Raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Suhaila Bashir Shakur (as she became known) adopted the surname Ndegéocello, which means "free like a bird", while still in her teens. She has been hailed in the music press as a redeemer of soul music. Her music incorporates funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, rock and jazz. She has been nominated for 9 Grammys. She has frequently toured with Lilith Fair.
Ndegeocello honed her chops on the D.C. Go-go circuit in the late 1980s before venturing out as a solo artist. She emerged as a recording artist in 1993 on Maverick Records/Sire Records with her debut, Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona. Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Batman and Robin. She has also appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx and The Blind Boys of Alabama, among others. Her biggest hit is a duet with John Cougar Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison's Wild Night, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts.
Her singles If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night), Leviticus: Faggot, and her cover of Bill Withers Who Is He and What Is He To You? have all charted in the Billboard top 20. She sang background vocals on the song I'd Rather be Your Lover by Madonna, on her album Bedtime Stories. She also sang with Chaka Khan on the single Never Miss the Water, as well as providing her typical solid bass skills.
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Liliquoi Moon
Me'Shell Ndegéocello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or Love
She said it reminded her of my daddy
My daddy
He Loved to fly
He'd say
death will come fast
And closer to the sky
Love grows cold,
Lonely and tired
On the wings of angels
I want to fly
daddy's just the blood in my veins
Shadows in my mind
As I'd watch my mama drown in her tears
He'd say
â??i can't promise you Love
And I can't promise you meâ??
In my heart of hearts
I yearn to fly
and death will come fast
I wanna be free
And closer to sky
Love grows cold,
Lonely and tired
On the wings of angels
I want to fly
I want to fly
I yearn to fly
and death will come fast
Death will come fast
I yearn to fly
The lyrics of Me'Shell Ndegéocello's song Liliquoi Moon reflect a deep sense of longing and desire for freedom. The singer in the song appears to have been influenced by the philosophy of their father, who loved to fly and always wished to be closer to the sky, believing that death would come fast and he wanted to be free before it did. The lyrics touch upon ideas about the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death, which is a sentiment that is echoed throughout the song. The singer seems to be yearning to escape from the weight of their past, symbolized by their mother's indifference to love and dreams, and their father's absence. They express a desire to be free and live life on their own terms, away from the shadows of the past that continue to haunt them.
The repetition of the line "death will come fast, I wanna be free and closer to the sky" highlights the intensity of the singer's wish to escape their current circumstances. The use of the phrase "wings of angels" adds a spiritual dimension to the song, suggesting that the singer is seeking a transcendental experience that will take them beyond the limitations of human existence. Overall, Liliquoi Moon is a song that evokes a sense of yearning, longing, and the desire to escape the constraints of the mundane world and reach for something beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama never cared much 'bout dreams
My mother never placed importance on dreams.
Or Love
She didn't prioritize love either.
She said it reminded her of my daddy
My father used to love these things, and they remind her of him - which she dislikes.
He Loved to fly
My father loved flying through the sky.
death will come fast
He knew he could die easily, but that didn't stop him from wanting to fly.
I wanna be free
He wanted to be free from the boundaries of the ground and the limitations of life.
And closer to the sky
He wanted to be as close as possible to the sky, which in a way represents freedom.
Love grows cold,
My father believed that love could get cold and distant with time.
Lonely and tired
He thought love could lead to negative emotions, like loneliness and exhaustion.
On the wings of angels
He wanted to fly on the wings of angels to reach the skies.
I want to fly
He desires to fly so much that he says it twice.
daddy's just the blood in my veins
My father's legacy is just a biological part of me.
Shadows in my mind
His memory is a looming presence in my thoughts.
As I'd watch my mama drown in her tears
My mother would cry at his memory and her sadness was hard to witness.
â??i can't promise you Love
My father knew he couldn't promise love.
And I can't promise you meâ??
He couldn't guarantee he would always be around either.
In my heart of hearts
Deep down, in the core of my being,
I yearn to fly
I have an intense desire to fly high in the sky, like my father did.
and death will come fast
He knew the risks of flying, yet he still yearned to do it.
I wanna be free
As before, he wanted to be free from earthly constraints.
Death will come fast
He repeated this phrase as a reminder of the risks and finality of life.
I yearn to fly
Just as before, he has a strong desire to fly.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ME SHELL NDEGEOCELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind