Carleen Anderson is an American soul singer who has had success in the Unit… Read Full Bio ↴Carleen Anderson is an American soul singer who has had success in the United Kingdom. She is the daughter of the singer Vicki Anderson and step-daughter of Bobby Byrd, and cousin of Jhelisa and was most well know as the lead singer in the Young Disciples as well as for her own solo career.

Anderson was raised by her paternal grandparents in Houston, Texas during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Her mother was Vicki Anderson, a soul singer who was the featured singer with James Brown during the 1960s and 1970s, and Brown is Anderson's godfather. Anderson briefly married in 1978 and had a son, but the marriage did not last and for most of the 1980s she was living as a single parent in California and attempting to launch her singing career. Her only major success was recording vocals for a song by her step-father Bobby Byrd in 1988, and so in June 1990, she decided to relocate with her son to England to try her luck at starting a career there.

Anderson quickly formed an Acid jazz band with Marc Nelson and Femi Williams called the Young Disciples. The group's only album, Road to Freedom (Talkin' Loud, 1991), was a great success and contained the break-out single Apparently Nothin' (Talkin' Loud, 1992). Anderson received a lot of attention as the lead singer (and keyboardist) of the group, and used her heightened profile to negotiate a new, solo recording contract with Virgin Records in 1992.

1992 saw Anderson record backing vocals for Paul Weller's eponimous solo album, which was the start of a long friendship and working relationship between the two. Weller helped Anderson with her production and songwriting, which led to the release of her first solo work, The Dusky Sapho EP (Circa/Virgin, 1993). Throughout this period, Anderson also continued to supply backing and guest vocals for a wide variety of other artists from Galliano to Bryan Ferry to the first volume of Guru's Jazzmatazz project.

Her first solo album - True Spirit (Circa/Virgin, 1994) - followed, and was a moderate critical and sales success. Anderson cemented her working relationship with Paul Weller by providing backing vocals (with her sister, Pamela) on his legendary Stanley Road (Polygram, 1995) record, and the follow up Heavy Soul (Polygram, 1997). To return the favour he worked with her on her second solo album, Blessed Burden (Circa/Virgin, 1998). The album continued her professional development, but was to be her final one for Virgin.

Following her departure from Virgin, Anderson briefly filled in as lead vocalist for the Brand New Heavies following the departure of their lead singer N'Dea Davenport - ironic, considering both were American singers who found their fame in British Acid jazz groups. Anderson also continued to provide guest and backing vocals for other artists whilst working on her first independently produced album, Alberta's Granddaughter (Dusky Sappho Music, 2002), which was followed by greatist hits album Up To Now: The Best Of (Virgin, 2004).

Following this, Anderson moved to Dome records to release Soul Providence (Dome, 2005), and 2006 is mostly to be spent touring to promote the album.

True Spirit
Carleen Anderson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Shed a tear for the criminal, give him something to believe
Light a fire for the miserable, give the darkness some meaning
Closed wounds harbor pestilence, when you lick them from within
Charity has a redolence, chastity cannot rescind
Spirit shine, it's a sign of a tortured mind
Spirit shine, all the time, can render you blind
You can take it all to heart or throw it all away
You can call it just a life or live your life that way

You can give until you're dry and sucked of all your gleam
You can fake another cry and compromise your dream, yeah
Cling tight to the parable, let it dominate your life
Create a God who's infallible, give your leader some respite
Closed wounds harbor pestilence, when you lick them from within
Rosy smiles lose their radiance, when you take it on the chin
Spirit shine, it's a sign of a troubled mind
Spirit shine, all the time, can render you blind

Spirit shine, it's a sign of a tortured mind
Spirit shine, all the time, yeah can render you blind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Carleen Anderson's song "True Spirit" carry a powerful message about the human condition and the choices we make in life. The opening lines encourage empathy and compassion for those who may have strayed from the path of righteousness: "Shed a tear for the criminal, give him something to believe, light a fire for the miserable, give the darkness some meaning." This suggests that even the most troubled individuals deserve understanding and compassion, perhaps because their actions are a result of their inner turmoil.

The lyrics also speak to the importance of taking ownership for one's own actions, rather than blaming external circumstances or other people. The line "Closed wounds harbor pestilence, when you lick them from within" implies that holding onto past hurts and resentments only breeds negativity and toxicity within oneself. The lyrics also suggest that true goodness and morality cannot be enforced upon oneself or others; true purity of heart must come from within. "Charity has a redolence, chastity cannot rescind" suggests that morality and decency cannot be forced, but must be felt and embodied willingly.

Overall, "True Spirit" seems to be a call to embrace empathy, self-awareness, and personal responsibility in order to lead a fulfilling and authentic life.

Line by Line Meaning

Shed a tear for the criminal, give him something to believe
Express empathy for even those who have done wrong, and try to provide them with hope and direction

Light a fire for the miserable, give the darkness some meaning
Bring brightness and purpose to the lives of those who feel lost or unhappy

Closed wounds harbor pestilence, when you lick them from within
Ignoring or suppressing emotional pain can lead to negative consequences and harm

Charity has a redolence, chastity cannot rescind
Generosity and kindness have a lasting and powerful impact, while purity alone cannot solve problems or heal wounds

Spirit shine, it's a sign of a tortured mind
When someone's spirit or inner self is shining brightly, it may indicate that they are struggling with emotional pain or hardship

Spirit shine, all the time, can render you blind
Continually focusing on one's own inner struggles may prevent them from seeing the world clearly, and cause them to miss out on opportunities for growth and enjoyment

You can take it all to heart or throw it all away
One can choose to deeply internalize experiences and lessons, or ignore them entirely

You can call it just a life or live your life that way
One can either view life as a simple existence, or actively strive to make it meaningful and fulfilling

You can give until you're dry and sucked of all your gleam
It is possible to be so generous and giving that one empties themselves entirely, losing their own luster and vitality in the process

You can fake another cry and compromise your dream, yeah
One can pretend to be upset or conform to others' expectations, but this will only hinder their own aspirations

Cling tight to the parable, let it dominate your life
Holding onto a particular story or message can have a strong influence on one's beliefs and actions

Create a God who's infallible, give your leader some respite
Building up an idealized figure or leader can provide comfort and stability, but may also ignore flaws and promote complacency

Rosy smiles lose their radiance, when you take it on the chin
No matter how positive or optimistic someone may seem, difficult circumstances can wear them down and diminish their enthusiasm

Spirit shine, it's a sign of a troubled mind
A shining spirit can indicate that someone is grappling with their own inner turmoil or struggles

Spirit shine, all the time, yeah can render you blind
Continually focusing on one's own inner struggles may prevent them from seeing the world clearly, and cause them to miss out on opportunities for growth and enjoyment

Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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