Who Knew?! Songs With Surprising Meanings Part 2

Erykah Badu – “On and On”

It’s very common for people to put references of their beliefs in their art, and this was true for Ms. Badu.

As a member of “The Nation of Gods and Earth,” also known as the Five Percent Nation (Five Percenters), Erykah went on to include some of her religious beliefs in the song.

To my understanding, the Five Percent Nation believe that the Black man is god (individually and collectively, meaning that he is god, and that we were god).  The community tries to teach awareness and empowerment and refer to themselves as god, and this went into “On and on.”

Telltale lyrics:  “Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned / If your knowledge where your wealth comes from then it would be well earned. / If we were made in His image then call us by our names / Most intellectuals do not believe in God but they fear us just the same.”