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)
Coulda Shoulda Woulda
India.Arie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And everything I see is everything that's wrong
And I'm like "Man, turn that off"
Got enough to worry about without thinking 'bout this
Now my Twitter's blowin' up 'cause I spoke my mind online
Got no time for this
Reality is chasing me, my life is like a list
Hustle, hustle, speed up, speed up
I start my day, take time to pray
No time to get to my haters
Wait, did I just say "haters"?
Not wastin' no bars on you
So much potential inside of me
And I'm taking my opportunity
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream and I do believe
This is the last time (Last time)
I let you play with my mind (My mind)
'Cause now I know better
Now my phone's blowing up 'cause I spoke my mind last night
Got no time for this
Is my heart still beatin'? (Yeah, my heart's still beatin')
I'm over you, I'm over you
Uh-uh, ain't nobody answering that
Wake up, wake up, get up, get up
Hustle, hustle, speed up, speed up
I start my day, take time to pray
No time to give to what's-his-name
Wait, did I just say "what's-his-name"?
Not wastin' my time on him
I know my king is out there for me
So I'll take my opportunity
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream
So today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream and I do believe
Woke up this morning, I pick up my phone
And see this crazy thing as I hear goin' on
And I'm like, "Hold up, they talkin' 'bout me"
Got enough to worry about without thinking 'bout this
I've been black girl magic
20 years I been at it
I'm over you, I got nothing to prove (Nothing to prove)
Or maybe I do
Hollywood's sexist and racist
And still we smile throughout it
You'd be surprised what we doin'
The way we show up and kill shit
I love my brown skin so much
Been that way before Wakanda
So love what you thought or love me
And I, I'll never stop so
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream
So today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream, yeah
The song "Coulda Shoulda Woulda" by India.Arie is about taking control of one's life and not getting caught up in the negativity of the world. The first verse describes turning off the TV and ignoring the negative news and social media comments. The chorus emphasizes the importance of living in the present and not dwelling on past regrets or future uncertainties. The second verse talks about moving on from toxic relationships and redirecting focus towards personal goals and dreams. The bridge discusses the struggles of being a person of color in entertainment industry, but the artist remains positive and determined to continue pursuing her dreams.
Overall, the song encapsulates the message of self-love and empowerment. It encourages listeners to focus on their individual journeys and not let external factors hold them back.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up this morning, turned the TV on
And everything I see is everything that's wrong
And I'm like "Man, turn that off"
Got enough to worry about without thinking 'bout this
The singer wakes up and sees everything wrong with the world on TV. She doesn't want to think about it because she has enough to worry in her own life.
Now my Twitter's blowin' up 'cause I spoke my mind online
Got no time for this
Reality is chasing me, my life is like a list
Her social media is blowing up because she spoke her mind. The singer has no time for this and sees her life as a list of tasks to be done.
Wake up, wake up, get up, get up
Hustle, hustle, speed up, speed up
I start my day, take time to pray
No time to get to my haters
Wait, did I just say "haters"?
Not wastin' no bars on you
So much potential inside of me
And I'm taking my opportunity
The singer wakes up and starts her day with prayer. She doesn't have time for her haters and sees the potential inside her. She's taking her opportunities without wasting any time on her haters.
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream and I do believe
The singer will walk in her power and make today her finest hour. She won't have any regrets about what she could have, should have or would have done. She lives for herself and has a dream she believes in.
This is the last time (Last time)
I let you play with my mind (My mind)
'Cause now I know better
Now my phone's blowing up 'cause I spoke my mind last night
Got no time for this
Is my heart still beatin'? (Yeah, my heart's still beatin')
I'm over you, I'm over you
Uh-uh, ain't nobody answering that
She won't let anyone play with her mind anymore. Her phone is blowing up because she spoke her mind, but she doesn't have time for it. She's over someone and won't answer their call.
Wake up, wake up, get up, get up
Hustle, hustle, speed up, speed up
I start my day, take time to pray
No time to give to what's-his-name
Wait, did I just say "what's-his-name"?
