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.
Woman in Me
Carleen Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haven't felt this way in such a long while,
Funny cos he really isn't my kind of guy,
Everybody knows his popular name,
A friend of a friend from similar fame,
Showed us to 'hello' and in the rushes came...
He brings out the woman in me,
He brings out the woman in me,
Against my will, my flame starts burning,
He brings out the woman in me...
We bump into each other now and then,
Stirring up those same feelings again,
Got me thinking 'bout all those carnal sins,
Greeting me so close, cheek to cheek,
I'm sure that he knows he makes me weak,
Nothing's ever said, but flows so deep...
He brings out the woman in me,
Standing still he starts me turning,
He brings out the woman in me,
Against my will, my flame starts burning,
He brings out the woman in me...
I have to label this one off limits,
For I'd lose control if we ever kissed,
And I am afraid of feeling like this...
He brings out the woman in me,
Standing still he starts me turning,
He brings out the woman in me,
Against my will, my flame starts burning,
He brings out the woman in me,
Standing still he starts me turning,
He brings out the woman in me,
Against my will, my flame starts burning,
He brings out the woman in me...
The lyrics to Carleen Anderson's song "Woman in Me" paint a picture of a woman who finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of emotions for a man whom she initially didn't think would be her type. The first verse describes their first encounter where the man's smile immediately piques the woman's interest, and she realizes that he has awakened something in her that she hasn't felt in a long time. The chorus repeats the phrase "He brings out the woman in me," underscoring the idea that the man has the power to make her feel more alive, more passionate than she has in a while.
The second verse reveals that this isn't a passing crush, as the two have bumped into each other several times, each time reigniting the woman's desire for him. The lyrics suggest that there is a strong chemistry between them, even though they haven't acted on it. The woman acknowledges that she is afraid of the power this man has over her, as she feels like she might lose control if she were ever to kiss him. Ultimately, she realizes that she must put boundaries in place to protect herself from the strong emotional pull he has over her.
Overall, the lyrics to "Woman in Me" capture the feeling of being swept away by an unexpected attraction, while also acknowledging the need to exercise self-control and set boundaries. It's a relatable theme for many, and Carleen Anderson's soulful vocals and evocative lyrics make this a standout track on her album.
Line by Line Meaning
All he did was look at me and smile,
I was instantly attracted to him just by his smile, even though he’s not typically my type.
Haven't felt this way in such a long while,
I haven't felt this kind of attraction in a long time.
Funny cos he really isn't my kind of guy,
It's ironic because he's not typically the kind of guy I go for.
Everybody knows his popular name,
He's well-known among many people.
A friend of a friend from similar fame,
We have mutual friends and are in similar circles.
Showed us to 'hello' and in the rushes came...
We were introduced and quickly became interested in each other.
He brings out the woman in me,
He awakens my femininity and sexuality.
Standing still he starts me turning,
Just being around him makes me feel drawn to him.
Against my will, my flame starts burning,
Even though I try to resist, I can't help but feel attracted to him.
We bump into each other now and then,
We keep running into each other by chance.
Stirring up those same feelings again,
Being around him again brings up the same intense feelings.
Got me thinking 'bout all those carnal sins,
Just being near him makes me think about intimate desires and passions.
Greeting me so close, cheek to cheek,
Our physical closeness is electric, with our cheeks almost touching.
I'm sure that he knows he makes me weak,
I know he can tell that he has a powerful effect over me.
Nothing's ever said, but flows so deep...
We never directly talk about our attraction, but it's deeply felt between us.
I have to label this one off limits,
I know I can't pursue this attraction and need to keep it a secret.
For I'd lose control if we ever kissed,
If we ever acted on our attraction, I know I wouldn't be able to resist him.
And I am afraid of feeling like this...
I'm scared of how strongly I feel towards him and what it could lead to.
Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bernie Hutchinson
Isn't it amazing how this artist stays true and classy .... She is so beautiful and a living legend ... She has had a wonderful career.... Love her.
AnovaLisa Dragonfly
Such an amazingly beautiful song. Her voice is incredible, and she's just the cutest, prettiest thing too. :-)
Timothy Z
...the unacknowledged best female voice working today...
MsMerising
Ah yes, taken from the second album 'Blessed Burden'. This is definately grown-woman music...this vocal never fails to stun my Spirit with it's sincere, soulful vocal and lyrics. AND the lady is gorgeous :D Mx
beve sinclair
so natural like herself..love it got it on loop
Primavera Groove
Such a beautiful song! ♥️
Patrick Moore
Her voice just gets better and deeper. Check her singing on "Another Way," on the recent Incognito album!
Janice Ward
Carleen Anderson such a talent.x
Martha Todd Stephens
Chrissie Hynde just endorsed her and brought me here .....beautiful voice
Beverley Sinclair
i love this song and is dedicated to Mr N