Ledisi hails, originally, from New Orleans, but grew up mainly in Oakland. … Read Full Bio ↴Ledisi hails, originally, from New Orleans, but grew up mainly in Oakland. The Pieces of Me Songfacts reports that after self-releasing two albums, Ledisi signed a major record deal with Verve Forecast and released her third album Lost and Found in 2007. The record earned her two Grammy nominations, including one for Best New Artist.
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.

Joy
Ledisi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Joy... Joy... La da da da... Joy... La da da da)

Can I be the one to bring you joy?
Let me the one to bring you joy

Can we do this?
Make love by moonlight
Let me hold you,

Give you what you need

There ain't nothing I wouldn't do
To please you
My heart is open
Don't be afraid, come to me

Let me bring you joy

Can I be the one to bring you joy?
So much better if you let me love you
(I want to give you love)

Let me be the one to bring you joy
(Baby)
Ain't nobody gonna love you like I do

You won't believe all this love I have to give to you

Can't explain it
Baby you'll never have to worry about a thing

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in "Joy" by Ledisi are a plea to a potential lover to give the singer a chance to bring them joy. The song speaks of the singer's desire to bring the potential lover happiness and how she is willing to do anything to please them. The singer asks for a chance to make love by moonlight, hold them and give them what they need. The line "let me hold you" is significant because it shows that the singer wants to provide comfort to the lover and allow them to feel safe during their time together.

The lyrics "there ain't nothing I wouldn't do to please you" shows the singer's willingness to go above and beyond to make the potential lover feel special. The line "my heart is open, don't be afraid, come to me" conveys the message that the singer is willing to open up and be vulnerable for the potential lover. The repetition of the phrase "let me bring you joy" is a perfect encapsulation of the entire song's message. The singer wants the potential lover to allow her to bring them happiness and love them in ways they haven't been loved before.

Line by Line Meaning

Can I be the one to bring you joy?
May I be the person who brings happiness to your life?

Let me the one to bring you joy
Allow me to be the one who brings delight to you

Can we do this?
Is it possible for us to do this?

Make love by moonlight
Intimacy under the moon's light

Let me hold you,
Permit me to embrace you

Give you what you need
Provide you with what you require

There ain't nothing I wouldn't do
I am prepared to do anything

To please you
To make you happy

My heart is open
I am receptive and vulnerable

Don't be afraid, come to me
Do not be scared, approach me

Let me bring you joy
Allow me to be the source of your delight