soul. 😊
Christopher M
This song has no signs of passion? What the heck are you talking about? Lol have you not listened to any of Jon’s music? The dude is joy, creativity and passion personified. Absolute genius.
Carole Baker
I've lost count how many times I've turned to this man's music to bring me back to love and joy and believing in myself. Thank you Jon. Thank you Jesus 🥰 🙏...
Nancy McConnell
Jon is a genius, but he's a genius with Angel wings. He spreads happiness and love wherever he goes and every song, every word touches our hearts. He actually walked with the people in these pictures to spread peace and hope instead of anger.
If you haven't watched "Freedom" yet, please let that be your next choice. There are historical and ethnic examples within the powerful lyrics and characters of the story he tells. Second choice would be "I Need You" which reminds me of the music of the 50s and 60s. Thank you, Jon. You've made the world a bit better. 💕🎵🎶🎼🎹🎻🎼🎺🎤
Vivian Eno
He is a star with a lot of sunshine🤗
Kathy Butterfield
True words! Love him so much!
❤and 🙏and🎶and💫