Conviction

Album: Comet, Come to Me (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a woman who keeps going back to her partner, believing that somehow it will work out despite all evidence to the contrary. "The easiest lies to tell are the lies you tell yourself," Ndegeocello said in our 2014 interview. "It's hard to get out of that, because you just can't accept reality. It's hard to swallow."
  • Comet, Come to Me is Meshell Ndegeocello's eleventh album. Early in her career, she wrote very personal and political songs, but later became more of an observational songwriter, often looking to her close friends for lyrical inspiration. This song is about one of these friends who was going through a toxic relationship, which by the time the album was released, had finally dissolved.
  • The title doesn't show up in the lyric, which is not uncommon for Ndegeocello, since she assigns titles after a song is written. She named this one "Conviction" because she liked the double meaning of the word and how either meaning could relate to the song: you can have strong personal convictions (beliefs), and also have a conviction in the legal sense, as in an arrest.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

David Paich of Toto

David Paich of TotoSongwriter Interviews

Toto's keyboard player explains the true meaning of "Africa" and talks about working on the Thriller album.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Bob Dylan Lyric Quiz

Bob Dylan Lyric QuizMusic Quiz

Think you know your Bob Dylan lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.