Born in McComb, Mississippi, Norwood was raised in Carson, California, beginning her career as a backing vocalist for teen groups. After signing with Atlantic Records in 1993, she released her self-titled debut album, Brandy, the following year, which sold six million copies worldwide. Norwood ventured into acting with the UPN sitcom Moesha (1996–2001), which won her an NAACP Image Award, and resulted in numerous other roles, such as the titular character in the television film Cinderella (1997) and Karla Wilson in the slasher film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). Her musical breakthrough came with the wildly successful single "The Boy Is Mine" (1998), a duet with fellow R&B contemporary Monica, which went on to become one of the best selling female duets of all time. Her second album, Never Say Never, won Norwood her first Grammy Award. In 2002, Norwood starred in the reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, documenting the birth of her daughter. Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to critical success.
Norwood served as a judge on the first season of America's Got Talent before being involved in a heavily publicized car accident in 2006. Norwood's fifth album, Human (2008), was released to positive reviews, although it was a commercial failure. In 2010, she returned to television as a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars and starred in the reality series Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business. She was a series regular in the BET series The Game (2012–2015) and released her sixth album Two Eleven (2012) thereafter, both earning her critical praise. In April 2015, Norwood made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. She starred in and executive produced a sitcom titled Zoe Ever After on BET which premiered in January 2016. In July 2020, Norwood released her seventh studio album, B7, also her first project as an independent artist, to critical acclaim. In 2021, Norwood starred alongside Naturi Naughton, Eve and Nadine Velazquez in American Broadcasting Company's music drama series Queens to critical acclaim.
In June 2022, Norwood announced her major label return after signing with Motown Records under which she is expected to preprare her eighth studio album.
Drum Life
Brandy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was your eyes that gave you up through that stupid disguise
You tryin' to hide behind your drink and you almost slipped by
I see you there,sophisticated, ignoring the beat
Mouth might be closed, but listen baby, your heart, it is screaming
Bridge:
You're one of us
You're one of us
You were born in this song, so you should live in it
Chorus:
Live in a drum, whoa
You'll never be in it alone
If you live in a drum, whoa
Right now, you'd already be home
Live on, live on
The drum life never gets old
Live on, live on
The drum life keeps going on
Verse 2:
It was a lie when they told you you were stuck here forever
They're all alone, the music's begging to bring us together
You've been away and now you (now you) won't dance
It's the only way back to your homeland
Bridge:
You're one of us
One of those beautiful fools, you are
You're one of us
You were born in this song, so you should live in it
Chorus:
Live in a drum, whoa
You'll never be in it alone
If you live in a drum, whoa
Right now, you'd already be home
Live on, live on
The drum life never gets old
Live on, live on
The drum life keeps going on
I live my life on the inside of a drum,
I love it, love it, love it, love it.
Beautiful music when we play,
dont you wanna touch it, touch it, touch it, touch it...
and It's not hard living inside of a drum, it's nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing
Let's live our lives on the inside of a drum, and ay, ay, ay
Bridge:
You're one of us
One of those beautiful fools, you are
You're one of us
You were born in this song, so you should live in it
Chorus:
Live in a drum, whoa
You'll never be in it alone
If you live in a drum, whoa
Right now, you'd already be home
Live on, live on
The drum life never gets old
Live on, live on
The drum life keeps going on.
(music fades)
In "Drum Life" by Brandy, the singer describes a person in a club or bar who is trying to hide behind their drink and a persona that is not really them. The singer sees through this facade and notices the person's eyes give them away, and encourages them to let go and feel the beat of the music instead. The chorus speaks to the idea that if you live in the drum and feel the music, you will never be alone and will always be at home. The bridge reinforces the idea that we are all connected through music and encourages the person to embrace their inner fool and live in the song that they were born to be a part of.
Line by Line Meaning
It was your eyes that gave you up through that stupid disguise
Despite wearing a disguise, your eyes gave away the fact that you were trying to hide something.
You tryin' to hide behind your drink and you almost slipped by
Drinking alcohol wasn't enough to mask the truth about how you were feeling.
I see you there, sophisticated, ignoring the beat
Even though you appear sophisticated, you're not fully participating in the music and dance around you.
Mouth might be closed, but listen baby, your heart, it is screaming
You may not be saying anything, but it's clear from your body language that you're feeling intense emotions.
You're one of us
You belong in this community of people who love music and dance.
One of those beautiful fools, you are
Despite any flaws or mistakes, you are still beautiful and valued in this group.
You were born in this song, so you should live in it
You were meant to be a part of this musical and cultural community, so embrace it fully.
Live in a drum, whoa
Embrace the music and make it a central part of your life.
You'll never be in it alone
This community will support you and be there for you through everything.
Right now, you'd already be home
When you fully embrace the music and culture, you will feel a strong sense of belonging and comfort.
The drum life never gets old
The joy and passion that comes from being part of this community of music lovers will never fade.
The drum life keeps going on
This musical and cultural community will continue to exist and thrive.
It was a lie when they told you you were stuck here forever
You have the power to change your life and circumstances, despite what others may say.
They're all alone, the music's begging to bring us together
Although some people may feel alone, music has the ability to bring people together and create a sense of community.
You've been away and now you (now you) won't dance
After being away from this musical community, you may be hesitant to jump back in and fully embrace the music and dance.
It's the only way back to your homeland
Fully embracing the music and culture is the key to feeling like you have found your true home and community.
I live my life on the inside of a drum,
My life is completely devoted to music and being part of this musical community.
I love it, love it, love it, love it.
I am extremely passionate and enthusiastic about this lifestyle and culture.
Beautiful music when we play,
The music we create and experience is beautiful and enriching.
Dont you wanna touch it, touch it, touch it, touch it...
I want others to experience and appreciate the beauty and magic of this music.
And it's not hard living inside of a drum, it's nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing
Living life fully within this musical and cultural community is easy and natural for me.
Let's live our lives on the inside of a drum, and ay, ay, ay
Let's embrace music and culture as a central part of our lives and identities.
The drum life never gets old
The joy and passion that comes from being part of this community of music lovers will never fade.
The drum life keeps going on.
This musical and cultural community will continue to exist and thrive.
Contributed by Zachary B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kerry
The best of her songe
@phindibede4577
2024 we still here 🎉
@j.scottofficial
that part
@Leigh-AndraOlivier
Yesssss babyyyyy🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤
@Morning404
Yes we are!
@subscribetomychannel202
this song is a staple in South Africa. 🇿🇦
@Versace24_7
Vote DA 💙 on 29th May 2024!
@deaanpridgeon
Why this was never officially released, or better yet, a single still baffles me to this day. This is hands down one of Brandy’s best songs 🎶
@Onelychild
Agreed
@Morning404
I don't know why some of her best songs didn't get released - I smell sabotage?