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21 years ago today, Erykah Badu released her debut album Baduizm which debuted at #2 on Billboard charts and was certified 3x platinum. Fun fact about the classic body of work:
Since changing the way folks listen to soul music in the 90’s, Badu hasn’t stopped dropping her gems on us — whether we ask for it or not. But just like most medicine, we need it even we don’t necessarily want it.
Lyric: “Guess I was born to make mistakes / But I ain’t scared to take the weight / So when I stumble off the path / I know my heart will guide me back” – Didn’t Cha Know
Meaning: Life does not come with instructions. There is no right or wrong way to do anything. No matter how far you think you’ve strayed, there’s always an inner wisdom guiding you home.
Hit the flip for more E. Badu life lessons we learned through her music.
Lyric: “I pick my friends like I pick my fruit.” – Appletree
Meaning: Choose your inner circle with as much awareness and care as you choose the foods you’re putting in your bodies.
Lyric: “Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned” – On & On
Meaning: Each lesson you learn in life shall be rewarded with peace, wisdom and many more blessing.
Lyric: “Let it go, Let it go, Let it go, Let it go”, “Pack Light” – Bag Lady
Meaning: No need to carry around things that are so heavy that they weigh you down. Let it go, pack light and remember “All you must hold onto, is you, is you, is you”
Lyric: “Don’t want nobody next to me / I just want a chance to fly / A chance to cry / And a long bye bye” – Window Seat
Meaning: It’s important to unplug from the chaos of the world sometimes and take time for yourself.
Lyric: “I guess I’ll see you next lifetime” – Next Lifetime
Meaning: Everything isn’t always going to go according to our own personal will, but energy doesn’t lie. Sometimes you have to play the hand you were dealt in this life and choose to make better choices next lifetime.
Lyric: “Who gave you permission to rearrange me. Certainly not me.”
Meaning: Lots of folks believe that this particular song is about how Africans were brought to America and where controlled and forced to change. Another theory is that it’s about a woman who isn’t looking for love, and then a man comes along and changes the everything. You get to decide which meaning resonates more with you.
