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"
Rae trouble sleeping
Corinne Bailey Rae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Having trouble sleeping
This constant compromise between thinking and breathing
Could it be I'm suffering because I'll never give in?
Won't say that I'm falling in love
(Please, please,) tell me I don't seem myself
Couldn't I blame something else? (No, don't say it)
Some kind of therapy is all I need
Please, believe me (Please, believe me)
Some instant remedy that can cure me completely
Could it be I'm suffering because I'll never give in?
Won't say that I'm falling in love
(Please, please,) tell me I don't seem myself
Couldn't I blame something else? (No, don't say it)
Don't say I'm falling in love
Ooo
'Cause I've been there before, and it's not enough
So nobody say it (so nobody say it)
Don't even say it (Don't you even say it)
I've got my eyes shut, won't look
Oh no, I'm not in love
Could it be I'm suffering because I'll never give in?
Won't say that I'm falling in love (falling in love)
(Please, please,) tell me I don't seem myself
Couldn't I blame something else? (No, don't say it)
Just don't say I'm falling in love (Don't say that I'm falling in love)
Could it be I'm suffering softly (Don't say that I'm falling in love)
Caught on all what you've been giving me (Don't say that I'm falling in love)
Falling in love (Don't say that I'm falling in love)
Couldn't I blame something else?
(Don't say, don't say)
(Don't say, don't say)
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Don't say
(Don't say that I'm falling in love)
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Ooo, oh
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Yeah
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Oh
The lyrics to Corinne Bailey Rae's song Trouble Sleeping are about the fear of falling in love and the internal conflict that comes with it. The singer is having trouble sleeping, which may be due to their constant thoughts about the possible love they feel for someone else. The phrase "constant compromise between thinking and breathing" describes the struggle between suppressing these thoughts and acknowledging them.
The singer asks for a "therapy" or "instant remedy" to cure their feelings, but they also acknowledge that they may be suffering because they refuse to give in to their emotions. They plead with others not to tell them that they are falling in love, as they are not ready to confront their feelings. They even admit that they have been in love before and it was not enough, so they do not want to experience that again.
Overall, the song captures the feelings of vulnerability and the fear of heartbreak that come with falling in love. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling with these emotions and trying to hide them from others and themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
It's late and I'm feeling so tired
The singer is exhausted and can't sleep.
Having trouble sleeping
The singer is unable to fall asleep.
This constant compromise between thinking and breathing
The singer is stuck between being anxious and focused and needs to relax.
Could it be I'm suffering because I'll never give in?
The artist questions if their reluctance to fall in love is the cause of their distress.
Won't say that I'm falling in love
The artist is in denial about their feelings and refuses to admit they are falling in love.
(Please, please,) tell me I don't seem myself
The singer is worried their confusion about their feelings is affecting their personality.
Couldn't I blame something else? (No, don't say it)
The singer questions if there is another source of their problems, but doesn't want to admit they are falling in love.
Don't say I'm falling in love
The artist is afraid of falling in love and doesn't want others to acknowledge their feelings.
Some kind of therapy is all I need
The artist needs to find something to help them with their emotional struggles.
Please, believe me (Please, believe me)
The artist is pleading for someone to trust their feelings.
Some instant remedy that can cure me completely
The singer needs a solution that will fix their problems quickly and effectively.
Ooo
Vocalization to convey a feeling of discomfort or distress.
'Cause I've been there before, and it's not enough
The singer has experienced falling in love before and knows it won't solve their problems.
So nobody say it (so nobody say it)
The singer doesn't want anyone to express what they are thinking.
Don't even say it (Don't you even say it)
The singer is adamant that they don't want anyone to mention falling in love.
I've got my eyes shut, won't look
The artist is avoiding the truth.
Oh no, I'm not in love
The artist is certain they are not in love.
Could it be I'm suffering softly
The singer wonders if they are experiencing emotional distress quietly.
Caught on all what you've been giving me
The singer is realizing they have strong feelings for someone who has been showing them love and affection.
Falling in love
The artist is admitting they are starting to fall in love despite their reluctance.
Couldn't I blame something else?
The artist is still clearly in denial about their feelings and wants to blame something else.
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Don't say
The artist does not want anyone to acknowledge their feelings for someone.
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Ooo, oh
The singer is distressed and uncomfortable about their feelings.
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Yeah
The artist repeats their request for others to not say they are falling in love.
(Don't say that I'm falling in love) Oh
The singer is expressing their discomfort at the thought of falling in love.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., SPIRIT /GLOBAL TALENT MUSIC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: CORINNE JACQUELINE N BAILEY RAE, JOHN ROBERT BECK, STEVEN CHRISANTHOU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-gg5cm1ed3w
It's late and I'm feeling so tired
Having trouble sleeping
This constant compromise
Between thinking and breathing
Could it be I'm suffering
Because I'll never give in
Won't say that I'm falling in love
Tell me I don't see myself
Couldn't I blame something else
Don't say I'm falling in love
Some kind of therapy
Is all I need
Please believe me
Some instant remedy
That can cure me completely
Could it be I'm suffering
Because I'll never give in
Won't say that I'm falling in love
Tell me I don't see myself
Couldn't I blame something else
Don't say I'm falling in love
Cause I've been there before
It's not enough
So nobody say it
Don't even say it
I got my eyes shut
Whoah, no
Whoah, no, no, no
Could it be I'm suffering
Because I'll never give in
Won't say that I'm falling in love
Tell me I don't see myself
Couldn't I blame something else
Don't say I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
@christophernewman6420
Classics don't go out of style. This has the potential to be a timeless classic after we're all gone.
@darkangelO1
Here's a true musician. Talent at its very best. Her lyrics are so genuine and so real. You can almost feel her passion. Love her.
@trickyzenmom
Wow! You wrote this commenf 11 years ago! I've been a fan since day one. This album has been in constant rotation every since. Always. 2021...hope you're still listening and staying safe.
@lionelgatling9334
I love me some Corinne Bailey Rae. Her music is timeless.
@susanyorke4717
Lionel gatlin, I totally agree
@erykagomes8133
I love her musci
@thecomedian6322
@Susan Yorke Been listening to this song a lot. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Mu974gi8H/?igshid=1b21jfs30qelc
@thecomedian6322
@Eryka Gomes Been listening to this song a lot. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Mu974gi8H/?igshid=1b21jfs30qelc
@timsmith1033
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
@MeNatalieMarie
I just discovered Corinne Bailey Rae and I love her voice so much I'm listening to all her stuff. 🎶