Surrounded by music since she was a small child, singer, songwriter and composer Chrisette Michele has been blessed with an old soul and this Long Island bred vocalist has a deep appreciation for the harmonic foundations that includes gospel and jazz. “I did my first solo when I was four years old,” Chrisette remembers.
Currently putting the finishing touches on her soulful debut album, an artistic exploration that fuses Chrisette’s diverse musical interest into a wonderland, the young artist couldn’t be more pleased. “I realize that I’m new to the music world, but I’ve been preparing for this moment for long time.”
Even before signing on the dotted line of her Def Jam contract last year, the multitalented soul sister had toured with more established artists like Kem and India Arie. “India saw me singing at the Village Underground in New York City. She came backstage that first night and graciously offered me a gig as her opening act.”
Working hard in the studio writing songs and recording demos, Chrisette finished an album worth of material before even trying to get signed. “I’ve been creating songs since I was twelve, so I knew I needed the right musical blend in order to stand-out from the many other performers trying to get a deal.”
While not hung-up on genre labels, Chrisette Michele says, “I’m excited about finding my place amongst young composers like Alicia Keys and Jill Scott. My goal from the moment I was signed by Antonio “LA” Reid, Chairman and CEO, Island Def Jam Music Group, was to create a seamless album that mixes soul and pop in a way that will have people coming back to again and again.” Favorite contemporary artists that are in high rotation include, Beyonce, Kanye West and NAS.
Days after giving LA “goose bumps” during the audition, the young singer found herself in a California studio called Brandon’s Way having a creative conversation with Babyface.
Over the course of a few days, the duo recorded seven tracks, four of which will be heard on her upcoming release. “Babyface and I got into a conversation about the love he has for his children,” she says. “So, the first song I penned was called ‘My Joy.’ It’s a song about a child speaking to his or her father, and I think it’s quite special. Observing the artistry that Babyface possesses has hopefully made me a better performer as well.”
Having grown-up in the suburbs of Long Island, Chrisette didn’t spend much time planted in front of the television. “My parents had me in girl scouts, tap class and piano lessons,” Chrisette says. “It wasn’t like I was cut off from the world, but there just wasn’t a lot of media influence in my life during those early years.”
Chrisette Michele has always been true to herself. “I don’t feel as though I was the typical deacon’s kid, because I was taught early on to speak my mind and not be afraid to think,” she says. “To me, that is one of things that helped keep me focused as an artist who is trying to do something different in music.”
A self-described “girly girl” Chrisette says, “I have definite older child syndrome. I helped my mom raise my brothers like they were my own children, but I also had the pleasure of being daddy’s little princess.”
In addition to her own relatives, Chrisette was blessed with an extended family that included the many folks that her mother allowed to room in their house. “If my mother saw a homeless pregnant woman on the street, chances are they would soon be staying with us,” Chrisette laughs. “I learned so much about the world listening to these folk’s stories, and to this day their experiences can be heard in my material.”
Though already a fan of gospel and classical, it wasn’t until Chrisette Michele was seventeen that she also developed a passion for jazz. “When I was still in high school a teacher introduced me to jazz singer Astrud Gilberto, and afterwards my life was all about jazz,” she remembers.
Majoring in music at 5 Towns College in Long Island, Chrisette cites the nurturing sway of her teachers for where she is today. “Although I did have talent, often that is not enough,” she says. “My professors taught me how to be a professional and to be serious about my music. They taught me how to put the music that I dream about at night on paper in the morning.”
With the release of her debut album, Chrisette Michele will soon be sharing those musical dreams with the rest of the world.
Unsaid
Chrisette Michele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here's a pair of shoes
I used to walk in fear,
Fear of leaving you
Scared to go, I stayed
Saying only what you let me say
Don't speak,
I only want to hear the leaves
Beneath your feet
We said this all before
Close the door
Close the door
Don't go on, go away
I've got no more words to say
End the song
No we can't go through the pain
Yeah you tried, take a break
If I'm wrong then that's okay
If you've got something to say
Too bad
It's better left unsaid
(Said, said, said
Unsaid, said)
Pull the plug,
Don't resuscitate
Let it die quick, no drugs
Rather pain than lies,
We both will agree
We both disagree,
So let's agree,
Let's be free
Don't go on, go away
I've got no more words to say
End the song
No we can't go through the pain
Yeah you tried, take a break
If I'm wrong then that's ok
If you've got something to say
Too bad
It's better left unsaid (said)
Said (said) said (said)
Said (un) said (said) said (said) said, said
Why you wanna kill me
With your lips
Won't you rather love me
With your kiss
I could be better
Without this
Loving you used to
Be such bliss
If you give me hell
I will not miss
These, words,
They hurt, oh
Don't go on, go away
I've got no more words to say
End the song
No we can't go through the pain
Yeah you tried, take a break
If I'm wrong then that's okay
If you've got something to say
Too bad
It's better left unsaid
(Said, said, said
Unsaid, said)
It's better left unsaid
(Said, said) Whoa (said)
Oh (Unsaid, said)
It's better left unsaid
In this song, Chrisette Michele is talking about a dying relationship that has left her feeling scared and unable to speak her mind. She mentions walking in shoes she used to wear when she was scared to leave her partner. She also talks about how he controls what she says, and she only voices what he permits her to say. She implies that she wants to end things but doesn't want him to speak; she just wants to hear the leaves rustling beneath his feet as he leaves. Chrisette goes on to talk about how the pain of the situation is too much to go through again and that it is better to keep things unsaid. The song is about a relationship that has reached its end, and the only logical thing is to let it die quickly without prolonging the hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk in these, Here's a pair of shoes I used to walk in fear, Fear of leaving you Scared to go, I stayed Saying only what you let me say
I used to be fearful of leaving you, so I stayed and only spoke what you allowed me to. Please walk in my shoes and understand where I'm coming from.
Don't speak, There's really no need, be quiet I only want to hear the leaves Beneath your feet We said this all before Close the door Close the door
I don't need to hear anything more from you. Let's just enjoy the silence and peace together. We've already talked this through before, so let's just end it and move on.
Don't go on, go away I've got no more words to say End the song No we can't go through the pain Yeah you tried, take a break If I'm wrong then that's okay If you've got something to say Too bad It's better left unsaid (Said, said, said Unsaid, said)
I don't want to continue this conversation anymore. We can't keep going through the pain of arguing. If I'm wrong, that's fine. But if you have nothing helpful to say, it's better to just not say it at all.
Pull the plug, Don't resuscitate Let it die quick, no drugs Rather pain than lies, We both will agree We both disagree, So let's agree, Let's be free
Let's just end this relationship quickly and not try to revive it. I'd rather face the pain of ending it than continuing with lies. We both know that we don't see eye to eye on this, so let's just agree to end things and move on with our lives.
Why you wanna kill me With your lips Won't you rather love me With your kiss I could be better Without this Loving you used to Be such bliss If you give me hell I will not miss These, words, They hurt, oh
Why do you keep hurting me with your words? Instead of hurting me, why can't you love me with your actions? I could be happier without this hurt. Loving you used to be wonderful, but now it's just painful. If you keep hurting me, I won't miss this relationship.
It's better left unsaid (Said, said) Whoa (said) Oh (Unsaid, said) It's better left unsaid
Sometimes, it's just better to not say anything at all. Let's end this conversation and leave things unsaid instead of causing more pain with our words.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES HARMON, CHRISETTE PAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind