She absorbed musical skill early in life, encouraged by both parents: her mother, Joyce, herself a former singer, and now India Arie's stylist; and her father, former ABA and NBA basketball player Ralph Simpson (not former NBA star player Ralph Sampson, as has been mistakenly reported in some media). She had taken up a succession of musical instruments throughout her schooling in Denver, Colorado, but her interest in the guitar while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design led to a personal revelation about songwriting and performing. "When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs," she said at the press release of her debut album, Acoustic Soul.
Co-founding the Atlanta-based independent music collective GroovmentEarthseed (Groovement was the collective artists' name and Earthshare was their independent label name), her one-song turn on a locally released compilation led to a second-stage gig at the Lilith Fair. Their Universal Records/Motown music scout spotted her and made an introduction to Motown CEO Kedar Massenburg. Sidestepping all the devices of flavor-of-the-month record-making, Acoustic Soul acquainted listeners with a brave and eloquent new voice, drawing an uncommonly broad swath of listeners from hip-hop, the so called neo-soul, blues, folk, and classic troubadour-style singer/songwriting, all at once. The album, released in 2001, debuted at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and number three on the R&B album chart. Within months, without the concentrated radio play that typically powers pop and rap albums, Acoustic Soul was certified double-platinum.
India.Arie also features on Stevie Wonder's album A Time To Love which was released on October 18, 2005. India.Arie and Stevie Wonder duet on the title track "A Time To Love" that India wrote, which was nominated in the 2006 forty-eighth Grammy Awards, for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration with Vocals.
On the September 2005 premiere of The Tyra Banks Show, Arie performed "Just 4 2day". She wrote this song especially for Tyra's show. Arie also wrote "What About the Child", a song that did not air but was made available as a $1 internet download to support child victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Voyage to India
India.Arie followed the success of her debut in 2002 with the release of Voyage to India. Debuting at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B chart, the album eventually earned a 2003 Grammy for Best R&B Album. The single "Little Things" also won a 2003 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Soon after its release, Voyage to India was certified gold; and it was certified platinum on Friday 4 August 2006.
Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
India.Arie's third studio album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, was released on June 27, 2006. Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship gave India.Arie her first number-one on the Billboard 200 and was her second chart-topper on the U.S. R&B album chart. This album was also the first #1 album for the Motown record label in 33 years since Diana Ross's #1 Lady Sings the Blues Its first week sales of 161,000 copies is Arie's best sales week to date and was certified gold on Friday, August 4, 2006.
Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics was released on Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
Songversation (2013)
Christmas with Friends (2015)
Worthy (2019)
Back To The Middle
India.Arie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So afraid to speak her mind, it's such a shame
Cause what a brilliant mind she has
[Chorus]
And now she's been introduced to confidence
She doesn't see, that she is bordering on arrogance
When will she learn, to come back to the middle
He is, a young black man, grew up without his father
And now it falls into his hands, to protect his mother
Cause if he doesn't, well then who will, his older brother lives in fear
Of everything, especially, trying to fill his father's shoes
Respectively, they go to extremes, of masculine and feminine
Chasing dreams, but they keep on falling
Cause they don't know no balance
When will they learn, to come back to the middle
You must take the good with the bad, and you might hit the wall
Sometimes you'll fly and sometimes you'll fall
There isn't any way, to avoid the pain
But it's getting burned, that's how you will learn
To come back to the middle
Needing to protect your self now that is just a part of life
If you let your fears keep you from flying, you will never reach your height
To get to the top you must come back to the middle
When will we learn, to come back to the middle
Come back to the middle, Come back to the middle
Don't make no mind about falling down
Cause it's when you're in that valley
You can see both sides more clearly
Come back to the middle
India.Arie's "Back To The Middle" is a powerful song that talks about the importance of balance in life. The song is divided into two verses, each describing the story of a person who struggles to strike the right balance in their life. The first verse talks about a young woman who has spent over half of her life being afraid to speak her mind. Despite having a brilliant mind, she lacks the confidence to express herself. However, she has now been introduced to confidence, and the problem is that she seems to be bordering on arrogance. The chorus urges her to come back to the middle and find the right balance between confidence and humility.
The second verse tells the story of a young black man who grew up without his father. He has to take care of his mother, and the responsibility falls entirely on his shoulders. He is chasing his dreams but struggling to find the right balance in life. The chorus reminds him that he needs to come back to the middle if he wants to succeed.
The song speaks to many of us struggling with the complexities of life. The message is simple but profound. We need to find the right balance between confidence and humility, masculinity and femininity, and chasing our dreams and being down to earth. We need to learn to come back to the middle to avoid falling or chasing our dreams without purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
She is, twenty five, spent over half of her life
The woman in the song is 25 years old and has spent a significant part of her life being too scared to express herself.
So afraid to speak her mind, it's such a shame
Her fear of speaking her mind is unfortunate because she has a brilliant mind.
Cause what a brilliant mind she has
The woman is highly intelligent and has a lot of potential.
[Chorus]
The chorus introduces the theme of the song - the need for balance and returning to a middle ground in life.
And now she's been introduced to confidence
The woman has gained some confidence, which is a positive development.
She doesn't see, that she is bordering on arrogance
However, the woman is becoming a little too sure of herself and risks becoming arrogant.
When will she learn, to come back to the middle
The chorus repeats the question: when will she learn to find balance?
He is, a young black man, grew up without his father
The song shifts focus to a young black man who grew up without a father.
And now it falls into his hands, to protect his mother
The young man feels responsible for protecting his mother since his older brother is too afraid to step up.
Cause if he doesn't, well then who will, his older brother lives in fear
The older brother is overcome with fear and cannot take on the responsibility of protecting their mother.
Of everything, especially, trying to fill his father's shoes
The older brother also struggles with the pressure of filling their father's shoes.
Respectively, they go to extremes, of masculine and feminine
The song suggests that the young man and the woman represent masculine and feminine extremes respectively.
Chasing dreams, but they keep on falling
Both characters are chasing their dreams but not always succeeding.
Cause they don't know no balance
The reason for their lack of success is their inability to find balance in their lives.
When will they learn, to come back to the middle
The chorus repeats the question, suggesting that both characters need to find balance.
You must take the good with the bad, and you might hit the wall
The song offers some advice that it is necessary to experience both good and bad times, and sometimes you will hit a wall.
Sometimes you'll fly and sometimes you'll fall
There will be times when you succeed and times when you fail.
There isn't any way, to avoid the pain
Pain is inevitable in life and cannot be avoided.
But it's getting burned, that's how you will learn
However, it is through experiencing pain that you can learn and grow.
To come back to the middle
The song's recurring theme is to find balance and return to the middle ground in life.
Needing to protect yourself now that is just a part of life
The song acknowledges that needing to protect oneself is a normal part of life.
If you let your fears keep you from flying, you will never reach your height
However, if fear prevents you from taking risks, you will never achieve your full potential.
To get to the top you must come back to the middle
The song concludes with the message that finding balance and returning to the middle ground is crucial for success in life.
When will we learn, to come back to the middle
The final repetition of the chorus emphasizes that this message applies to everyone, not just the characters in the song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BLUE MILLER, INDIA ARIE, INDIA ARIE SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind