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"
Till It Happens To You -
Corinne Bailey Rae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was heat of the moment
But theres a little truth in between the words we've spoken
Its a little late now to fix the heart thats broken
Please don't ask me where I'm going
Cuz I don't know
No I don't know anymore
Used to feel like may
I used to hear those violins playing our strings like a symphony
Now they've gone away
Nobody wants to face the truth
But you wont believe what love can do
Till it happens to you
Till it happens to you
Went to the old flat
Guess I was trying to turn the clock back
How come that nothing feels the same now when im with you
We used to stay up all night in the kitchen
When our love was new
Oooh love I'm a fool to believe in you
Cuz I don't know
No I don't know
Anymore
It used to feel like heaven
It used to feel like may
I used to hear those violins playing our strings like a symphony
Now they've gone away
Nobody wants to know the truth
Until their hearts broken
Dont you dare tell them
What you think to do
Till they get over
You can only learn these things
From experience
When you get older
I just wish that someone would have told me
Till it happens to you
Till it happens to you
Till it happens to you
The lyrics of "Till It Happens To You" by Corinne Bailey Rae describe the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer reflects on how there is truth in what was said during the heat of the moment, but it is now too late to fix the broken heart. She doesn't know where she's going anymore, lost in the aftermath of love lost.
The song is a powerful reminder of how experiences change us, and how we can't know the truth until we've experienced it ourselves. She goes back to her old apartment, trying to recapture the past, but everything has changed. The violins playing our strings like a symphony have gone away, and nobody wants to face the truth until they are forced to through experiencing heartbreak. The song urges us to be kind to those who are experiencing heartbreak, as it is a lesson that can only be learned through experience.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and poignant reminder of how love can change us, and how important it is to be empathetic and understanding towards those who are going through heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I know what I said
I understand the words I spoke
Was heat of the moment
I spoke impulsively and without fully thinking through the consequences
But theres a little truth in between the words we've spoken
Even though I spoke impulsively, there was some truth to what I said
Its a little late now to fix the heart thats broken
Even though there was truth to what I said, it is now too late to repair any damage I may have caused
Please don't ask me where I'm going
I am unsure of my future path and cannot provide an answer to this question
Cuz I don't know
I am uncertain and lack knowledge about my future path
No I don't know anymore
I once knew my path, but now I am uncertain
It used to feel like heaven
Our love was once perfect and blissful
Used to feel like may
Our love was once full of life and vitality
I used to hear those violins playing our strings like a symphony
Our love once felt like a beautiful and harmonious piece of music
Now they've gone away
The beauty and harmony of our love has disappeared
Nobody wants to face the truth
People often avoid the truth because it can be painful or difficult to accept
But you wont believe what love can do
Love has the power to change and transform people's lives in unexpected ways
Till it happens to you
People often do not understand the power of love until they experience it for themselves
Went to the old flat
I visited our old apartment or living space
Guess I was trying to turn the clock back
I was hoping to relive the past and rekindle our former love
How come that nothing feels the same now when im with you
Our relationship has changed, and being with you no longer feels the same
We used to stay up all night in the kitchen
We were once deeply in love and spent many hours talking and spending time together
When our love was new
Our love was once fresh, exciting, and new
Oooh love I'm a fool to believe in you
Despite the pain and disappointment, I still believe in love and its transformative power
It used to feel like heaven
Our love was once perfect and blissful
It used to feel like may
Our love was once full of life and vitality
I used to hear those violins playing our strings like a symphony
Our love once felt like a beautiful and harmonious piece of music
Now they've gone away
The beauty and harmony of our love has disappeared
Nobody wants to know the truth
People often avoid the truth because it can be painful or difficult to accept
Until their hearts broken
People often only seek the truth once they have experienced the pain of heartbreak
Dont you dare tell them
It is not our place to force people to confront the truth before they are ready
What you think to do
We cannot tell people how to behave or make decisions for them
Till they get over
People need time to heal and recover from heartbreak before they can confront the truth
You can only learn these things
Experience is the only true teacher
From experience
We can only truly understand and learn from our mistakes and experiences
When you get older
As we gain more life experience and maturity, we can better understand the lessons of love and heartbreak
I just wish that someone would have told me
I wish someone had warned me about the painful lessons of love and heartbreak before I experienced them for myself
Till it happens to you
We only truly understand the power of love and heartbreak once we have experienced them for ourselves
Till it happens to you
We can never fully comprehend the transformative power of love and heartbreak until we have experienced them for ourselves
Till it happens to you
Love and heartbreak are universal experiences that everyone must face at some point in their lives
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Corinne Bailey Rae, Pamela Sheyne, Paul Herman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@isaidwhatisaid.1012
I know what I said
Was heat of the moment
But theres a little truth in between the words we've spoken
Its a little late now to fix the heart thats broken
Please don't ask me where I'm going
Cuz I don't know
No I don't know anymore
It used to feel like heaven
Used to feel like may
I used to hear those violins playing our strings like a symphony
Now they've gone away
Nobody wants to face the truth
But you wont believe what love can do
Till it happens to you
Till it happens to you
Went to the old flat
Guess I was trying to turn the clock back
How come that nothing feels the same now when im with you
We used to stay up all night in the kitchen
When our love was new
Oooh love I'm a fool to believe in you
Cuz I don't know
No I don't know
Anymore …
@cinsaint4u
My Wonderfully Sweet Hubby
Died April 1st 2017,
I Had Already Fallen With
Particular Song and Played
It Everyday & Every night
Almost Like I Was Obessed
with it. Now I Think It Was Some Of Fate Telling Alittle
Something About What WOULD Happen in my Near
Future. But I find the song soothing and so beautiful and smooth! I still love it even though I've listened to it at least 500 or more easily.
if it to calm me down my anxiety. THAT'S A GREAT THING !!😍 I also know that
Corrine Bailey Rae lost her husband too. so now I connect with more of songs!
I Love Corrine And So Glad that Music Makes People Happy and Calm Too💝
@just9375
Still a banger. This whole album is
@biancalittle2741
Definitely the album
@riship3323
That album was so amazingly good!
@vegastribeofjudah2083
This beautiful spirit literally got me through a divorce, I say that to say; when passing through the fire all you focus on is the pain until it no longer hurts, but when you come out the other end all of your impurities are burnt off leaving only the purer more refined version of your former self.
@ghost_cat_enthusiast
Very well said, this albums has also gotten me through some tough times
@Trin815diva
Needed to hear that. Thanks 🥹
@blueyazzie9848
Ive listened to this after my fiance passed... It hits hard.... My brothers and sisters passed also so when she sings "when they went away" its a lot... I love her vocals and everything about her!!!
@Niaa8701
Glad somthin brings you comfort, that's y she wrote the Album lost of a love one. Ya's blessing
@tspoken3857
Damn I love this song so much, I was one of those people who always had an answer for everything which in turn made it hard for me to learn anything, but love, love will teach you lessons wether you want to know them or not
@kevinmoore1840
She is iconic! Love her silky-smooth voice.