“I was always a writer," says the man formerly known as Aaron Livingston. "Before I really learned music, I was serious about writing. Didn’t matter what it was. Just playing with words.”
Considering how long he's been making music, that's saying something. Born in Los Angeles to a preacher and a teacher, as a kid he absorbed songs from dusty family records and learned saxophone and piano, though he felt more at home inventing his own language on those instruments rather than following the lesson plan. Adapt or die, as they say.
Cycling through jazz, rock and R&B history, the hungry young son was beginning his true education. A few years later, the Livingstons moved to Queens, introducing Aaron to the active arts of hip-hop, basketball and city life. High school in suburban Jersey left him wanting more, so he headed to Manhattan and Columbia University, where he discovered art, recreational substances, and girls, girls, girls. He dropped out, got a job, got sad, kept journals. He moved to Philly, enrolled at Temple University, met the legendary Roots crew, even played music with them; they put his voice on an album, undun. He had a daughter, then a son. He was happy, still writing all the while.
Then, slowly, the music stalled. Faded. He got another dead end job. He checked out of days. He got sad again. He forgot how to adapt.
But, as it has the ability to do, the songwriting saved him. It was in his blood, he remembered. Coltrane. Hendrix. Santana. Tribe. And this time he vowed to never let it go. That's not to say he's always happy; he's human, after all. But making music helps keep things in perspective.
"I feel the weight of life as I always did, as everyone does," he says. "But I feel the weight lifted, because I love doing this. And the more I do it, the more I love it."
Son Little writes everywhere, every day, finding inspiration on the train, in a car, on the street, in the supermarket, with his children. Sometimes the ideas are fresh. Sometimes a tune comes from his past, a single spark. Nothing is off limits.
"It could be just a thought, and everything else comes from that," he says. "In one of my books could be a phrase that later is a song, and then the song becomes a whole catalog. It’s gotta germinate from somewhere."
Inspiration firmly struck, the song begins to bloom. There are many channels to Son Little's broadcast, varied stops on the dial, from blues to soul to funk to folk, and jook-joint jazz and chamber pop and back again. His voice—raw, weary yet alert, grave and gravelly, Marvin and Otis and Stevie all at once—soars and creeps, cracks and moans. His songs haunt, thrill, yearn and stomp like all the best work of his heroes.
And the learning never stops. Little has collaborated with highly respected artists like The Roots and the producer/DJ RJD2, mentoring under the former and creating a duo with the latter called Icebird, which allowed him to flex his considerable vocal chops and song arrangement skills.
"I've always loved the studio, but RJ helped me see how I can use it more effectively and find ways to challenge myself, and be inventive with sound. And The Roots, it’s hard to quantify what I’ve learned from them. Everything from how to rehearse to how to occupy the stage and command it…two things that are very fundamental in this business, and they are masters."
This fall sees the release of the first recorded output from Son Little for Anti- Records, an EP called, wouldn't you know it, Things I Forgot. Six songs: three babies (released first as videos), two twins, and an RJD2 remix. It's all there, all those misremembered things: Triumph and trophies, hardship and heartache, soft sentences, loud chapters, facts and birthdays, faces and places and scrapes and scales, nights and weeks and years all lost, gone into the ether, slipped away, out-sizing our normal human bandwidth.
"The singles, 'Cross My Heart' and 'Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches' and 'The River,' were more or less written consecutively," he says. "And so I think they were sort of internal responses to one other, complements. It's harder to place but I’ve been tinkering with the other two, 'Joy' and 'Alice,' for a long time. They’re sort of akin to one another in terms of mood. This is a small collection and maybe it's not as much a singular vision...it's more of a handful.”
A grip of memories; Things He Forgot. Son Little writes to remember, matching the disparate vibes of his full, full life with a patchwork blanket of sound, experience and inspiration. Inventing, observing, adapting. And still, it grows.
"I don’t see any end to the learning," he says. "And to understanding more of something that you immerse yourself in. Could be anything, again. Right now I’m immersed in this music and I feel that my understanding appreciates and changes scope and perspective. It's really rewarding in its own way."
