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+
pocketbook
Me'Shell Ndegéocello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Huh
Come on
Yeah
Come on
Come on
Yeah
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
Ya gotta lotta sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
Your mama got to be fine
You probably breastfed
'Cause you look all healthy
Ooh
With your chi-chi pretty eyes
Put on your Prada lip balm
And sit, baby
With the swerve in your hip
Order
Can I get a drink?
Yeah
Yes you can
Pull the wad from your purse
Tip
Start singin' my shit
With the chorus
First
You like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
Ya gotta lotta sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
You like to be in the know
With all the major figures
And
That's alright
You like to hang out
And shake that thing
Mmm
And that's alright
Girl got your own thing
You know everybody
High class,
Mediocre
To riff raff
Love is the root politic
You read between the paragraphs
You know what you make after taxes
You like to get free
You've been to Cuba
And you don't watch TV
You only get greedy
For the power of the pee
Yeah
And me
Now
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
You gotta lot of sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
You like to be in the know
With all the major figures
And
That's alright
You like to hang out
And shake that thing
All night
And that's alright
Yeah, ooh
How that feel?
How'd that feel baby
What you feel?
What ya feel baby
I got feel
I'm gettin' you baby
Look-a-here, ah
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
You gotta lot of sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
Ooh, hey
Look-a-here
What you got?
Come on
Yeah
Look-a-here
I like the way you switch
When you walk by
Everything
You know that you want to try
Don't be ashamed
'Cause I can make you feel
Real
Good
Get it
So grab your ass
I mean my purse
Hit me with that chorus first
Check it
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
That's alright
You got a lot of sense
A lot of sense Come on
Runnin' through your bones
Yeah
And that's alright
You like to be in the know
With all the major figures
And that's alright
You like to hang out
And shake that thing
Mmm
And that's alright
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
Ya got a lot of sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
You like to be in the know
With all the major figures
And that's alright
You like to hang out
And shake that thing
All night
And that's alright
Yeah
Come on, Come on
Yeah
I said
That's alright
Yeah
Come on, Come on
Yeah
I said that's alright
Now
Shit
Ooh
We in the pocket
Yeah
Make it swing
Do my thing
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
Ya got a lot of sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
You like to be in the know
With all the major figures
And that's alright
You like to hang out
And shake that thing
All night
And that's alright.
The song Pocketbook is about a confident woman who is proud of who she is and what she has accomplished. Me'Shell Ndegéocello sings about a woman who likes to have money in her pocketbook and who has a sense of confidence that is infectious. The song highlights the notion that women should be proud of their bodies and the way they look, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status. This woman is also highly intelligent as she is "in the know with all the major figures."
Furthermore, the song includes societal and political critiques. The lines "love is the root politic" and "you know what you make after taxes" suggest that the song is also addressing issues of class inequality and the importance of being informed about the world around us. Overall, the song Pocketbook celebrates the strength and intelligence of women and encourages them to be confident in who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
Having money in your pocketbook is important to you, and that's fine.
Ya gotta lotta sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
You are a smart and sensible person, and that's great.
Your mama got to be fine
You probably breastfed
'Cause you look all healthy
Ooh
You likely had a great mother who breastfed you, and you are healthy and attractive as a result.
With your chi-chi pretty eyes
Put on your Prada lip balm
And sit, baby
With the swerve in your hip
You have gorgeous eyes and know how to accentuate your beauty with luxury Prada lip balm. You exude confidence with a sway in your hip as you sit.
You like to be in the know
With all the major figures
And
That's alright
You are interested in knowing and rubbing shoulders with powerful people, and that's perfectly acceptable.
You like to hang out
And shake that thing
Mmm
And that's alright
You enjoy socializing and dancing, and that's completely fine.
Love is the root politic
You read between the paragraphs
You know what you make after taxes
Love is at the core of politics for you, and you are skilled at reading between the lines. Additionally, you know your income after taxes.
You like to get free
You've been to Cuba
And you don't watch TV
You only get greedy
For the power of the pee
Yeah
And me
Now
You appreciate freedom and have traveled to Cuba. You're not overly concerned with television and instead seek sexual power and also want a relationship with the singer.
Yeah, ooh
How that feel?
How'd that feel baby
What you feel?
What ya feel baby
I got feel
I'm gettin' you baby
Look-a-here, ah
The singer is trying to get a feel for how you're feeling and is interested in a relationship with you.
You got a lot of sense
A lot of sense Come on
You are intelligent and sensible, let's go.
Come on, Come on
Yeah
I said
That's alright
The singer is urging you to come along and reminding you that everything is okay.
We in the pocket
Yeah
Make it swing
Do my thing
The singer and you are in the pocket, enjoying themselves and moving to the beat.
Ya like to have money
In your pocketbook
That's alright
Ya got a lot of sense
Runnin' through your bones
And that's alright
You like to be in the know
With all the major figures
And
That's alright
You like to hang out
And shake that thing
All night
And that's alright
The singer is reiterating previous points about you liking having money, being smart and knowledgeable, and enjoying socializing and dancing, and reassuring you that it is all perfectly acceptable.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MELISSA A. ELLIOTT, ME SHELL NDEGEOCELLO, DANA STINSON, REGGIE NOBLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind