Erykah Badu Fansite

Erykah Badu’s Apple Tree song, released in 1997 on her album Baduizm and reprised in her Live album, is a multifaceted song with thematic relations to Biblical imagery.

Specifically (as the title of the song suggests), the Erykah Badu Apple Tree song relates to the tree of knowledge that Adam and Eve picked from and gained knowledge of their nakedness (even though the ‘fruit’ in the biblical version is ambiguous, it is most often popularly portrayed as an apple).

In the song, however, Badu suggests that picking her fruit is the smart thing to do. She describes the song as dedicated to “all of the Creator’s righteous children”, and offers food to the listener. Not “that edible food,” though, but “some food for thought”. She goes on to describe herself as carrying a ho and planting seeds, “so I reaps / What I sow”, perhaps suggesting that she’ll benefit from the knowledge she’s spreading to people.

Knowledge that, hopefully, is of a good nature.

Here’s Erykah Badu’s Apple Tree Song with Lyrics below:

Erykah Badu’s Apple Tree Lyrics

I’d like to dedicate this to all of the Creator’s righteous children.
I have some food in my bag for you.
Not that edible food — the food you eat?
No. I have some food for thought.
Since knowledge is infinite it has infinitely fell on me.
So umm…

It was a stormy night
you know the kind where the lightning strike
and I was hangin’ out wit some of my “artsy” friends
ooh wee ooh wee oooh
The night was long the night went on
people coolin’ out until the break of dawn
incense was burnin’ so I’m feelin right — ah’ight

See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
& Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don’t go ’round trying to be what I’m not
I don’t waste my time trying ta get what you got
I work at pleasin’ me cause I can’t please you
and that’s why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
doo wee doo wee do wee

And if you don’t want to be down with me
You don’t want to pick from my appletree
And if you don’t want to be down with me
Then you don’t want to pick from my appletree
And if you don’t want to be down with me
Then you don’t want to pick from my appletree
And if you don’t want to be down with me
You just don’t want to be down

I have a ho
and I take it everywhere I go
Cause I’m planting seeds
so I reaps What I sow — ya know
Oh on & on & on & on
my cipher keeps movin’ like a rollin’ stone
I can’t control the soul flowin’ in me
ooh wee

See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
& Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don’t walk around trying to be what I’m not
I don’t waste my time trying ta get what you got
I work at pleasin’ me cause I can’t please you
and that’s why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
doo wee doo wee do wee

And if you don’t want to be down with me,
You don’t want to pick from my appletree [x3]
And if you don’t want to be down with me
You just don’t want to be down

Oh my my my
Oh my my my
Oh my my my ahh
Oh my my my my my my my
Ohh
I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
& Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don’t walk around trying to be what I’m not
I don’t waste my time trying ta get what you got
I work at pleasin’ me cause I can’t please you
and that’s why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
doo wee doo wee do wee

And if you don’t want to be down with me
You don’t want to pick from my appletree
And if you don’t want to be down with me
You dum dum diddy
And if you don’t want to be down with me
You don’t want to pick from my appletree
And if you don’t want to be down with me
You just don’t want to be down
You just don’t want to be down
Ohh you just don’t want to be down
Down, down, down
You just don’t want to be down
Ohh
You just don’t want to be down
down [x15]
wanna be down
no oh no
You just don’t want to be down
no no no
You just don’t want to be down