Thursday, September 30, 2010: Erykah Badu - Window Seat

There was a storm of controversy when this song came out. Or, more to the point, when the video for this song came out.

In the video Badu, a native of Dallas, Texas, pulls up in a 1961 Lincoln, then in one continuous take, proceeds to walk down Elm Street into Dealey Plaza (yes, THAT Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated) stripping her clothes off one piece at a time - until she's fully nude. At which point shots ring out and she falls limp onto the concrete with the word "groupthink" oozing from her head.

The video was shot without any permit or permission, and she has since ridden the wave of publicity that it has generated. Badu has recently paid a $500 fine and will serve six months of probation for her stunt.

Me, personally, I think the video is nonsense. Pointless drivel, the illusion of depth, the worst sort of pretentious philosophical masturbation being passed off as creative commentary.

Besides, walking down a street naked for a music video had been done before and done better.

But therein lies the point. That song from Make The Girl Dance is absolute rubbish, near unlistenable.

Whereas Badu's song is pure audio honey, old school jam, the kind of soul music you hear when walking through the park holding hands with your baby in that magical, dusky gloaming where all of creation is bathed in golden light that lasts only a moment before the night settles in.

So here, gentle readers, is Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" sans video, sans controversy, sans limp nonsensical commentary, without anything that would distract you from the one thing that matters.

The only thing that matters.

One very cool song.

Enjoy