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

Tanita Tikaram

Tanita TikaramSongwriter Interviews

When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks

Ron and Russell Mael of SparksSongwriter Interviews

The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.