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)
Work It Out
Jon Batiste Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can work it out
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
I try, I try, I try
To understand your feelings, pretty baby
But won't you please, pretty baby
Understand mine
We can work it out
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
I called you on the phone
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
We can work it out
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
I wanna, I wanna
(Work it out, work it out, work it out, baby)
There's still so much love in between us (there is love, in us all)
And I never want to let you go (let us love)
'Cause you're my best friend in the whole wide world (like a bird, we will soar)
And I never want to do without you (to the sun)
We can work it out
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
We can work it out
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
(Sorry)
(We can work it out)
Whoa-oh
Whoa-oh
I apologize
Every time you needed love and I turned away
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
I apologize
Sayin' girl like I got somethin' else to do today
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
I apologize
Sayin' baby that all you do is complain
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
When I knew, yes, I knew, you were hurt and something else was causing you pain
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
Every time I gave you stress, instead of caress
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
Every time I gave you five, instead of my time
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
Every time that I would leave, instead of saying
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
Girl, you're my dream, you're my dream, you're my dream, whoa
(We can work it out, we can work it out, we can work it out, baby)
Woo-hoo
The lyrics to Jon Batiste's song "Work It Out" convey a plea for understanding and a desire to reconcile in a troubled relationship. The repetition of "We can work it out" emphasizes the singer's determination to find a resolution and highlights the importance of communication and compromise. It suggests a belief that despite the difficulties, there is a possibility of overcoming the challenges and salvaging the relationship.
The line "I try, I try, I try to understand your feelings, pretty baby" reveals the singer's earnest efforts to comprehend their partner's emotions. It reflects a willingness to empathize and create a deeper connection. However, the plea for the partner to also understand the singer's own feelings indicates a need for reciprocity and a desire for mutual understanding.
The lyrics also express the singer's regret and apology for past actions that have caused pain in the relationship. The repeated apologies emphasize the singer's recognition of their shortcomings and a desire to make amends. They acknowledge instances where they failed to prioritize the partner's needs and instead focused on other things or neglected the relationship.
Moreover, the lyrics hint at the enduring love that still exists between the singer and their partner. The lines "There's still so much love in between us" and "you're my best friend in the whole wide world" demonstrate a longing to preserve the deep bond they share. It suggests a belief that love can conquer the challenges they are facing and emphasizes the desire to prevent the relationship from falling apart.
Overall, "Work It Out" conveys a mixture of determination, regret, and hope in the face of relationship difficulties. It urges open communication, understanding, and a joint effort to overcome obstacles. The song reflects a longing to preserve the love between the singer and their partner, emphasizing the belief that with honest communication and mutual effort, they can find a way to reconcile and work through their differences.
Line by Line Meaning
We can work it out
Let's find a solution and resolve our issues
I try, I try, I try
I make an effort to comprehend your emotions
To understand your feelings, pretty baby
I want to empathize and grasp what you're going through, my dear
But won't you please, pretty baby
Could you please reciprocate, my beautiful one
Understand mine
Comprehend and acknowledge my emotions as well
Won't you understand?
Can't you see and comprehend?
I called you on the phone
I reached out to you, tried to communicate
I wanna, I wanna
I desire, I long for
Work it out, work it out, work it out, baby
Find a solution, resolve our problems, my love
There's still so much love in between us
There's a profound amount of love within both of us
And I never want to let you go
I never want to lose you, my dear
'Cause you're my best friend in the whole wide world
You're my closest and dearest companion
And I never want to do without you
I never want to be without your presence
We can work it out
Let's find a solution and resolve our issues
I apologize
I express regret and remorse
Every time you needed love and I turned away
Whenever you required affection, and I neglected you
Sayin' girl like I got somethin' else to do today
Acting as though I had other priorities
Sayin' baby that all you do is complain
Claiming that all you do is nag
When I knew, yes, I knew, you were hurt and something else was causing you pain
When I was aware, yes, I was aware, that you were wounded and something else was causing you distress
Every time I gave you stress, instead of caress
Each time I caused you anxiety instead of providing comfort
Every time I gave you five, instead of my time
Whenever I prioritized things over spending time with you
Every time that I would leave, instead of saying
Each time I departed without expressing
Girl, you're my dream, you're my dream, you're my dream, whoa
My dear, you're my aspiration, my aspiration, my aspiration
Woo-hoo
An expression of excitement and joy
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jonathan Batiste, William Marcus Miller Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind