Brittany Howard performed “Goat Head” during the latest quarantine edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday. The Alabama Shakes singer recorded the performance in a remote studio along with her solo backing band. The song comes from Howard’s breakthrough 2019 solo album, Jaime.
In the clip, viewers join Howard and her backing band in a remote studio, where those bandmates who don’t share vocal duties don face masks. The first minute of the song doesn’t feature any vocals as the band lays down a relaxing groove, accented by wah-infused guitar, a drum sample, and flowing keyboards. Eventually, Howard comes in and immediately juxtaposes the song’s laid-back aurora with vivid lyrics detailing her experiences with racism growing up with biracial parents.
Related: Outside Lands Music Festival Announces 2021 Lineup: The Strokes, Tame Impala, Lizzo, More
With lines like “My mama was brave/to take me outside/’cause mama was white/and daddy was black/when I first got made/guess I made these folks mad/see I know my colors, see,” it’s clear why she chose this song for her performance, as protests spawning from the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer continue around the country. The heart of the song, however, comes from a memory of racial intimidation when somebody slashed her father’s tires and left a goat head in the backseat. The song gradually fades out and she repeats the phrase “goat head in the back.”
Watch Brittany Howard perform “Goat Head” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Brittany Howard — “Goat Head”