Bread & Butter
Son Little Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oo, I wanna be your lover baby
I Wanna be your bread and butter baby
Nobody else can drive me crazy like you can
I wanna peel you like a clementine
Oo, I can′t wait darling until you're mine
Come to me baby and I′ll come to you
Oh, you're so sweet just like a tangerine
Just like the one who visits me in my dream
Loving you is just like berry blue
Being with you, I just can′t keep my cool
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
Oo, I wanna be your lover baby
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
Nobody else can drive you crazy like I can
Oh oh oh oh
I′ll treat you baby like an ice cream cone
You know we only need some time alone
Miss Àpplebum you smell like orange groves
It may be time to come out your clothes
Blow me away just like a hurricane
Just like a bomb went off inside my brain
Come on now baby let me explain myself
Spoonful or two of you is good for my health
Ooh baby, baby
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
Oo, I wanna be your lover baby
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
Nobody else can drive me crazy
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
Oo, I wanna be your lover baby
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
Nobody else can drive me crazy like you can
The song "Bread & Butter" by Son Little is a romantic track that speaks about a man who is deeply in love with his partner. He is expressing his desire to be with her, be her lover, and to provide for her. By saying he wants to be her "bread and butter", he means that he wants to be her main source of sustenance and support. He also acknowledges that nobody else can drive him crazy quite like she can. The lyrics are full of similes and metaphors like "peel you like a clementine" and "loving you is just like berry blue" to describe how much he adores her. He even compares her to a tangerine that visits him in his dreams.
The chorus repeats the desire to be her "bread and butter" and her lover, emphasizing that no one else can drive him crazy like she can. The verses describe his attraction to her using various food comparisons, such as calling her "Miss Applebum" and saying that she smells like orange groves. He promises to treat her like an ice-cream cone and asks her to come out of her clothes. Ultimately, the lyrics convey the depth of his feelings for her and his longing to be with her.
Line by Line Meaning
Wanna be your bread and butter baby
I want to be the main source of your happiness and satisfaction
Oo, I wanna be your lover baby
I am attracted to you and want to have a romantic relationship with you
I Wanna be your bread and butter baby
I really want to be the most important person in your life
Nobody else can drive me crazy like you can
My emotions are strongly affected by you and only you
I wanna peel you like a clementine
I want to get to know you and explore every aspect of you
Oo, I can′t wait darling until you're mine
I am excited at the prospect of being in a relationship with you
Come to me baby and I′ll come to you
If you take a step towards me, I'll meet you halfway
There ain't no doubt now that I feel for you
I'm sure of my feelings for you
Oh, you're so sweet just like a tangerine
You are sweet and enticing like a freshly picked tangerine
Just like the one who visits me in my dream
You are what I dream about and desire
Loving you is just like berry blue
Loving you is a sensation that's both sweet and tangy
Being with you, I just can′t keep my cool
When I'm around you, I struggle to stay calm and collected
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
I want to be the center of your world
Oo, I wanna be your lover baby
I am attracted to you and want to have a romantic relationship with you
I wanna be your bread and butter baby
I really want to be the most important person in your life
Nobody else can drive you crazy like I can
I have a unique ability to make you feel a range of highly emotional responses
I′ll treat you baby like an ice cream cone
I will cherish and take care of you like a special treat
You know we only need some time alone
We need privacy and intimacy to further our relationship
Miss Àpplebum you smell like orange groves
Your fragrance is comforting and familiar like the smell of orange groves
It may be time to come out your clothes
Perhaps it's time to reveal your true self to me
Blow me away just like a hurricane
You have a powerful effect on me and can leave me breathless
Just like a bomb went off inside my brain
Your presence in my life has sparked intense emotions
Come on now baby let me explain myself
Let me express my sincere feelings for you
Spoonful or two of you is good for my health
Being with you nourishes and boosts my well-being
Writer(s): Aaron Livingston
Contributed by Sarah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@timoteogomez123
Bastante guapera para escuchar , oielo , entero , tiene buenos temas ; GOOD FOR SON LITTLE.
@brooksintampa
❤❤❤❤❤