Remarks:
Ms Badu walks through Dallas where President Kennedy was shot.
Lyrics:
so, presently I’m standing
here right now
you’re so demanding
tell me what you want from me
concluding
concentrating on my music, lover and my babies
makes me wanna ask the lady for a ticket outta town…
so can I get a window seat
don’t want nobody next to me
I just want a ticket outta town
a look around
and a safe touch down
can I get a window seat
don’t want nobody next to me
I just want a chance to fly
a chance to cry
and a long bye bye..
but I need you to want me
I need you to miss me
I need your attention, yes
I need you next me
I need someone to clap for me
I need your direction
somebody say come back
come back baby come back
I want you to need me
come back come back baby come back
come back come back baby come back
come back come back baby come back
so, in my mind I’m tusslin’
back and forth ‘tween here and hustlin’
I don’t wanna time travel no mo
I wanna be here
I’m thinking
on this porch I’m rockin’
back and forth light lightning hopkins
if anybody speak to scotty
tell him beam me up..
so can I get a window seat
don’t want nobody next to me
I just want a ticket outta town
a look around
and a safe touch down
can I get a window seat
don’t want nobody next to me
I just want a chance to fly
a chance to cry
and a long bye bye..
but I need you to miss me
I need somebody come get me
I need your attention
I need your energy
I need someone to clap me
I need your direction
somebody say come back
come back baby come back
come back come back baby come back
come back come back baby come back
come back come back baby come back
but can I get a window seat
don’t want nobody next to me
I just want a ticket outta town
a look around
and a safe touch down…
I just wanna chance to fly
a chance to cry
and a long bye bye…
They play it safe, are quick to assassinate what they do not understand. They move in packs ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel most comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are us. This is what we have become. Afraid to respect the individual. A single person within a circumstance can move one to change. To love ourself. To evolve.
Abagond 
I love this song so much. My SO first told me about… she caused quite a stir in Dallas.
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Dang, I have to wait until I get home to watch this. I’ve heard the song and it does not sound deep — thought it was supposed to be a political protest.
But I will always love Ms. Badu – she can get as crazy in her videos as she wants to. (LOL).
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I’m as liberal as the next person, but stripping where children can see you is a no no in my book.
Interesting how the people in Dallas seemed to ignore her — I doubt she could get away with that in D.C. where I live.
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My brother thinks that she is a media whore for making this video and says she is devoid of talent. My brother is pretty much dead-on when it comes to these things… I think that it was in poor choice for her to do this video.
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I’m not an Erika Badu fan or pro nudity but I think that we need to be as opposed to public nudity when White artists engage in it as we do when Black artists do.
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I think the woman who pressed charges against miss Badu helped her more than this whole thing hurt her…I mean in Texas, the YTs will press charges for throwing a banana peel out of the window but let a fellow member of the superior elite do it..also, among other things with the city of dallas harboring a WAR criminal i think there are other things to get in a tizzy about! Thats another rant..
But really. I mean..didn’t kate and josh do this in NY? Why no hubbub then? Anyway, I’m from dallas and know there is nothing too interesting about the city other than miss Badu and before she became famous we all knew she was off the wall in a creative way.
I know/have traveled that part of downtown for years. Its as though she renewed the meaning and purpose of that place. Before it was really a sight for tourists curious about conspiracy and now by her gracing the Kennedy memorial with her art, the place has a fresh new meaning to me. ps. They don’t allow conspiracy literature even on the 6th floor book store-room anymore.
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I must admit that I posted this one on the strength of the video and what she says at the end, not on the strength of the song.
Is it cheap sensationalism? With most artists you could safely say yes. Think if Beyonce or Lil Kim had done this. But Erykan Badu is off-the-wall enough that it is hard to tell.
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The clothes-stripping was lame when Alanis Morissette did it back in the day, and now it’s still not doing anything for me. I watched the video once and unfortunately, the song didn’t really engage me that much so I never watched it again. I will say I’m not sitting around waiting for Erykhah Badu to educate me about “groupthink” – I just want her to sing meaningful good songs.
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Long time, no view or post.
It’s perfectly fine to dislike Badu’s public persona, the song or the video but to attack her is a bit much.
Yes, she wanted to get attention but she also had a clear thought-provoking message which discounts the idea that the video was just pure sensationalism.
The hoopla she got for her video as well as the negative reactions from commenters on sites such as this proves her point about groupthink.
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Huh… why are people disliking the video/song? The song had to grow on me, but now I love it. I like the feel of the video as well. There are very few products by Erykah I dislike, even if I’m not madly in love with them all. I was a little surprised the first time I saw the video, but I wasn’t offended. Maybe I’m just weird.
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mynameismyname said:
The hoopla she got for her video as well as the negative reactions from commenters on sites such as this proves her point about groupthink.
Co-sign!!! enough said.
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Nice body for a woman that’s had 3 kids.
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What trips me out is that hardly anyone in the background seems to notice that a half naked woman is walking down the street.
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As I read the lyrics her premise is that she should be beyond criticism, respected as an individual for her decisions, and criticism of her proves her point. If we follow her logic to its illogical conclusion all of our decisions would be beyond reproach regardless of how it impacted society. Murder, Rape, Theft, walking down the street naked, etc., would be okay because it was the individual’s decision. Ms Badu is simply shirking owning up. I would have respected her more if she simply said mind your own business – I will do what I please. In this instance “group think” are values and morals that society holds as important. Let’s call a spade a spade regardless of who’s holding it!
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Reblogged this on LKA.
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