Sheila E.

Released: August 17, 2017

Featuring: Israel Houghton

Songwriter: Stevie Wonder

Producer: Sheila E.

Hello Jesus
Jesus children
Jesus loves you
Jesus children
Hello children Jesus loves you of America

Are you hearing, what He's saying?
Are you feeling, what you're praying?
Are you hearing, praying, feeling what you say inside?

You'd better tell
Your story fast
And if you lie
It will come to pass

(Tell me!) Tell me holy
(Holy roller) Holy roller
(Are you standing) Are you standing
(Like a soldier) Like a soldier?
(Well) Are you standing for everything you talk about?
(Holy rollеr)

Say
(Trans-) Transcendental
(-tal meditation) Mеditation
(Speaks of) Speaks of inner
(Inner preservation) Preservation
(Well) Transcendental meditation gives you peace of mind
(Peace of mind)

You'd better tell
Your story fast
And if you lie
It will come to pass

Dum le dum
Don't tell lies
Dum le dum

(Tell me) Tell me junkie
(If you're able) If you're able
(Playing) Are you playing your cards
(On the table) On the table?
(Yeah) Are you happy when you stick a needle in your vein?
Dum le dum

(Jesus) Jesus died on
(Cross for you) Cross for you
(Mary) Mary is just
(Looking at you) Looking at you
(Yeah) Mother Mary feels so much pain
(Looking at you)

So, you better tell (Tell your story)
Your story fast (Tell your story, story!)
And if you lie (Dum le dum)
It will come to pass (Yeah, tell your story, story!)
Your story fast (Tell, tell your story, story!)
Oh if you lie, ooh (Dum le dum)
It's gonna to come to pass (Yeah hey hey hey)

Sheila E., born Sheila Escovedo on December 12, 1957, is a singer, songwriter, and percussionist from Oakland, California. Her honorific title is “The Queen of Percussion”.

The daughter of a Mexican jazz percussionist and Creole/African-American factory worker, Sheila comes from a family of musical royalty – father Pete Escovedo and uncle Coke were members of the Santana band for a time. Her other uncles are Alejandro, who has had a sustained alt-punk career; Javier, who led the early punk pioneer band The Zeros; and Mario, who fronted the 90s group The Dragons and MEX, aka Mario Escovedo Xperience. Sheila’s brothers Juan and Peter Michael are also percussionists, with Peter working on The Wayne Brady Show. Sheila is the goddaughter of Tito Puente, a Latin Jazz pioneer and Spanish Harlem legend.

“Before I had language, I had rhythm,” she wrote in The Beat Of My Own Drum, a 2014 memoir. “I learned it before I learned my mother tongue.” At the age of 20, Sheila became a member of George Duke’s R&B jazz band, and worked with him from 1976 to 1980, during Duke’s early Epic/CBS years. By the age of 26, she had already worked or toured with Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, Diana Ross, and family friend Lionel Richie.

more tracks from the album

Iconic: Message 4 America

From the album

Iconic: Message 4 America (2017)

Sheila E. popular songs

Jesus Children of AmericaSheila E.

Sheila E.

Iconic: Message 4 America