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.
Sites: YouTube, Deezer, SoundCloud, Wikipedia, Discogs, MusicBrainz, Twitter and Google+
Shoot'n Up and Gett'n High
Me'Shell Ndegéocello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was a train ride away from heaven
We signify about politics, low income housing Birth control and abortion
The capitalistic hand around my throat
Shootin' up dope to cope in this dehumanizing society
We both found God when he O.D'd
He found beauty in my black skin
Amidst the cover girls and clairol ads
Livin' in a world where the TV shouts
"Forget where you come from!"
And damn I thought I was shootin' up Africa in my veins
White man voodoo slow my brain the while man fights wars and enslaves
All in God's name
What ya trying to achieve with your sun tan lotion
You want to keep me down keep me down
Revolution against this racist institution
The white man shall forever sleep with one eye open
Dehumanize me.
Criticize, set aside.
Livin' in the midst of genocide I hear voices voices are what I hear
Uprise would you die for your right
In Me'Shell Ndegéocello's song "Shoot'n Up And Gett'n High," she expresses her experience of living in a dehumanizing society where people resort to shooting up dope to cope with the struggles of life. The song portrays the predicaments faced by individuals like her who live in areas with low-income housing, face the struggles of birth control and abortion, and deal with the capitalist hand around their throat. She reminisces about a person whom she was attracted to, and with whom she shared political and social views. They both talked about their life experiences and found solace in the fact that they held similar beliefs. However, the person falls victim to a drug overdose and dies. Me'Shell feels like she lost a piece of herself that day, as they both found God in the most unexpected way possible.
The song addresses several social and political issues, including the racist institutions of a capitalist society and the plight of Black people surviving in such spaces. It highlights how people of color are often dehumanized and how the powers that be seek to keep them submerged in their struggles, with their voices going unheard. Me'Shell is also critical of the beauty industry, which promotes products that erase Black culture and makes it seem like whiteness is the only acceptable standard for beauty. Through her lyrics, Me'Shell urges listeners to join her in revolutionizing the racist institution to make the world a better place for everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
He lived two train stops away
He was geographically near but still far enough to not share the same experiences and struggles as the singer.
I was a train ride away from heaven
The singer sees their current location, away from their desired life, as a temporary and distant place.
We signify about politics, low income housing Birth control and abortion
The singer and their friend discuss issues that affect their daily lives, including politics, poverty, and reproductive rights.
The capitalistic hand around my throat
The oppressive societal structures influenced by capitalism restrict the artist's freedom and success.
Shootin' up dope to cope in this dehumanizing society
The artist uses drugs to cope with the despair and dehumanization of living in their society.
We both found God when he O.D'd
The death of the singer's friend due to overdose made both them and the friend realize the importance of finding spirituality or religion as a coping mechanism.
He found beauty in my black skin
The friend appreciated and saw beauty in the singer's dark skin, which is often stigmatized and discriminated against.
Amidst the cover girls and clairol ads
Despite society's beauty standards that promote Eurocentric beauty, the artist and their friend find beauty in the artist's blackness.
Makin' no mistake what's white is right
The societal message that upholds whiteness and normalizes white values and beliefs is pervasive and ingrained in the artist's society.
Livin' in a world where the TV shouts
The media reinforces societal norms and values that often contradict the artist's lived experiences and beliefs.
"Forget where you come from!"
The media encourages people to assimilate to mainstream society by ignoring their cultural roots and personal history.
And damn I thought I was shootin' up Africa in my veins
The artist realizes how ingrained white supremacy and colonialism is in their society, even in their own thoughts and behaviors.
White man voodoo slow my brain the while man fights wars and enslaves
The white man's oppressive behavior and beliefs, rooted in the history of imperialism and colonization, continue to harm and dehumanize people of color.
All in God's name
Oppressive and harmful actions are often justified through religion or spirituality.
What ya trying to achieve with your sun tan lotion
The societal beauty standards that promote tan skin highlight the absurdity of upholding one type of beauty while discriminating against others.
You want to keep me down keep me down
Society seeks to limit and oppress people of color to maintain the status quo.
Revolution against this racist institution
The artist calls for a revolution to overthrow the systemic racism and oppression in their society.
The white man shall forever sleep with one eye open
The singer envisions a future where people of color gain power and seek to right the wrongs of the past.
Dehumanize me.
The singer is subjected to dehumanization and objectification due to their skin color.
Criticize, set aside.
The artist's opinions and experiences are dismissed or disregarded due to their race.
Livin' in the midst of genocide I hear voices voices are what I hear
The constant violence and destruction faced by people of color creates a sense of trauma and mental distress.
Uprise would you die for your right
The artist calls for people to stand up for their rights, even if it means sacrificing their lives in the process.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind