Black Messiah is Here, but What is He Saying?

Sunday night at midnight D’Angelo released his first album in fourteen years, Black Messiah. This surprise release broke the internet and represents D’Angelo’s triumphant return to the popular music world.

We’ll have more thoughts on the album over the coming days, but today we have what you need.

LYRICS.

While the songs are certainly soulful and beautiful, D’Angelo’s vocals aren’t always easily understood. As always, Musiqology is happy to be your guide.

Check the album stream and lyrics below.

Ain’t That Easy
Music by D’Angelo
Lyrics by D’Angelo, Q-Tip and Kendra Foster

Verse 1:
Take a toke of smoke from me as you dream inside / Let your days slip away come with me and ride / My darlin’ you aren’t the average kind / You need the comfort of my lovin’ To bring out the best in you / I hope that you do / See what you’ve given to me / Separatin’, debatin’, stay with me that’s all you have to do.

Chorus:
You can’t leave me / It ain’t that easy / To walk away / When I want you to stay, baby / You can’t leave me / It ain’t that easy / Ow ow ow

Verse 2:
Ever hit with a choice that you can’t decide? / Which direction left or right / Shut your mouth off and focus on what you feel inside / See y’all know I’ma go with my vibe / You won’t believe all the things you have to sacrifice / Just to get peace of mind / And you take what they give as if it did suffice / Still it’s just a waste of time / I offer you the truth / You need the comfort of my lovin’ to bring out the best in you / I wanna give you give you somethin’ to feed your mind / No separatin’, no don’t debate it / Faithfullly we’ll see this love through

Chorus:
You can’t leave me / It ain’t that easy / To walk away / When I want you to stay, baby / You can’t leave me / It ain’t that easy / Ow ow ow

Bridge:
I got just what you need babye / All this love you’ll receive, yeah / I been waitin’ so long

Verse 3:
I’ll tell you this sincerely / I need the comfort of your lovin’ / To bring out the best in me / I’m gona keep you safe from evil opinion / What I got can’t duplicate it / Faithfully, we’ll see this love through

Chorus:
You can’t leave me / It ain’t that easy / To walk away / When I want you to stay, baby / You can’t leave me / It ain’t that easy / Ow ow ow

You can’t leave me / It ain’t that easy / To walk away / When I want you to stay, baby / Said it ain’t that easy / Ow ow ow

You can’t leave me / said ain’t that easy

1000 Deaths
Music by D’Angelo
Lyrics by D’Angelo and Kendra Foster

Verse 1:
I can’t believe I can’t get over my fear / They’re gonna send me over the hill / Ah, the moment of truth is near / They’re gonna send me over the hill

Verse 2:
I can’t believe I’m so caught up in the thrill / Ain’t nothin’ gonna change my will / Locked and loaded up, and I know the drill / They’re gonna send me over the hill

Pre-Chorus:
I been a witness to this game for ages / Ever since stare death in the face, no time to waste / But oh!

Chorus:
And if I charge it to the game before / Every time I slip into the unknown / Well that’s only when the spot gets blown / It’s war / That is the Lord! / I won’t nut up when we up thick in the crunch / Because a coward dies a thousand times / But a soldier only dies just once / Once, once

Verse 3:
Yahweh, Yehushua / He don’t want no coward soldier / Aaah stick it in the golden sand / Musta didna heard ma prayer

I receiv everything that it means / And wield it victoriously / Aha, and cast out all the wickedness / Send me over the hill / I was born to kill / Send me over the hill

Pre-Chorus:
I been a witness to this game for ages / And if I stare death in the face, no time to waste / But oh!

Chorus:
And if I charge it to the game before / Every time I slip into the unknown / Well that’s only when the spot gets blown / It’s war / That is the Lord! / I won’t nut up when we up thick in the crunch / Because a coward dies a thousand times / But a soldier only dies just once / Once, once

The Charade
Music by D’Angelo and Questlove
Lyrics by D’Angelo and Kendra Foster

Verse 1:
Crawling through a systematic maze to demise / Pain in our eyes / Strain of drownin, wading through the lies / Degradation so loud that you can’t hear the sound of our cries (doo, doo) / All the dreamers have gone to the side of the road which we rely on / Inundated by media, virtual mind fucks in streams

Chorus:
All we wanted was a chance to talk / ‘Stead we only got outlined in chalk / Feet have bled a million miles we’ve walked / Revealing at the end of the day, the charade

Verse 2:
Perpetrators beware say a prayer if you dare for the believers / With a faith at the size of a seed enought o be redeemed (doo doo) / Relegated to savages bound by the way of the deceivers / So anchors be sure that you’re sure we ain’t no amateurs

Chorus:
All we wanted was a chance to talk / ‘Stead we only got outlined in chalk / Feet have bled a million miles we’ve walked / Revealing at the end of the day, the charade

Bridge:
With the veil off our eyes we’ll truly see / And we’ll march on / And it really won’t take too long / And it really won’t take us very long

Revealing at the end of the day, the Charade.

Sugah Daddy
Music by D’Angelo, Pino Palladino and James Gadson
Lyrics by D’Angelo, Q-Tip and Kendra Foster

Verse 1:
It’s just the way she’s so raw and uncut / She needs a spakin’ to shake her up / And I just wish that I could open her up / To this deeper place of love / High priced snake skin on her arm (oooh) / Lace satin covering up her charms / You shoulda seen the way they tossed ant turned / The way she made the congregation squirm

Chorus:
Girl’s got a worldly view / Apparently she sees through you / Her love was never meant to share for two / She said I’ll do it if you’ll be my sugah daddy

Verse 2:
Take a note from my philosophy / I’ma give her what she need / Can’t snatch the meat out of the lioness mouth / Sometimes you gotta just / Ease it out / I give her a pacifier / I fill my baby’s crib with all the sweetness daddy wants to give / And when it comes to rocking her to sleep, I’ll never tire / This is the way I pat my baby on the butt / She had me hooked with only just one glance / She need a spankin’ baby, that’s wussup / Lawd, lawd / You say you wanna be the one she chooses to star in her meaningless romance

Chorus:
Girl’s got a worldly view / What’s a sassy girl to do / And if the decision was left up to me / You best believe that I would be her sugah daddy / Brown eyes that will make you blue / Eyes that’ll see right thorugh you / She crossed her fingers when she said her vows / She said I promise that I’ll sock it to you daddy

Verse 3:
So I take the child to my crib / I ain’t gonna tell you what we did / I hit it so I made the pussy fart / She said it’s talkin’ to ya, talkin’ to ya daddy.

Really Love
Music by D’Angelo
Lyrics by D’Angelo and Kendra Foster

Verse 1:
When you call my name / When you love me gently / When you’re walking near me / Doo doo wah I’m in really love with you / I’m in really love with you

Chorus 1:
When you look at me / I open up instantly / I fall in love so quickly / Doo doo wah / I’m in really love with you / Doo doo wah / I’m in really love with you / I’m in really love with you

Bridge:
All night beside you I’d lay / I love you deep when you come to my bed / Doo doo wah / I’m in really love with you / Ooh wah, I’m in really love with you

Verse 2:
When you touch me there / When you make me tingle / When our nectars mingle / I’m in really love with you, I’m in really love / I’m not an easy man, to overstand, you feel me / But girl you’re patient with me / Doo doo wah, I’m in really love with you / I’m in really love with you

Chorus 2:
All night I wish for you here / lay your head beside my hip / Doo doo wah / I’m in really love with you / I’m in really love with you

Doo doo wah / I’m in really love with you

I’m in really love with you

Oh how I love the little things you do / I’m in really love with you.

Back In The Future (Part I)
Music and Lyrics by D’Angelo

Verse 1:
Traveling at the speed of light and then / At the same time I’m in the same spot too / The room was kept in ‘ bout the same way you left it / With about the threats you mess in attitude / Where ya’ been with all your grin / Until you’re friends turn their backs on you / Reminiscing over what you’ve been missing / Could be just like cousins kissing / That’s taboo

Chorus:
I just wanna go back, baby / Back to the way it was / I just wanna go back, baby / Back to the way it was / I used to get real high, now I / But now I’m just getting a buzz / I wanna go back, baby / Back to the way it was.

Verse 2:
If you win, no matter if you lose / You got to come back again / Pay some dues / Back in Richmond, shit ain’t changed a bit in / Niggas with a little piss in got some attitudes / I been wondering if I can ever again / So if you’re wondering about the shape I’m in / I hope it ain’t my abdomen you’re ferring to

Bridge 1:
Seasons may come and your luck just may run out / And all that you’ll have is some memories, oh
Seasons may come and your luck just may run out / And all that you’ll have is some memories, oh
Seasons may come and your luck just may run out / And all that you’ll have is some memories, oh

Chorus:
Said I just wanna go back, baby / Back to the way it was, now, now, now / Back to the way it was, now, now ,now / I used to get real high / Now I”m just getting abuss, now, now, now / I said back to the way it was, now, now, now / I just wanna go back, baby / I just wanna go back, baby / Back to the way it was, now, now, now / Back to the way it was, now, now, now / I used to get real high / Now I’m just getting a buzz, now, now, now / Back to the way it was, now, now, now

Till It’s Done (Tutu)
Music by D’Angelo, Questlove and Pino Palladino
Lyrics by D’Angelo and Kendra Foster

Verse 1:
In a world where we all circle the fiery sun / With a need for love / What have we become? / Tragedy flows unbound and there’s no place to run / Till it’s done / Questions that call to us, we all reflect upon / Where do we belong? / Where do we come from? / Questions that call to us, we all reflect upon / Till it’s done

Till it’s done

Verse 2:
Carbon pollution is heating up the air / Do we really know? Do we even care? / Acid rain dripping on our trees and in our hair / Are you there? / Clock ticking backwards on things we’ve already built / Sons and fathers die / Soldiers, daughters killed / Question ain’t do we have resources to rebuild / Do we have the will?

