Rae was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire to a Kittitian father and an English mother, and she was the eldest of three daughters. She began her musical career at school where she studied classical violin before she turned her attention to singing: "I started off singing in church, I suppose, but people think it must have been a gospel church because of the whole, you know, black assumption", she says in reference to her multiracial background. "But it wasn't gospel at all, it was just your regular Brethren church, very middle-class, where we would sing these harmonies every Sunday. It was always my favourite part of the service, the singing".
Rae later transferred to a Baptist church, where the choir would sing traditional hymns, and Primal Scream tunes. "We changed the words though", Rae states on her website. "We didn't want to offend the regular churchgoers, now did we?"
Performing in church broadened Rae's musical horizons, and her love affair with making music was solidified after a local youth leader offered to buy her an electric guitar. In her mid-teens, she became obsessed with rock legends Led Zeppelin, "I loved that band during my teens; I wanted, somehow, to follow in their footsteps, and to create music of my own".
Rae formed an all-female indie group called Helen, which was inspired by similar acts such as Veruca Salt and L7. "It was the first time I'd seen women with guitars. They were kinda sexy – but feminist. I wanted to be like that, at the front of something".
The group raised eyebrows on several fronts; in the white male-dominated world of indie music, they were an all-female group fronted by a mixed-race singer from Leeds. The moniker "Helen" also drew attention, albeit for not all the right reasons: "What can I say? We were 15 years old, and thought that Helen was a cheeky, indie kind of thing to do. It seemed clever at the time. Admittedly, it seems less so now".
The group played many gigs around Leeds, including a memorable performance at Joseph's Well with Leeds-based band Swift, fronted by wildman rocker Royce Dunston. Despite this, the group became the first indie act to be signed to heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records, home to acts such as Slipknot, in 1995. The venture proved to be short-lived however after the bassist became pregnant and the group disbanded. "[Was I] Disappointed? I was gutted! I had no idea what to do next".
Corinne has often stated that she is a proud Leeds United Football Club fan.
After the disappointment of Helen, Rae went on to attend the University of Leeds where she studied an English Literature degree. While at University, she began work as a hat check girl on an evening in her local jazz club. Permitted to sing on stage with the jazz band when business was slow, it was there that she discovered a different type of music that sent her on a different musical path: "I kept hearing this jazz and soul stuff and I realized I loved that music too". It was there also that she met saxophone player Jason Rae, whom she eventually married in 2001 at age twenty-two. "I was Corinne Bailey. I added on Rae, my husband's name, when I got married. There's no hyphen; stops it being posh!" Jason died in March 2008.
Career
Over the space of the next three years, Rae began working on solo material – this time steering away from her indie past and embarking on a more "soulful" path. She collaborated with Leeds-based funk group The New Mastersounds on the track "Your Love Is Mine", featured on their 2003 album Be Yourself, released via One Note Records. The following year she again worked with another Leeds-based group, Homecut Directive, on the song "Come the Revolution", which was the first single from the group's debut album.
In 2004, Rae got a breakthrough when she was signed by Global Talent Publishing and then approached by Craig David's mentor Mark Hill, from the duo The Artful Dodger, to appear on his new album better luck next time under his new alias, The stiX. The resulting collaboration, "Young and Foolish", was released in April 2005 and brought Rae to the attention of the major record label bosses. Rae released her debut single, "Like a Star", in November 2005 and her first album, Corinne Bailey Rae, in February 2006. In September 2006, Rae scooped two awards at the UK's MOBO Awards: "Best UK Newcomer" and "Best UK Female". Rae recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios in July 2006 for Live From Abbey Road.
Rae also received three nominations at the 2007 Grammy Awards: "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year" (both for "Put Your Records On"), and "Best New Artist". During the ceremony, she performed "Like a Star" and joined John Legend and John Mayer in a collaborative performance, providing accompanying vocals to Legend's "Coming Home" and Mayer's "Gravity". The poll's predictions subsequently came true, as she became only the fourth female British act in history to have her first album debut at number one. She has been nominated for Grammy Awards and BRIT Awards and won two MOBO Awards.
During an interview for the 2011 Mercury Awards, Corinne revealed she is writing a follow-up album to her critically acclaimed The Sea.
In 2013, Bailey Rae was moved from Capitol Records to Virgin Records due to corporate restructuring as a result of their parent company being purchased by Universal Music Group in 2012.
Discography
Albums
* 2006: "Corinne Bailey Rae"
* 2007: Live in London & New York
* 2010: "The Sea"
Put Your Records On
Corinne Bailey Rae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they told me I don't need to worry
Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet
Little girls, double-dutch on the concrete
Maybe sometimes we got it wrong, but it's all right
The more things seems to change, the more they stay the same
Ooh, don't you hesitate
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans
I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead, let your hair down
You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow
Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely
Sipping tea in a bar by the road side
(Just relax, just relax)
Don't you let those other boys fool you
Gotta love that Afro hairdo
Maybe sometimes we feel afraid, but it's all right
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change
Don't you think it's strange?
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans
I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead, let your hair down
You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow
Just more than I could take
Pity for pity's sake
Some nights kept me awake
I thought that I was stronger
When you gonna realize that you don't even have to try any longer?
Do what you want to
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans
I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead, let your hair down
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans
I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead, let your hair down
Ooh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow
Corinne Bailey Rae’s hit song “Put Your Records On” captures a moment of freedom, self-love, and bliss. In the opening verse, three birds tell the singer that they don’t need to worry. This is a metaphor for the gifts of nature that provide us with solace and offer lessons in resilience. The birds have no care in the world, and they remind the singer that it’s okay to let go of worry and stress. Summer is referred to as “cinnamon” and is sweet, which is a nod to childhood and simpler times. The image of little girls playing double-dutch on the concrete conjures up feelings of carefree happiness, nostalgia, and sisterhood.
The chorus of the song emphasizes self-love, acceptance, and the pursuit of one’s passions. The singer encourages the listener to let their hair down or be their truest selves. The mention of “sapphire and faded jeans” shows the importance of individuality and the beauty in wearing things that make you feel good, as opposed to following trends. Rae goes on to mention the presence of loneliness and fear, while reassuring that it’s alright to have those feelings. The line “gotta love that Afro hairdo” is significant as it celebrates Black culture and identity, particularly in a time where natural hair was not typically accepted in mainstream beauty standards. The song relates to the idea of self-acceptance and living a life that honors one’s truth, passions, and unique experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Three little birds sat on my window
There were some birds outside my window
And they told me I don't need to worry
The birds seemed to reassure me that everything will be okay
Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet
The arrival of summer was joyful and pleasant
Little girls, double-dutch on the concrete
Young girls were playing double dutch outside
Maybe sometimes we got it wrong, but it's all right
It's okay if we make mistakes sometimes
The more things seems to change, the more they stay the same
Things may change, but sometimes things remain the same
Ooh, don't you hesitate
Don't be afraid to take chances
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
Hey girl, put on some music and share your favorite song with me
You go ahead, let your hair down
Feel free to relax and be yourself
Sapphire and faded jeans
Describing the attire of the subject
I hope you get your dreams
I hope you can achieve your aspirations and goals
Just go ahead, let your hair down
Relax and be yourself some more
You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow
You will eventually figure out who you are and where you belong in this world
Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely
Describing the emotional state of the subject
Sipping tea in a bar by the roadside
Painting a picture of the subject's activities
(Just relax, just relax)
Repeating the message to relax and take it easy
Don't you let those other boys fool you
Don't let other people deceive you or make you feel inferior
Gotta love that Afro hairdo
Complimenting the subject's hair
Maybe sometimes we feel afraid, but it's all right
It's okay to feel scared sometimes
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change
Things around you may change even if you stay the same
Don't you think it's strange?
Questioning the peculiar nature of change
Just more than I could take
The situation was overwhelming
Pity for pity's sake
Feeling sympathetic for the sake of feeling so
Some nights kept me awake
Having trouble sleeping sometimes
I thought that I was stronger
Believing to be stronger than what was actually the case
When you gonna realize that you don't even have to try any longer?
Realizing that sometimes, one doesn't need to try so hard to please others or achieve their desired outcomes
Do what you want to
Encouraging the listener to follow their heart and do what they want
Ooh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow
Reiterating the idea that the listener will eventually find their place in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Steven Chrisanthou, John Robert Beck, Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind