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Erykah Badu defines "woke" [1]

['Elías Villoro']

Date: 2023-04-01

I saw Erykah Badu live with The Roots at the Hollywood Bowl in 2008, touring for the album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War). Badu played what I have always assumed was the theremin on several tracks – I do not remember which, but I know one for sure was "The Healer." In searching, I came across this forum discussion from Theremin World clarifying that in this video, Badu is playing "a Roland Handsonic 15…which has a "D-Beam" infrared sensing device built into it."

As reported at Okay Player, in a recent MSNBC interview, Badu explained her relationship to the term woke, which she invoked in the 2008 song "Master Teacher," a collaboration with Georgia Ann Muldrow.

"Baby's sleepy

Time to put her down now

I'll be standin' 'round

'Til the sun down

I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke

Congregation nod they head

And say amen

The deacon fell asleep again and

I stay woke

But I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke

Lovers holding hands

And falling deep in love

And sleeping

Passing conversation

Ooh, I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke

Pretty rings and pretty thieves

With shiny lights and little

Pieces of tomorrow

I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke

I stay woke"

MSNBC reports:

"Many Republicans attack what they call "woke" politics, from Gov. DeSantis to former President Trump. Singer Erykah Badu, who [popularized] the term "woke" in her 2008 song "Master Teacher," responds and offers context on the meaning of the term in an interview with MSNBC's Ari Melber. This is an excerpt from a longer discussion available online, the newest installment of 'Mavericks with Ari Melber,' a series of interviews with artists, musicians, and cultural icons."

About how the term has been twisted, misused, and weaponized, Badu explained,

"It is what it is. It doesn't belong to us anymore," the artist added, saying that 'woke' has taken "a life of its own." She ended with her own definition of the term: "It just means being aware, being in alignment with nature, because if you're in alignment with that, you're aware of everything going on."

Full disclosure: I came across this article because Nnedi Okorafor posted it on Twitter. Thank you.

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