In 2009, Ledisi released her fourth album Turn Me Loose , which earned her a couple more Grammy nominations.
Ledisi's fifth album, Pieces Of Me, was released on June 14, 2011 debuting at #8 on the Billboard 200, her first entry on the top 10 of the album chart.
She and her band are from a new breed of modern soul singers (that fall into the New Organic Soul movement in the U.K.) that do not bow to the formulated 'pop' format that permeates the national charts of the U.K. and the U.S.A.
Her mother sang in an R & B band and opened her daughter's ears to classical music, then to jazz and gospel.
‘My mother is an inspiration to me because she was an R & B singer when I was growing up, and I'd watch her perform in the park by our house. I grew up on Earth, Wind and Fire. Tina Turner is my favorite’.
As a teenager Ledisi first sang in a friend’s band, but soon realised she'd have to form her own if she was going to get the creative freedom she desired.
She formed the group Anibade.
The band consisted of:
Sundra Manning (keyboards)
Cedrickke Dennis (guitar)
Nelson Braxton (bass)
Wayne Braxton (saxophone)
and Tommy Bradford on (drums)
Anibade means ‘my mother is great’ in Yoruba and also happens to be Ledisi's middle name.
The band the group performed at several nightspots including Bruno's, The Black Cat, and Rasselas, in the San Francisco area before, successfully, getting a local radio station, KMEL, to play the single ‘Take Time’, without any major label distribution.
Ledisi said, ‘We took it to other labels to try and get a deal, but we found that they didn't get it 'cause it wasn't already out there. We got frustrated with that.’
Ledisi is said to be recording a jazz record with bassist Marcus Shelby on Noir Records.
That album was due in early 2000, although the set has not yet surfaced.
Her first solo album ‘Soulsinger’, was, however, released in 2000, to critical acclaim.
The album addressed several personal issues, none more so than the track ‘Papa Loved To Love Me’, a harrowing tale of a father sexually abusing his daughter.
The track is uncomfortably close to home.
Ledisi said ‘My family heard it, though, and they said, 'Wow, you went and told everything!'. I know it's giving something away about myself, but it's a part of me. That's why people relate to a story like that.’
Eric Benét and Rahsaan Patterson recently attended her groups' concerts and they have opened for Eric Benet, D’Angelo and Angie Stone.
A second album entitled 'Feeling Orange And Sometimes Blue' was released in early 2002.
Ledisi travelled to London's Jazz Cafe in March 2003 for more gigs following a successful concert at Subterranea in the autumn of 2002.
She was supported by the Braxton Brothers along with several other performers.
Best Friend
Ledisi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, I don't know what to do, I can't stop wanting you
I'm in love, in love, with my best friend
It's tearing me apart, 'cause he has my heart
Oh, I'm in love, in love, with my best friend
[Verse 1]
I've been wanting you for may lifetimes now
You have been there for me, I was 13 you were 14
Best friends for years, where do I go from here?
Oh Lord
(Can't stop the way that I feel
Every time I see you, I lose control, just can't let it go, oh no)
(A kiss from you ooh, how does it feel
Oh I wonder, I'm so close to you, but I wanna get next to you)
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
When we're out together, everybody smiles at us, 'cause they think that you're my man
So I hold your hand, like you're my man
I keep hoping that you'll notice me, and maybe one day you and I can be together, more than just friends
(I can't hide the way that I feel
Every time I see you, I lose control, I can't let it go, no-no)
(Kissing you just won't be enough
I need all of you, I wish you wanted me, like I want you)
[Chorus]
[Vamp]
If you could only understand the things that he does for me
Beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous and simplicity
He describes all the things that love is about, for me
And I've got to have him, yes I want him
[Lead guitar solo w/ lead singer ad lib]
[Chorus]
The song, Best Friend, by Ledisi, is about the struggle of being in love with one's best friend. The song's chorus states that the singer doesn't know what to do because she can't stop wanting her best friend. Despite having feelings for her best friend, she is afraid to tell him how she feels. The first verse then goes on to describe how the singer has wanted her best friend for many lifetimes, but doesn't know where to go from here. The singer is torn because she doesn't want to ruin their friendship.
The second verse describes how the two are often mistaken for a couple when they are out together, and the singer wishes that he would notice her and that they could be together. The vamp in the song describes all the things that best friend does for the singer and how he makes her feel. The song ends with a lead guitar solo and the final chorus, reiterating that the singer is in love with her best friend.
Overall, this song showcases the difficulty of falling in love with a close friend and not being sure how to proceed. The lyrics are heartfelt and beautifully sung, making it a relatable and emotional song for many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I don't know what to do, I can't stop wanting you
The singer is confused and can't control her feelings for her best friend
I'm in love, in love, with my best friend
The singer realizes she has romantic feelings towards her best friend
It's tearing me apart, 'cause he has my heart
The singer doesn't know how to express her feelings to her best friend, and it's causing her emotional pain
Oh, I'm in love, in love, with my best friend
The singer reiterates her feelings of love for her best friend
I've been wanting you for may lifetimes now
The singer has harbored romantic feelings for her best friend for a long time
And I'm so afraid to tell you, how I really feel
The singer is scared to express her true feelings to her best friend
You have been there for me, I was 13 you were 14
The singer and her best friend have been close since they were young teenagers
Best friends for years, where do I go from here?
The singer is unsure of what to do because of her strong feelings for her best friend
Can't stop the way that I feel
Every time I see you, I lose control, just can't let it go, oh no
The singer is overwhelmed by her feelings for her best friend and finds it hard to control her emotions
A kiss from you ooh, how does it feel
Oh I wonder, I'm so close to you, but I wanna get next to you
The singer imagines being physically intimate with her best friend and wonders what it would feel like
When we're out together, everybody smiles at us, 'cause they think that you're my man
So I hold your hand, like you're my man
The singer and her friend often get mistaken for a couple when they are out in public, causing the singer to fantasize about being more than just friends
I keep hoping that you'll notice me, and maybe one day you and I can be together, more than just friends
The singer yearns for her best friend to see her in a romantic light and hopes they can be together as more than friends
Kissing you just won't be enough
I need all of you, I wish you wanted me, like I want you
The singer desires to have a deeper and more meaningful relationship with her best friend
If you could only understand the things that he does for me
Beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous and simplicity
He describes all the things that love is about, for me
And I've got to have him, yes I want him
The singer is enamored by her best friend's love and care for her and wishes to be with him romantically
Lyrics © Missing Link Music
Written by: ERROL COONEY, LUTHER HANES, LEDISI ANIBADE YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind