Remarks:
Vanessa Williams’s daughter, Jillian Hervey, sings, Childish Gambino raps and Nina Simone plays piano (sampled from vinyl from her 1971 cover of “Mr Bojangles”). The song came out in 2013 but did not chart.
In the video you see Hervey and her music producer, Lucas Goodman, who knew of Simone’s song. Together they make up Lion Babe. Best scene in the video: when she walks down the street in her hair curlers.
See also:
- songs: the 2010s
- Nina Simone
- Vanessa Williams: Dreamin’ – milftastic
- Maluca: El Tigeraso – yet more hair curler action
Lyrics:
[Hervey sings:]
Jump so high
Tie me down, try to hold me up
But the wall ain’t high enough
And they play so hard
In a game so rough
But I still can’t
Give it up
I’m out there on my own
Work but I got to get some
Run it right into the sun
Oh (jump so high)
(So high)
I jump so high (so high)
I jump so high (so high)
I got it right (so high, high, high)
I jump so high (so high)
I jump so high (so high)
I got it right
Find your life
In the darkest sky
And the stars burn
Inside our eyes
Cutting through the days
To our glory days
We won’t give up
Never too late
I’m out there on my own
Work but I got to get some
Run it right into the sun
Oh (jump so high)
(So high)
I jump so high (so high)
I jump so high (so high)
I got it right (so high, high, high)
I jump so high (so high)
I jump so high (so high)
I got it right
[Childish Gambino raps:]
Yeah, we finally made it
You know they hate it
I swear to God
Knowing just what you are
Made you into a star
Made you into the man
No one else like this
Before the house was a house
It was on my wrist
It’s the island life, yeah mahalo bitch
Went from ashy to classy
I’m aloe rich, I stay Aloe Blacc
Man, Bino back
Man he never left
I smoke loud I’m deaf
Your smoke plead the fifth
I know the glory
They hate on your shine
‘Cause they know the story
Thrown to the wolves but your drive so Mowgli
I could drive through the hood
And them, boys, they know me
Is he one of the greatest
Time will tell
But time is relative
They assume the melanin
And they kill the culture
This might insult ya
White man can’t jump, and I
(Jump so high)
[Hervey:]
I jump so high (so high)
I jump so high (so high)
I got it right (so high, high, high)
I jump so high (so high)
I jump so high (so high)
I got it right
Source: Songfacts.
“I jump so high (so high)”. Yeah, it’s easy for you to say that.
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I like all kinds of music but not a fan of this Lion Babe.
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What is the point of this article?
A) Vanessa Williams has an adult child in the music industry?
OK..the “so what” will be revealed based on the success of Lion Babe?
B) Hervey/Goodman sampled a Nina Simone piano performance, from a song that didn’t chart?
C) Hervey/Goodman are (kinda?) guilty of..uh.. cultural (faux Rasta + Nina Simone’s “name” is hot now?) appropriation?
D) Pop songs work best with good hooks?
I’m really not trying to be sarcastic. I would appreciate it if someone would fill in the (what is relevant, topical, entertaining) blanks……
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Another corny song abagond likes?
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She is apart of the Afro pop culture. I don’t think she can sing i am not impressed with this song all we can say is she is the daughter of Vanessa Williams moving on nothing to see here.
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@ Mary
Agreed: she is not a great singer. Her mother was way better.
@ Black Sci-Fi
This is not meant to be a profound post. It did not even reach 500 words. But part of why I put it up is because I have been doing Nina Simone stuff lately and hope to a post on her before the month is out (I am reading her autobiography).
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@ v8driver
There is no accounting for taste.
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@abagond that’s one of my favorite things to say!
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