I've heard a lot of mixed things, just wondering.
I remember an interview with Seal where he was asked why he didn't include lyrics with his album. His reply was that if someone misunderstood what he said the listener would probably come up with something that was more meaningful anyway. A kind of musical Rorschach. Anyway, for songs like this I don't want to know the exact meaning even if it has one. I think it is the sort of song that can mean different things to you at different times in your life. Consider the people who she labels n?????: Jimi Hendrix, Jesus, grandma, and Jackson Pollack. Not sure about grandma but to me the thing the other people have in common is rejection by the mainstream but later being recognized as visionary and even genius. In this context n????? does not refer to skin color or African heritage but rather rejection by society.