Internationally touring, Atlanta based singer/song… Read Full Bio ↴DORIA ROBERTS BIO
Internationally touring, Atlanta based singer/songwriter Doria Roberts was born and raised in inner city Trenton, NJ but schooled in the neighboring yet decidedly more affluent Princeton, NJ. Her first introduction to music was her sisters vinyl record collection including the Brothers Johnson, Marvin Gaye, the Sugar Hill Gang and Ricki Lee Jones. A dancer from the age of 3, she was exposed to classical offerings during ballet class, ragtime during tap training and pop music in her modern jazz dance lessons. By age 10, she was starring in musicals in local childrens theater and choral productions once performing a lead role in Gilbert & Sullivans classic HMS Pinafore. At age 17, she produced her first event directing, staging, acting in, and even promoting the topically controversial play Laundry and Bourbon as part of her senior project.
By the time she was off to college, she had incorporated the likes of Public Enemy, De La Soul, and the uber literate hip hop of KRS One into her listening repertoire. While toiling away as a scholarship student at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in East Asian Studies (with side bars in linguistics, business and art history) and aspiring to be an executive art dealer in Tokyo, she discovered the power folk of the Indigo Girls, Bob Dylans and Joni Mitchells storytelling, the tortured brilliance of John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix, along with the quirky punk, tongue in cheek rebellion of Public Image Limited and black rock ska outfit Fishbone. And, like many women of her generation, she stumbled upon the rising star and fierce, feminist zeitgeist Ani DiFranco during an unplanned trip to a New York City dive.
However, Roberts was still only an observer and lover of music throughout college and didnt become a musician herself until senior year when a series of life changing events redirected her priorities. She picked up a roommates beer stained guitar for comfort and the lessons of the Tao Te Ching won over the Dow Jones. Eevntually, she embarked on her deeply personal though socially concious and committed musical path.
In 1999 (i.e. 6 years and 100 coffeehouses later), she won a slot to appear at Lilith Fair and was poised to sign a major label deal along with Atlanta based peers John Mayer and India Arie. However, a dubious piece of legislation changing copyright law in favor of the labels prompted the activist in Roberts to step away from potentially lucrative offers and release her own record. Though originally intending to simply wait out the storm, Roberts eventually found herself at the helm of her own label instead.
Since then she has released and self produced five independent and nationally distributed records on her imprint Hurricane Doria Records, has appeared at the internationally recognized Montreux Jazz Festival and has headlined Gay Pride events in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Stockholm, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. She has also opened for or shared the stage with legendary folk singer Odetta, Janis Ian, the Indigo Girls, John Mayer, blues legends the Holmes Brothers, Chris Smither avant-garde R&B priestess Meshell Ndegeocello, world music darling Angelique Kidjo, the late poet laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker and many others.
In 2004, she was awarded both the Anderson Leadership Prize from the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the Orfeo Musica Humanitarian Award from the Tupilak Arts Consortium-Nordic in Stockholm, Sweden. Both awards were given in recognition of her willingness to fuse her music with her activist work and for creating major performance opportunities and outlets for other independent artists and youth at risk. She was also nominated for the 2005 Collin Higgins Courage Award.
Currently, she is the sole producer of the 11 year old Queerstock Festival & Tour, the Black Eyed Susans Tribute Series and various other fundraising and awareness events.
Roberts has finally finished recording her sixth release and the CD entitles "Woman Dangerous" is out. It was recorded at the venerable Treesound Studios (Elton John, Outkast, Indigo Girls, Collective Soul, Usher) in Atlanta, GA and co-produced by Zack Odom. On this major indie effort, Roberts once again effortlessly and seamlessly melds her diverse musical heritage into a solid set of provocative musings on life and love and everything that happens in between.
Caught In The Rain
Doria Roberts Lyrics
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We are talking
It's the middle of the night
You tell me all your secrets
I tell you some of mine
VERSE 2
Wake up in the morning and we're feeling just a little bit shy
I'm making conversation
But I can't look you in the eye
What do you do when you are caught in the rain?
Do you run for cover?
Do you stand in the middle of it?
Whatever you do it's gotta feel good to you
But I am sure in time that you will get it right
VERSE 3
I like to play it safe
If you mind
I don't look in dark corners
You never know what you might find
VERSE 4
I've been broken, I've been bleeding
I've been pleading with my god
For the reasons, for the answers to the questions:
Why does everything have to be so hard?
CHORUS 2
And what if it's love that I am hiding from?
You know I'm running for cover
I'm not standing in the middle of it
Whatever I do I want to be good to you
But I am sure in time
That I will get it right
CHORUS 1
CHORUS 2
(end Chorus 2)
That I will get it
That you will get it
That we will get it
Make it and do this thing right
© 2001 HD Music/ BMI
The lyrics of Doria Roberts's song "Caught In The Rain" express the internal struggle that one often faces when trying to navigate a new relationship. The first two verses highlight the intimacy and vulnerability that can come with opening up to someone new. However, in the second verse, the singer begins to feel shy and unsure around their partner, indicating a sense of discomfort with the newness of the relationship.
The chorus poses the question of what to do when caught in the rain, metaphorically representing the uncertainty and discomfort that can come with navigating a new relationship. The singer wonders whether to run for cover or stand in the middle of it. The final lines of the chorus suggest that it's essential to do what feels right, but also that with time, understanding and getting things right will come.
The lyrics of "Caught In The Rain" evoke the complexity and the excitement that can come with starting something new. The song's message seems to be that it's okay to take things slow and work through the challenges of discovering new feelings and emotions. Overall, the song highlights the importance of perseverance and the importance of trusting oneself when trying to navigate new relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
We are talking
We are engaged in conversation
It's the middle of the night
The time of day is late at night
You tell me all your secrets
You confide in me and share your secrets
I tell you some of mine
I reciprocate and share some of my own secrets
Wake up in the morning and we're feeling just a little bit shy
The next morning we feel slightly reserved in each other's presence
You're making coffee
You prepare a cup of coffee
I'm making conversation
I attempt to engage in conversation
But I can't look you in the eye
I find it difficult to make direct eye contact with you
What do you do when you are caught in the rain?
When you find yourself in a difficult situation, how do you respond?
Do you run for cover?
Do you try to avoid or escape the situation?
Do you stand in the middle of it?
Do you confront the situation head on?
Whatever you do it's gotta feel good to you
No matter what course of action you take, it should feel right to you
But I am sure in time that you will get it right
With time and experience, you will learn how to handle difficult situations appropriately
I like to play it safe
I prefer to avoid taking risks
If you mind
If that's okay with you
I don't look in dark corners
I avoid investigating hidden or potentially dangerous areas
You never know what you might find
There may be unexpected or unpleasant discoveries in such areas
I've been broken, I've been bleeding
I have experienced emotional pain and suffering
I've been pleading with my god
I have been praying for guidance or answers
For the reasons, for the answers to the questions:
I am searching for explanations to my questions and doubts
Why does everything have to be so hard?
I am struggling to understand why life is so difficult
And what if it's love that I am hiding from?
What if my reluctance or hesitation is due to my fear of falling in love?
You know I'm running for cover
I am trying to avoid being vulnerable or getting hurt
Whatever I do I want to be good to you
Regardless of my fears, I want to treat you well
That I will get it right
I will eventually learn how to handle my fears and love you fully
That you will get it
I believe that you will also come to understand me and my fears
That we will get it
Together, we will learn how to navigate through our fears and love each other completely
Make it and do this thing right
Let's work together to overcome our obstacles and love each other the way we deserve
Writer(s): doria roberts
Contributed by Grayson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.