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.
http://vimeo.com/3020000
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Yes, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Well, you must tell me, baby
How your head feels under somethin' like that
Under your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Well, you look so pretty in it
Yes, I just wanna see
If it's really that expensive kind
You know it balances on your head
Just like a mattress balances
On a bottle of wine
Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Well, if you wanna see the sun rise
Honey, I know where
We'll go out and see it sometime
We'll both just sit there and stare
Me with my belt
Wrapped around my head
And you just sittin' there
In your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Well, I asked the doctor if I could see you
It's bad for your health, he said
Yes, I disobeyed his orders
I came to see you
But I found him there instead
You know, I don't mind him cheatin' on me
But I sure wish he'd take that off his head
Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Well, I see you got a new boyfriend
You know, I never seen him before
Well, I saw him
Makin' love to you
You forgot to close the garage door
You might think he loves you for your money
But I know what he really loves you for
It's your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
The song "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" by Bob Dylan, re-interpreted by Raphael Saadiq, is a satirical account of a woman's ostentatious fashion statement. The lyrics are addressed to the unnamed woman, who is wearing her brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat. This particular hat is described as expensive and balancing perfectly on her head like a mattress on a bottle of wine. The singer is curious about how it feels to wear such a hat and asks the woman about it. He is also fascinated by the hat's expensive price and wants to jump on it to check its quality.
The singer is self-assured with his own fashion statement, which is represented by the belt wrapped around his head. This sense of pride is emphasized when he compliments the woman for looking pretty in the hat. However, things take a turn when the singer visits a doctor and finds that his love interest is cheating on him with the same doctor. He doesn't care about the affair but is pained that his love interest's new boyfriend is wearing the same leopard-skin pill-box hat. The singer implies that the hat is an indication of a woman's character and the man's intentions towards her.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Observation of the person wearing a new leopard-skin pill-box hat.
Yes, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Confirmation of the previous observation.
Well, you must tell me, baby
How your head feels under somethin' like that
Under your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Asking how the person feels with the new hat on.
Well, you look so pretty in it
Honey, can I jump on it sometime?
Yes, I just wanna see
If it's really that expensive kind
Complimenting the person on how they look and asking permission to try on the hat to see if it's expensive.
You know it balances on your head
Just like a mattress balances
On a bottle of wine
Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Comparing how the hat balances on the head to how a mattress balances on a bottle of wine.
Well, if you wanna see the sun rise
Honey, I know where
We'll go out and see it sometime
We'll both just sit there and stare
Me with my belt
Wrapped around my head
And you just sittin' there
In your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Offering to watch the sunrise together, with the singer wearing their belt wrapped around their head and the other person wearing their new hat.
Well, I asked the doctor if I could see you
It's bad for your health, he said
Yes, I disobeyed his orders
I came to see you
But I found him there instead
You know, I don't mind him cheatin' on me
But I sure wish he'd take that off his head
Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
The singer went to see the person, even though it's against medical advice, but found the doctor with them instead. The singer doesn't mind the person cheating on them, but wishes the person's partner would take off the hat.
Well, I see you got a new boyfriend
You know, I never seen him before
Well, I saw him
Makin' love to you
You forgot to close the garage door
You might think he loves you for your money
But I know what he really loves you for
It's your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
The person has a new boyfriend who was caught making love to them with the garage door open. The artist thinks the boyfriend loves the person for their new hat, not their money.
Writer(s): Bob Dylan
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.