Her sound – Black Americana – is a hybrid of the music that raised her: back-porch blues, straight-up old timey twang, sanctified gospel and 70’s country rock.
Queen Esther stepped out of her Low Country childhood and took her classically trained four-octave range from a prestigious performing arts high school in Atlanta, Georgia to Austin, Texas, quickly becoming a local/regional favorite as a singer and performer/entertainer on the theater scene and as a member of Ro-Tel and the Hot Tomatoes.
After relocating to New York City, her work led to creative collaborations in neo-vaudeville, alternative theater, various alt-rock configurations, (neo) swing bands, trip hop DJs, spoken word performances, jazz combos, jam bands, various blues configurations, original Off Broadway plays and musicals, experimental music/art noise and performance art.
As Queen Esther’s distinct sound — Black Americana — began to emerge, she performed regularly with blues guitar icon Hubert Sumlin and collaborated with jazz guitar icon James “Blood” Ulmer while joining forces with guitarist Elliot Sharp as the alt-blues duo Hoosegow (their critically acclaimed effort Mighty, formerly on the now defunct Homestead Records, is available as a German import). Produced by Vernon Reid (Living Colour), her featured vocals on No Escape From The Blues (Hyena) garnered praise while earning a spot in Rolling Stone’s pick of The Best 50 CDs of 2003.
Most recently, her songs and vocals are featured on Blues & Grass: The 52nd St. Blues Project (Chesky), produced by Mr. Ulmer and featuring Charlie Burnham on violin, Aubrey Dayle on drums and Mark Petersen on bass. All Music Guide says: “(But) as great as (Blues & Grass) is, Ulmer fans have heard much of this music before; the real revelation on this album is Queen Esther, whose uplifting songs and great singing are definite highlights on a consistently strong album. Just see if you can get ‘Sunnyland’ or ‘I’m Goin’ out of your head at the end of the disc.”
Queen Esther is the featured vocalist on Underneath A Brooklyn Moon, Grammy Award-nominated composer/pianist JC Hopkins’ Biggish Band’s debut CD. The band is a thirteen piece line-up of celebrated New York City musicians (Patience Higgins, James Zollar, Vincent Chancey) and guest vocalists/songwriters (Madelene Peroux, Norah Jones, Syd Straw) that highlights original swing tunes and hard bop. Of her performance on the recording, Jazzitude says: “(Queen Esther’s) work on this CD is ultra-hip, not because of who she reminds the listener of, but precisely because, whatever influences she brings to the table, she manages to make you think of no one but herself.”
After securing a publishing deal with Bug Music, Queen Esther started EL Recordings and self-released Talkin’ Fishbowl Blues, her full length debut CD of Black Americana, in September, 2004.
Most recently, Queen Esther won the 2008 Jazzmobile Vocal Competition.
Help Me
Queen Esther Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't seem to help what I′m feeling
Everyone sees me free-falling
Watches me crash through the ceiling
Up through the ground I am soaring
Everything in me is roaring
Twisting into me so sweetly
Help me to say no
Help me not to want more
Help me to let go
Help me to walk out that door
Day break and night time is falling
Comes to me without any warning
Punch-drunk enough to contain me
My hopes can never sustain me
Feeling the weight of confusion
Happiness is an illusion
Smiling to keep on romancing
The danger I keep second-chancing
Help me to say no
Help me not to want more
Help me to let go
Help me to walk out that door
I'm too numb to care for you
I'm too cold to feel what you do
It′s too late to face the truth between us
What we had won′t see us through
Help me to say no
Help me not to want more
Help me to let go
Help me to walk out that door
Help me to walk out that door
Help me to walk out that door
The lyrics of Help Me by Queen Esther depict a person who is struggling with confusing emotions and desires that they are unable to control. The opening line "I know how to swim but I'm drowning" sets the metaphorical tone for the rest of the song, with the singer feeling overwhelmed by their circumstances. They are aware of their feelings and actions, but cannot seem to stop themselves from free-falling and crashing through the ceiling. This is a common theme throughout the song, as the singer expresses a desire to let go and walk out the door, but is unable to do so.
The song portrays a sense of confusion and disillusionment with regards to love and relationships. The singer seems to be in a state of limbo, unable to decide whether to stay or leave. They are torn between their longing for more and their need to let go. The chorus "Help me to say no, Help me not to want more, Help me to let go, Help me to walk out that door" is a desperate plea for assistance and guidance, as the singer is unable to make these decisions on their own.
Overall, Help Me is a reflective and introspective song that explores the complexities of human emotions and relationships. Through its lyrics, it portrays the struggle of wanting to move on but being unable to do so, highlighting the universal nature of human experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I know how to swim but I’am drowning
I am capable of surviving this situation but I’m struggling to cope
Can't seem to help what I'm feeling
I can't control my emotions
Everyone sees me free-falling
Others have noticed a dramatic change in me
Watches me crash through the ceiling
Witnessing me have a complete breakdown
Up through the ground I am soaring
I feel powerful and unstoppable
Everything in me is roaring
I am full of passion and energy
Twisting into me so sweetly
Something that feels good is actually causing me harm
Breaking my heart so completely
This situation is causing me unbearable pain
Help me to say no
Assistance in refusing temptation
Help me not to want more
Assistance in resisting the urge to crave more
Help me to let go
Assistance in moving on from the situation
Help me to walk out that door
Assistance moving away from the problem completely
Day break and night time is falling
Time is passing rapidly, perhaps without my notice
Comes to me without any warning
New challenges unexpectedly arise
Punch-drunk enough to contain me
Vulnerable and weak enough to be controlled by others
My hopes can never sustain me
Unrealistic and overly grandiose aspirations are a burden
Feeling the weight of confusion
Unclear about what to do or how to feel
Happiness is an illusion
Despite my efforts, genuine happiness is fleeting or non-existent
Smiling to keep on romancing
Putting on a facade to keep up appearances and avoid conflict
The danger I keep second-chancing
Ignoring the warning signs and putting myself in danger
I'm too numb to care for you
My emotional turmoil is preventing me from expressing care or love for others
I'm too cold to feel what you do
I am detached and unable to understand what those around me are feeling
It's too late to face the truth between us
The reality of the situation cannot be denied any longer
What we had won't see us through
Past successes or accomplishments will not alleviate current pain or difficulties
Help me to walk out that door
Assistance to move forward and away from a negative situation
Help me to walk out that door
Assistance to move forward and away from a negative situation
Writer(s): Queen Esther
Contributed by Isaiah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.