Not wastin' my time on him
I know my king is out there for me
So I'll take my opportunity
The singer wakes up and starts her day with prayer. She won't waste her time on someone whose name she can't even remember. She believes her king is out there for her and will take her opportunity.
Woke up this morning, I pick up my phone
And see this crazy thing as I hear goin' on
And I'm like, "Hold up, they talkin' 'bout me"
Got enough to worry about without thinking 'bout this
The singer woke up to see something crazy happening on her phone and realizes it's about her. She doesn't want to worry about it as she has enough to worry about in her own life.
I've been black girl magic
20 years I been at it
I'm over you, I got nothing to prove (Nothing to prove)
Or maybe I do
Hollywood's sexist and racist
And still we smile throughout it
You'd be surprised what we doin'
The way we show up and kill shit
I love my brown skin so much
Been that way before Wakanda
So love what you thought or love me
And I, I'll never stop so
The singer has been amazing for 20 years just by being a black girl. She doesn't need to prove anything, but Hollywood is still sexist and racist. Despite this, she'll never stop doing what she loves. She loves her brown skin and has done so even before Wakanda. People can love what they thought or love her for who she is.
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream
So today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream, yeah
The singer will walk in her power today and make it her finest hour. She won't have any regrets about what she could have, should have, or would have done. She lives for herself and has a dream she believes in, and will continue to do so bravely.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Aaron W. Lindsey, India Arie Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nillin806
I woke up this morning, turned the TV on
And everything I see is everything that's wrong
And I'm like "Man, turn that off"
Got enough to worry about without thinking 'bout this
Now my Twitter's blowin' up 'cause I spoke my mind online
Got no time for this
Reality is chasing me, my life is like a list
Wake up, wake up, get up, get up
Hustle, hustle, speed up, speed up
I start my day, take time to pray
No time to get to my haters
Wait, did I just say "haters"?
Not wastin' no bars on you
So much potential inside of me
And I'm taking my opportunity
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream and I do believe
This is the last time (last time)
I let you play with my mind (my mind)
'Cause now I know better
Now my phone's blowing up 'cause I spoke my mind last night
Got no time for this
Is my heart still beatin'? (Yeah, my heart's still beatin')
I'm over you, I'm over you
Uh-uh, ain't nobody answering that
Wake up, wake up, get up, get up
Hustle, hustle, speed up, speed up
I start my day, take time to pray
No time to give to what's-his-name
Wait, did I just say "what's-his-name"?
Not wastin' my time on him
I know my king is out there for me
So I'll take my opportunity
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream
So today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream and I do believe
Woke up this morning, I pick up my phone
And see this crazy thing as I hear goin' on
And I'm like, "Hold up, they talkin' 'bout me"
Got enough to worry about without thinking 'bout this
I've been black girl magic
20 years I been at it
I'm over you, I got nothing to prove (nothing to prove)
Or maybe I do
Hollywood's sexist and racist
And still we smile throughout it
You'd be surprised what we doin'
The way we show up and kill shit
I love my brown skin so much
Been that way before Wakanda
So love what you thought or love me
And I, I'll never stop so
Today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream
So today I will walk in my power
And today will be my finest hour
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
No more coulda, shoulda, woulda
I live for me, I can't live for you
I have a dream, I have a dream, yeah
@nnbnbnn
wow i find the fact she didn't Photoshop tf out of her face in this album is completely admirable and she looks absolutely stunning. she looks real, raw, and beautiful <3
@AbdulhakemAmri
She deserves much more recognition
@treg6848
Right my thoughts
@shakawalker1249
She already has..Grammy..bet award..
@chelseazualo5176
She dont care about recognition/validation she has a message to spread...
@naturalshatara9559
@@chelseazualo5176 correct
@islandgal2583
Trust me, she already knows who her target audience is and SHE IS reaching them 👍🏾💜
@tamiekaharris2873
I've always felt she was/is one of the MOST underrated artists. I love her and this song is EVERYTHING! Thanks India ❤💪🏽
@octaviaharris309
yes very talented but over looked, because she didn't have a mainstream look.
@empresserica
YES!