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"
Que Sera Sera
Corinne Bailey Rae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be, will be,
Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my lover what will Ibe
Will I be lonesome day after day
Here's what he said to me
Que Sera, Sera, yeah
Whatever will be, will be, will be
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be, will be
Whatever will be
Well the futures not ours to see no
Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
Que Sera, Que Sera, yeah
Whatever will be, will be, will be
The futures not ours to see no no
Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
When I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will they be
Will they be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.
Que Sera, Sera,
Que Sera, Sera,
Oh oh oh
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be, will be
I said, whatever will be will be
Whoa, the future's not ours to see hey
Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
Yeah Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
Ooh, oh
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be yes
Whatever will be
Whatever will be yes
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Que Sera
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be yea
Que Sera
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Oh, whoa, whoa whoa
Oh, oh,
Whoa,
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Que Sera
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Whatever will be
Ooh
The lyrics to Corinne Bailey Rae's song Que Sera Sera are a reflection on life and the uncertainties that come with it. The song begins with the singer recalling her younger days when she asked her mother what she would be, whether she would be pretty or rich. Her mother's response, 'Que Sera, Sera', meaning 'whatever will be, will be', emphasizes that the future is not ours to see and whatever will happen, will happen. The chorus repeats this phrase, emphasizing the theme of acceptance.
The second verse talks about love, asking what the future holds, whether they will be lonesome day after day. The response is the same as before, 'Que Sera, Sera'. The acceptance and the theme of 'what will be will be' is put forth in this verse too. The last verse is about the singer's own children, wondering what they will be, whether they will be handsome or rich. She tells them tenderly, echoing what her mother said to her, 'Que Sera, Sera'. Overall, the song reflects on the uncertainties of life and encourages acceptance of what comes our way.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was just a little girl
As a young child, I questioned my own future
I asked my mother, what will I be
I enquired about the potential routes of my future with my mother
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
I questioned whether I'll be satisfied with mere appearance or wealth in my future
Here's what she said to me.
My mother responded with words of wisdom
Que Sera, Sera,
"Whatever will be, will be"
Whatever will be, will be, will be,
The certainty of the future cannot be controlled or predicted
The future's not ours, to see, yeah
The future holds uncertainties and surprises beyond human anticipation
When I grew up and fell in love
As I matured, I fell in love and began to ponder about my future again
I asked my lover what will I be
I questioned my lover about what my future may hold
Will I be lonesome day after day
I expressed my concerns of being lonely to my lover
Que Sera, Sera, yeah
"Whatever will be, will be"
Well the futures not ours to see no
The unknown future is not ours to view or guide
When I have children of my own
When I become a mother myself
They ask their mother, what will they be
My children question me about their futures
Will they be handsome, will I be rich
They wonder whether their appearance or wealth will satisfy them later in life
I tell them tenderly.
I soothe them with gentle words
Que Sera, Sera,
I reassure them that "Whatever will be, will be"
Whatever will be, will be, will be
The future is outside human control and prediction
Whoa, the future's not ours to see hey
The future cannot be fully known
Yeah Que Sera, Que Sera, Que Sera
"Whatever will be, will be"
Whatever will be
The future holds unpredictable fate
Ooh
Exclamation of surprise
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAY LIVINGSTON, RAY EVANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@a.speller9055
Wow I got goosebumps from this performance!!! They took this song to church!!🙌🏾🙌🏾
@hillaryb.3311
10 years later and this she still moves me with this song 💛
@willhaynes2190
I absolutely agree
@Sachajela
I am here every year😢❤😍
@anamorphosys85
her version gives the song a completely new direction, knowing that she did this after her husband's death. I don't know about you guys but I feel a bit the blues present but at the same time it's uplifting, like she'd be saying with a soft smile: "I have no other choice but to go on and I'm looking forward now. it's the way it is." Corinne, you rock!
@kimmyt3554
I recently found this version and can't stop coming back to listen to the performance. Amazing band, singers and I love the guitarist voice! 👏👏👏👏👍👍😁
@lindacarroll10
Kimmy T she's doing a fabulous job of Sly and the family Stone's version...check it out!
@Sathiyyah
You can feel her pain as she sings the second verse. She's a strong woman and her story makes this cover that much greater.
@kakari69
Que voz , que talento, que mulher...... 🎷🎺🎸❤❤❤❤❤❤
@li5afuchs
This performance which is simply awesome (her and the band and the very fantastic John McCallum) makes me feel that she is a talent comparable to Nina Simone and will be rocking it out until she falls off the perch. Love, love. love her.