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)
India'Song
India.Arie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Way back in 1619 began this tragic story
Thrown into slavery the crime was the color of skin
Never to see the light of the past again
[Chorus]
I wanna go where the mountains are high enough to echo my song
I wanna go where the rivers run deep enough to drown my shame
I wanna go where the wind calls my name
The wind is calling India India India
It's a typical Savannah day
So I take my guitar to the park and I play
Sitting up under the live oak tree
The strangest feeling came over me
Is this the tree where my brother was hung?
Is this the ground where is body was burnt?
God gave to me the gift of song so I dedicate this one
[Chorus]
Superiority, who have you better than me
Wasting precious time on racist mentality
This is only the beginning
Because we'll be pushing up daisies in the ending
Spirit knows no color either you're a hater or a lover
[Chorus]
In India.Arie’s “India’s Song”, she addresses the issues of racism and slavery that still plague America’s history. In the first verse, India.Arie expresses her disdain for the hypocrisy she has witnessed in the South as an African American. She then proceeds to reference the origins of America’s enslavement of Africans in 1619, further illustrating the deep-seated racism that continues to exist.
In the chorus, India.Arie longs to escape to a place where she can freely express herself and be unburdened by the shame of racism. She desires to be in the mountains where she can sing her heart out, beside rivers deep enough to drown out the pain and under stars bright enough to guide her path. The wind calls her name, offering her the freedom from the oppression she experiences every day.
Finally, in the last verse, India.Arie highlights the importance of unity despite our differing races; she claims that superiority only exists in the mind of the individual, for spirit knows no color. These lyrics call for the end of racism, and the start of true equality and love for all.
Line by Line Meaning
Too much hypocrisy in this old southern town for me
I see too much falsity in this age-old southern district
Way back in 1619 began this tragic story
It was eons ago that this woeful tale came into existence
Thrown into slavery the crime was the color of skin
Being forced into bondage and servitude just because of one's complexion was the wrongdoing
Never to see the light of the past again
They never got to relive the good times again
[Chorus]
The refrain in the song which goes like this:
I wanna go where the mountains are high enough to echo my song
I wish to reach a place where the hills are lofty enough to reflect my melodies
I wanna go where the rivers run deep enough to drown my shame
I aspire to visit a location where the water bodies are deep enough to wash away my embarrassment
I wanna go where the stars shine bright enough to show me the way
I yearn to journey to a place where the sky illuminates brightly enough to guide me
I wanna go where the wind calls my name
I desire to be in a zone where the air whispers my name
The wind is calling India India India
The wind appears to be calling out my name, again and again
It's a typical Savannah day
This is a regular day in Savannah
So I take my guitar to the park and I play
Therefore, I take my guitar with me to the park and start playing
Sitting up under the live oak tree
Sitting beneath the live oak tree
The strangest feeling came over me
Suddenly, I experienced an unusual sensation
Is this the tree where my brother was hung?
I wonder, was this the tree where my brother was executed?
Is this the ground where his body was burnt?
Is this the precise section where his remains were reduced to ashes?
God gave to me the gift of song so I dedicate this one
The almighty bestowed upon me the aptitude to create music, and hence, I dedicate this song to HIM
Superiority, who have you better than me
On what basis do you pride yourself when no one is above me?
Wasting precious time on racist mentality
It's a sheer waste of our valuable life to harbor racial discrimination
This is only the beginning
This is just the start
Because we'll be pushing up daisies in the ending
Because eventually, we all shall perish
Spirit knows no color either you're a hater or a lover
One's mind knows no distinction of complexion; they either hate or love independent of it
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: INDIA ARIE, INDIA ARIE SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind