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"
10 Diving For Hearts
Corinne Bailey Rae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I longed for you like the lovesick moon pulls the tide.
So I peeled off my skin,
I just slipped right in
And I become alive.
'Cause down here there's no fear
There's no cause for panic
I feel no harm.
This underwater feeling's abandon and it fires my heart.
Was it emotion
Or should I just keep on diving,
Keep on diving down?
Under this ocean
I long to keep on diving,
Till my heart is found.
It's got a hold on me
Can't forget the things I've seen
World will all end
And new worlds will begin
It's a thought so stark.
We're at once determinant,
Yet so insignificant,
Spinning out in the velvet dark.
Still, down here
There's no fear
There's no cause for panic
There's just this bright cold calm
Yeah, it leaves a scar
So show me how to find again,
If I'm lost, show me where you are
In "Diving For Hearts" by Corinne Bailey Rae, the lyrics center around the idea of finding oneself and true love through diving into the unknown. The singer expresses that they weren't truly alive until they found their soulmate, which is compared to the pull of the lovesick moon on the tide. When they dive down into the water, they shed their old self and become alive in the unknown, peaceful environment underwater. There is a clear sense of abandonment and freedom in the lyrics that is almost intoxicating. The singer is torn between staying in this new world and longing to find their heart fully, so they can return to the surface world.
The song contains paradoxical ideas about the insignificance of humans in the grand scheme of the universe and how they can still feel a sense of abandon and wonder. It's evident that this underwater world is where the singer can truly be themselves, in contrast to the surface where the world is stark and cruel. The lyrics ultimately express a deep desire to find true love and a sense of belongingness that seems to be unattainable on the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
Till then I wasn't alive,
Before meeting the person she sings about, she didn't feel like she was truly living.
I longed for you like the lovesick moon pulls the tide.
She had a deep and powerful desire for this person, much like how the gravitational pull of the moon affects the tide of the ocean.
So I peeled off my skin,
She shed her old self, revealing a new version of herself.
I just slipped right in
She easily and naturally became immersed in her feelings for this person.
And I become alive.
Her newfound love gave her a sense of vitality and purpose.
'Cause down here there's no fear
In the depths of her emotions, she feels no fear or anxiety.
There's no cause for panic
Similarly, she has no reason to panic or worry about anything.
There's just bright cold calm,
Instead, she experiences a serene and peaceful calmness.
I feel no harm.
She is not hurt or damaged in any way by her emotions or feelings.
This underwater feeling's abandon and it fires my heart.
The sensation of being underwater in her emotions is liberating and exhilarating, and it ignites her passion and enthusiasm.
Was it emotion
She questions whether her feelings are genuine emotion.
Or should I just keep on diving,
She wonders if she should continue to explore her feelings and emotions further.
Keep on diving down?
She questions whether there is more to discover and explore in her emotions and feelings for this person.
Under this ocean
She is referring to the ocean of her emotions and feelings.
I long to keep on diving,
She feels a strong desire to keep exploring and experiencing her emotions and feelings.
Till my heart is found.
She is searching for a deeper understanding of her emotions and feelings related to this person.
It's got a hold on me
Her emotions and feelings have a strong grip on her.
Can't forget the things I've seen
She cannot shake the powerful experiences that she has had in exploring her emotions and feelings for this person.
World will all end
She acknowledges that the world will eventually come to an end.
And new worlds will begin
But she also recognizes that new worlds and new experiences will emerge.
It's a thought so stark.
This realization is a harsh and abrupt thought.
We're at once determinant,
She understands that humans have the power to shape their own lives and destinies.
Yet so insignificant,
She also recognizes that humans are small and unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
Spinning out in the velvet dark.
She envisions humans as tiny specks, spinning in the vast, black expanse of space.
Still, down here
Despite these thoughts, she is still deeply submerged in her emotions.
There's no fear
Even in light of these dark thoughts, she still feels no fear or anxiety.
Yeah, it leaves a scar
Her emotions and feelings have the potential to leave a lasting mark on her.
So show me how to find again,
She is seeking guidance in rediscovering her emotions and feelings.
If I'm lost, show me where you are
She is specifically looking to this person for help in re-finding her emotions and feelings.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RAE CORINNE JACQUELINE BAILEY, JENNIFER BIRCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Oluwadamilare Ogundiran
One of my favorite on The Sea.
Brutally honest and not shy in depth of conveying emotions...I love Corinne!
willtynellyworth
I have to see this woman live. I listen to her cd's everyday.
bladex264
She is just lovely. I wish i could meet her in person