Verse 3:
Perilous dissidence evening up the score / Do we even know what we’re fighting for? / Destinies crippled and thrown about on the floor / When we’re waging war / Questions that call to us, we all refelct upon: / Where do we belong? / Where do we come from? / Questions that call to us, we all reflect upon / Till it’s done

Till it’s done.

Prayer
Music & Lyrics by D’Angelo

Soul prayer, soul prayer / Hallowed be thy name / Kingdom come, will be done, oh yeah / I do… the devil on your feet / I know that he will / He will try to stop you / From seeing your days

Refrain:
But you got to pray all the way / Till you get on / I believe that some day we will rise

I know that he will try to harm you / And if you can / I know that you will make it to the promised land / But you got to pray, you got to pray / Oh you got to pray for redemption / Lord, keep me away from temptation / Deliver us from evil, oh yeah

Refrain:
And all this confusion around me / Give me peace / I believe that love…

Betray My Heart
Music and Lyrics by D’Angelo

Verse:
As the day must have its sun / And the night must have its moon / Sure as both must rise and fall / I’ll be there to see you through / Just as long as there is time / I will never leave your side / And if ever that you feel / That my love is not sincere

Chorus:
I will never betray my heart / I will never betray my heart / I will never betray my heart

Verse:
Like the breeze that blows in June / I will steady keep you cool / This I swear with all that’s true / I’ll take nothing place of you / When you’re feeling down, down, down / You, my soul, can depend on me / You don’t ever have to fear / That my love is not sincere

Chorus:
I will never betray my heart / I will never betray my heart / I will never betray my heart

Bridge:
Through the storm, through the rain / I’ll come running to ease your pain / Like the rails that cross the trains / Like the blood in your veins

Chorus:
I will never betray my heart / I will never betray my heart / I will never betray my heart

The Door
Music by D’Angelo
Lyrics by D’angelo and Kendra Foster

I told you once but twice / You wasn’t very nice / In your hands you held my life / I told you once but twice, my love / Don’t lock yourself out that door / No, no, no / Don’t lock yourself out that door

Behind a silky shade / You danced the masquerade / On a float in your parade / And on the music played / My love / Don’t lock yourself out that door, no no no / Don’t lock yourself out that door

I wrote a perfect song / You sang it all night long / Held your breath when you were done / And waltzed out with the sun / My love / Don’t lock yourself out that door, no no no / Don’t lock yourself out that door

I told you once but twice / You wasn’t very nice / In your hands you held my life / I told you once but twice, my love / Don’t lock yourself out that door, no no no / Don’t lock yourself out that door.

Back In The Future (Part II)
Music & Lyrics by D’Angelo

I just wanna, I just wanna / I just wanna go back now / I just wanna go back now
The season may come when your luck may just run out / And all that you’ll have is a memory, oh
The season may come when your luck may just run out / And all that you’ll have is a memory, oh
The season may come when your luck may just run out / And all that you’ll have is a memory, oh
The season may come when your luck may just run out / And all that you’ll have is a memory, oh
Used to get real high / Now I’m just getting a buzz
Used to get real high / Now I’m just getting a buzz
Used to get real high / Now I’m just getting a buzz

Another Life
Music by D’Angelo and Questlove
Lyrics by D’Angelo and Kendra Foster

Verse 1:
How does one attempt to be / The kind of friend that you would want to keep? / I just want to say to thee / Even though might be hard to believe / The candy coated thouhts that drift through my sleep / Lets me know it’s you that holds the key / I got a craving for confection so sweet / For the taste of when our lips first meet

Chorus:
Oh, in another life / I bet you wouldn’t know that / Oh, In another life / I bet you were my girl

Verse 2:
I just wanna take you with me / To secret rooms in the mansions of my mind / Shower you with all that you need / Take my hand / I swear I’ll take my time / I’m not surprised to find that angels compete / For the chance to lay down at your feet / I’m gonna touch all of the places that please / Pull you close / I wanna feel you breathe

Chorus:
Oh, In another life / I bet you wouldn’t know that / Oh, In another life / I bet you were my girl

It’s another reason for the season / I don’t wanna break your heart / Oh in another life / I bet you were my girl / Oh!