A Little [ESPERANZA SPALDING] for a Saturday Night

I recently purchased Esperanza Spalding's newest album, Radio Music Society and IMMEDIATELY fell in love with this song. In my mind, its the perfect song for a Saturday Night of slow dancing with the one you love! And if that lucky person hasn't made their way to you yet, let it serve as a siren song to show them the way!! ;)

I hope you all will enjoy "Cinnamon Tree"....

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

“ You have to know the past to understand the present.”
~ Dr. Carl Sagan

How bowled over was I when I recently heard this week's choice for Music Therapy with Miss Moon?!?!? I smiled, I cried, and I instantly knew that I would have to share this song with as many people I can, through this blog!

I could write a paragraph or two about what the song means to me, but I'd much rather hit you with the song, the lyrics, and the amazingly beautiful images from the video (Talk about natural hair porn!! lol). I hope you all will enjoy "Black Gold" by Esperanza Spalding, featuring Algebra Blessett!

Hold your head as high as you can
High enough to see who you are, little man
Life sometimes is cold and cruel
Baby no one else will tell you so remember that

You are Black Gold, Black Gold
You are Black Gold

Now maybe no one else has told you so
But you're golden, baby
Black Gold with a diamond soul
Think of all the strength you have in you
From the blood you carry within you
Ancient men, powerful men
Built us a civilization

They'll be folks hell-bent on putting you down
Don't get burned
Not necessarily everyone will know your worth
Think of all the strength you have in you
From the blood you carry within you
Ancient men, powerful men
Built us a civilization

Think of all the strength you have in you
Powerful, powerful men
Built us a civilization

Hold your head as high as you can
High enough to see who you are, little man
Life sometimes is cold and cruel
Baby no one else will tell you so remember that

You are Black Gold, Black Gold
You are Black Gold

There'll be folks hell-bent on putting you down
Don't get burned
Not necessarily everyone will know your worth
Think of all the strength you have in you
From the blood you carry within you
Ancient men, powerful men
Built us a civilization

Think of all the strength you have in you
Powerful, powerful men
Built us a civilization

Hold your head as high as you can
High enough to see who you are, little man
Life sometimes is cold and cruel
Baby no one else will tell you so remember that

You are Black Gold, Black Gold
You are Black Gold

Think of all the strength you have in you
From the blood you carry within you
Ancient men, powerful men
Built us a civilization

All the strength
All the blood
That you carry
Ancient men
Powerful men
In you
Built us a civilization

Hold your head as high as you can
High enough to see who you are, little man
Life sometimes is cold and cruel
Baby no one else will tell you so remember that

You are Black Gold, Black Gold
You are Black Gold

You are Black Gold, Black Gold
You are Black Gold

You are Black Gold, Black Gold
You are Black Gold

You are Black Gold, Black Gold
You are Black Gold

Hold your head as high as you can
High enough to see who you are, little man
Life sometimes is cold and cruel
Baby no one else will tell you so remember that

You are Black Gold
You are Black Gold
You are
You are
You are
Hold your head up
Don't give up
You are Black Gold
You are
You are
Black Gold
Black Gold, Black Gold, Black Gold

I Heart Her Hair: Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding is such an accomplished musician and a woman that has brought such a much-needed breath of fresh air to the industry, it seems almost criminal to just focus on her hair. But I am a fan of her fro, and it is as lovely as she is... so I'm going for it! LOL

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

Anyone who's been in and has left a bad relationship can remember the moment of clarity that made you decide to end it. The (as Oprah would say) "Aha!" moment in which you realize that the relationship is no longer nurturing your heart and your spirit. I wish that today's song choice for Music Therapy was around when I had my moment of clarity... but it's likely that Esperanza Spalding was coloring in grade school at the time! LOL

I hope that her beautiful and empowering song, "Precious" will touch the hearts of those who need these words today, I hope that it awakens the epiphany that you MOST DEFINITELY do not have to waste your precious divine energy on anyone and anything that doesn't deserve the attention.



Love me or leave me
But please
Don't deceive me
And say you
Love me how I am
You love the way
I fit some ideal
Not the real woman
You've yet to understand
See love ain't all heaven
And I am no angel
But I do the best I can

You always wanted
Something more from my body
And said you needed
Something more from my loving
But all you got was me
And that's all that I can be
I'm sorry if it let you down

Now it's no nice excuse
But all the magic was used
Up on trying to uphold
Some kind of tame
Flattering persona
That soon enough
Was getting real old
It takes more than pressure
To change rock to diamond
Now all you have is sand
Slipping through your fingers

You always wanted
Something more from my body
And said you needed
Something more from my loving
But all you got was me
And that's all that I can be
I'm sorry if it let you down

But I'm not gonna sit around
And waste
My precious divine energy
Trying to explain
And being ashamed of things
You think are wrong with me
I'm not gonna sit around
And waste
My precious divine energy
Trying to explain
And being ashamed
Of what you think
Is wrong with me

Set you up
You say I set you up
Like I was different
Than what I am
Offering you now
Let you down
And drug your heart around
Did you forget about
All of the love
And the acceptance
That you promised me too?

You always wanted
Something more from my body
And said you needed
Something more from my loving
But all you got was me
And that's all that I can be
I'm sorry if it let you down
You always wanted
Something more from my body
And said you needed
Something more from my loving
But all you got was me
And that's all that I can be
I'm sorry if it let you down
But I'm not gonna sit around

And waste
My precious divine energy
Trying to explain
And being ashamed of things
You think are wrong with me
Me, I'm not gonna sit around
And waste
My precious divine energy
Trying to explain
And being ashamed
Of what you think is wrong with me

A Little [ESPERANZA SPALDING] for a Saturday Night

My apologies to devastated Justin Bieber fanatics out there, but I am SOOOO GLAAAAD Esperanza Spalding won the Grammy for Best New Artist. I'm not knocking the Bieber... don't get me wrong. But after hearing this beautiful interpretation of the William Blake poem, I am confident that the right decision was made.



I hope you all will enjoy "Little Fly" on a beautiful Saturday Night....