Taking an interest in music from the age of 6, joining gospel groups and attending Young Musicians Program at Berklee during middle school, Saadiq got the chance phone call of a lifetime, when Sheila E. called one day looking for touring musicians to join Prince on his Parade tour. Saadiq spent two years on the road, a time he called "My University".
Saadiq made a name for himself as the lead vocalist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné!. He went by his birth name during the beginning of Tony! Toni! Toné!, where he was joined by his brother Dwayne Wiggins, and his cousin Timothy Christian. He adopted the name of Raphael Saadiq in the mid-1990s.
After the 1996 Tony! Toni! Toné! album, House of Music, (when he performed under his current name) Saadiq started his solo career. He produced a few solo tracks, but Saadiq's next big project became the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl. He recorded the self-titled album with Dawn Robinson (En Vogue) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest). This group only lasted for one album. His solo album Instant Vintage, released in 2002, also earned 5 Grammy nominations.
Saadiq released his third solo album, The Way I See It, on September 16 2008, featuring collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone. Saadiq acknowledges the album's old school soul sound, which he says includes nods to Gladys Knight & The Pips, Al Green, The Four Tops, The Delfonics and The Stylistics.
Various artists have tapped Saadiq to produce their work through the years. Some of Saadiq's most notable work has been with D'Angelo. The 2000 collaboration "Untitled" won D'Angelo a Grammy award for Best R&B Album. In 2007, Saadiq was called on to produce the whole third album from UK Soul singer Joss Stone. Other artists he has collaborated with include The Roots, Macy Gray, Snoop Dogg, Kelis, Q-Tip and Young Bellz.
In 2002, Saadiq founded his own record label, Pookie Entertainment. Among the artists on the label are Joi and Truth Hurts.
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Excuse Me
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lady can we try
Lady say you're wit it
If you're not wit it, get it 'scuse me
Can't make you stay
If you want to go
Sugar I can't make you love me
There's one thing I'm certain of
And I know it's true
Can't nobody does it like I do like I do
Hey excuse me please
You sure look good to me
With your straight hair up braids
Kinda got my momma's waves (kinda got my momma's waves)
How about the possibility of you and I
Lady can we try
Lady say you're wit it
If you're not wit it, get it 'scuse me
The first time I saw your thighs
That's when I realized
My heart, it skipped a beat
I can't seem to make you see
I tried everything in my book
I'm laughing cause you won't even look
I gotta stop wasting my time so excuse me please
Can't make you stay
If you wanna go
Sugar I can't make you love me
If you're heart says no
There's one thing I'm certain of
And I know it's true
Can't nobody does it like I do like I do
I'm a try this one more time
You look like virgin eyes
This one here might be true
And here's a few fools for you
I, I wanna be married but free
I gotta let the drama miss me
Could this apple fit on your tree
If not excuse me please
Hey excuse me please
You sure look good to me
With your straight hair up braids
Kinda got my momma's waves (kinda got my momma's waves)
How about the possibility of you and I
Lady can we try
Lady say you're wit it
If you're not wit it, get it 'scuse me
Can't make you stay
If you wanna go
Sugar I can't make you love me
If you're heart says no
There's one thing I'm certain of
And I know it's true
Can't nobody does it like I do like I do
Can't nobody love you babe
Can't nobody touch you babe
Like I do
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
It'll be all right
It'll be all right
It'll be okay
It'll be okay
Love's goin' be all right
This ain't nothin' but a slow song
Oh yeah all right, gospeldelic
It'll be all good
The lyrics to Raphael Saadiq's song Excuse Me explore the possibility of a romantic relationship between the singer and the woman he is addressing. The lyrics seem to suggest that he has feelings for her and wants to pursue something more, but is also aware that she may not feel the same way. He repeatedly asks if they can try to be together, but also acknowledges that he can't force her to love him if she doesn't. The lyrics also touch on the idea of letting go of drama and finding someone who is a good fit, without forcing things.
In the song, the singer uses various techniques to convey his emotions, including repeating certain phrases such as "excuse me" and "lady say you're wit it." He also uses imagery to describe the woman he is interested in, such as her hair and thighs, and expresses his desire to be with her. Overall, the lyrics are relatable and express the uncertainty and excitement that comes with starting a new romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
How about the possibility of you and I
Asking whether there's a chance we could be together
Lady can we try
Asking her if she's willing to take a chance on us
Lady say you're wit it
Asking her to confirm she's on board with us being together
If you're not wit it, get it 'scuse me
If she's not interested, he'll move on
Can't make you stay
He can't force her to be with him if she wants to leave
If you want to go
Acknowledging that she has the power to make the decision to leave on her own
Sugar I can't make you love me
He can't make her love him if she doesn't feel it
If you're heart says no
Her heart will know if she doesn't want to be with him
There's one thing I'm certain of
He knows one thing for sure
And I know it's true
He's confident in this fact
Can't nobody does it like I do like I do
He knows that he's unique and no one can replace the love he can give
Hey excuse me please
Asking for her attention politely
You sure look good to me
He's attracted to her and likes what he sees
With your straight hair up braids
Complimenting her hairstyle
Kinda got my momma's waves (kinda got my momma's waves)
Noting the similarity between her hair and his mom's hair
The first time I saw your thighs
He remembers the moment he was first attracted to her
That's when I realized
It was a realization for him
My heart, it skipped a beat
He was struck by how she looked
I can't seem to make you see
He can't make her understand how he feels
I tried everything in my book
He's done everything he can think of to show her he cares
I'm laughing cause you won't even look
He finds it a bit funny that she won't even give him a chance
I gotta stop wasting my time so excuse me please
He's realized he can't keep wasting his time pursuing someone who doesn't want him
I'm a try this one more time
He's going to make one last attempt to show her he cares
You look like virgin eyes
She seems inexperienced or innocent to him
This one here might be true
He's hoping this connection could be genuine
And here's a few fools for you
He's acknowledging that he's made mistakes in the past
I, I wanna be married but free
He wants a committed relationship but also values his independence
I gotta let the drama miss me
He wants to avoid any unnecessary drama in his life
Could this apple fit on your tree
Asking if they could be a good match
Can't nobody love you babe
No one can love her like he can
Can't nobody touch you babe
No one can give her the physical affection he can
It'll be all right
Assuring her that everything will be okay
It'll be okay
Reiterating that things will be alright
Love's goin' be all right
Love will make everything okay
This ain't nothin' but a slow song
Reminding her that this is just a song and not to take it too seriously
Oh yeah all right, gospeldelic
Adding a playful touch to the lyrics
It'll be all good
Repeating his assurance that things will be okay
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CALVIN RICHARDSON, ROBERT OZUNA, GLENN DON STANDRIDGE, RAPHAEL SAADIQ, ANGELA STONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind