Santigold: Tiny Desk Concert

Bring me down, just leave me out. You name dropper, stop trying to catch my eye. I see you good, you false faker. Just make it easy, you're my enemy. Fast talker, I can say I hope you will be worth what I give up. I can stand up and be for the things that I believe. I can say I hope you will be worth What are you up to? Ha ha ha. If I could stand on me for the things that I believe, what am I here for? I left my home to disappear in the zone. I'm here for myself, not to know you. I don't need no one else. Feeling so good, the hope is that you cannot see me later.

You don't know me, I am an introverted excavator.

I'm digging out for an hour facing dodgy elevators. Reap up and suddenly I found myself an innovator. I can say, yo ho ho, you will be worth what I owe. I can stand over me for the things that I believe. And I can say, yo ho ho, you will be worth What I give up, I can stand up and lead for the things that I believe. I can say, uh-oh, you will be worth what I give up. I can stand up and lead for the things that I believe.

Thank you. Thank you so much. This is an interesting setup here. It's so alien to me because I'm like, you know, Santigold as a project, thank you, has always had so much like, you know, electronic elements and backing tracks and this and that. And a mic, you know, that I can hold in my hand and I move. So I keep being like, you know, but what's really interesting and special about this is that it gave me an opportunity when I was thinking, you know, what am I gonna do? I'm not really an unplugged artist, you know? I'm not like a sit at the piano or like sing with a guitar. And I was like, well, punk, which is kind of my roots as a performer, is kind of raw and like, you know, just an amp. So I was like, hey guys, let's do this. But I didn't think about the fact that my voice doesn't really get amplified. But so I rounded up a really, really special crew today. Chuck Treece here is a legend. He is, first of all, the person that got me to sing. I was doing more songwriting in the beginning, and then I was like, Chuck, you know, I really want to make music that sounds like what I hear in my head, you know? And the only way to do it is to do it myself. I said, but I never ever want to perform, and I just want to make a demo. And he's like, alright, Santigold, Let's do that, you know? So we go and I was like, and I wanna make punk rock. And he's like, and you never wanna perform? And I was like, nope, never. He's like, let's do it. So Chuck was not only like one of the first black pro skateboarders, he had a band McRad, which was a punk band. He played with Bad Brains. He introduced me to Bad Brains, I'm pretty sure, who I actually went on to do one of my first tours with when I first started performing. Performing, which I was not ready. I did— I didn't tour with Bad Brains. I toured with HR, but I played with Bad Brains here in DC at the 930 Club. And I don't drink, right? But I drank for that show. And I was feeling good, and I was feeling loose, and I was like, you guys need more energy. And they're like, you need more energy.

OK.

But yeah, that was all kind of because of Chuck Treece here. So it's so special to me that I'm here. And then I've got George here from Twin Shadow. George is Twin Shadow, and it's like a fucking miracle. It's a miracle that I got George here with me. It's so special, and because it's like, I mean, it's just like the all-star dream, you know, to be playing with him. He's like such a, you know, for us Black musicians who try to do stuff that's not you know, what's considered Black music, you know? Like, Black music is what Black people make, you know? But not in the industry. So we don't do R&B and hip-hop. So, you know, it's kind of hard. And so George is like a fellow musician who I respect so much, who's just pioneering in that lane and just makes some really special, important music. Um— And then I've got here Ray Brady. Ray, who is, I mean, so many things. But to me, I mean, he's a producer, guitarist, but to me, Ray has been there with me also from very, very early on. We met doing songwriting. I'm not even going to say for who, but we met doing songwriting before. I mean, I guess I was singing a little bit, and Ray was a baby. He was a baby when we met, right? And he's just been with me along the entire journey. And I mean, as a musician, as an MD, as a friend and a confidant, as a producer, I mean, he's just been, he's like family and just always shows up for me and always has my back. And I just, I love you so much and I'm so grateful. But you know, I just wanna say also that punk rock is very special to me. We're not doing a full punk set, but we're doing some punk songs. And I just, I think it's really important right now, the most important thing that I think about punk is that you make your own rules, right? And I think right now more than any time in the world, when the systems are broken, we have to be able to make our own rules and make changes, change things that we know aren't working and stand up when things are wrong and scream it out, right? And that's what punk music has always done. And punk is raw, right? So there's no social media perfection, this and this and that. Like, we need to go back to the truth. And punk was telling the truth and showing up. I was saying, I remember I got a whole outfit on today, but you know, I was saying, man, Chuck, remember, no makeup, no outfit, no hairdo. You just roll up into your show. I miss that so much. So just, that's the takeaway today from from this music that we're gonna play. Now this next song is not punk. His breath for me. I got some money I was saving, got some hearts that I'll be breaking. Know someday they'll make a martyr out of me. I know someday they'll make a martyr out of me.

She's so fine, and I like sometimes to leave it high so everyone can see I'm a lady. Though I might made up, though I might made I'm a lady. Shake, shake. We all got to wander. It all comes in time. I won't buckle under pressure. I'mma be all right. I won't ever follow if I know the way. But if you got my back, I got you. Set your worry free. You got to shake, shake. You got to shake, shake, shake. You got to shake, shake. You got to shake. Shake! Got to shake! Shake your booty! You gotta keep— you gotta keep on moving. You gotta keep on— we gotta keep on moving. All we gotta do— we gotta keep on moving. Come on! All we gotta do— we gotta keep on movin'. All right. Yeah.

I'm gonna say one more thing. These beautiful, amazing ladies are here holding me down because we usually have dancers. I've never— I don't know what I'm doing up here with no dancers, right? But these guys just learned the songs. Showed up, put on some fly, you know, and just, I mean, just brought the whole thing to life for me. And I'm so grateful for you guys.

I knew exactly what to do. I know who you are. I wanna dance when I look at you. I want my heart this way. I don't want my heart this way. Don't know our way. Yeah, let me fall first, give me your hand. We go far, far, don't know our way. We are friends or followers. I don't do nothing with my heart. I'm in the mood and you know exactly what to do. I know who you are. I want to be in this game. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Actually, I just want to say this next song is actually not a Santigold song. This is a Stift song. This is my band. This is my punk band that Chuck played in with me, and so we're gonna do one of those songs today.

I know he's got mine, don't gotta tell me. I know he's got more of something I made. I ain't gonna be afraid, so don't you tell me I'm worth no more. Well, what does that mean? Oh, I'm mine when I say oh, I'm mine when I say oh, I say I ain't gotta know, I ain't gotta know. Ain't got it. I'm so out of shape.

It's like ridiculous for— I got 3 kids, y'all. But listen, I just want to say thank you to NPR because we need NPR. We need real radio and support for artists and for issues that matter that aren't run by like, you know, listens and numbers and this and that. You know what I mean? We need people to support art and music and causes. And I'm just so grateful for NPR. So thank you so much.

Sorry, I can't talk.