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)
Simple
India.Arie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me whisper in your ear
Now that you're listening,
Let me tell you how I fill
I've been trying to formulate
The perfect words the perfect way
I can't hold it back no more
I gotta let you know today
[Chorus]
Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)
Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)
Now that you're listening let me tell you what I need
Now that your holding me let me show you what I mean
I've been trying to analyze
just what it is I fill inside my heart
But now I realize it don't have to be so hard
Cause it's
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
Once the power is for real
And I gonna say it again
And again
I Love you [Repeat: x6]
Now you know how I feel
Tell me what are you gonna do
Now that I've said the words
Tell me what do you have to lose
I know that you feel it to
I can see it when I look into your eyes
You're scared, but you don't have to be
It's alright cause it's
[Chorus]
India.Arie's song "Simple" is a beautiful expression of love and simplicity. The song starts with the singer telling her loved one that now they are together, she wants to whisper something in their ear. She couldn't hold back her feelings anymore and has to tell them how she feels. She explains that she has been trying to find the perfect words and formulation to express her love, but now she doesn't have to because it's so simple. She loves them, and that's all that matters.
In the second verse, she tells her loved one that now she has their attention, she wants them to know what she needs. She has been analyzing her feelings for her loved one, but she realizes that love doesn't have to be analyzed so much. It's simple, and it comes from the heart. The bridges carry the phrase 'I love you' repeatedly, emphasizing the importance of this feeling.
The chorus repeats the message of simplicity, and loving someone is simple. She wants to tell her loved one how she feels, and she knows that they feel it too. She encourages them not to be scared of their feelings because it's alright, and it's simple. The song ends with the singer asking her loved one what they're going to do now that she has expressed her love to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that you're right here,
Now that you're present and attentive,
Let me whisper in your ear
Let me confide something personal to you,
Now that you're listening,
Now that you're paying attention,
Let me tell you how I fill
Let me express my emotions to you,
I've been trying to formulate
I've been attempting to put into words,
The perfect words the perfect way
The ideal combination of words and delivery,
I can't hold it back no more
I can no longer suppress it,
I gotta let you know today
I have to tell you now,
Simple (What more can I say)
It's straightforward and uncomplicated,
So Simple
That's all there is to it,
I Love you (What more can I say)
I have strong feelings of affection for you,
Now that you're listening let me tell you what I need
Now that you're attentive, let me explain my desires,
Now that your holding me let me show you what I mean
Now that you have physical contact with me, let me demonstrate my intentions,
I've been trying to analyze
I've been attempting to examine closely,
just what it is I fill inside my heart
The exact emotions I experience in my heart,
But now I realize it don't have to be so hard
But now I understand that it doesn't need to be so difficult,
Once the power is for real
Once the emotion is authentic,
And I gonna say it again
And I'm going to repeat it,
And again
Multiple times,
I Love you [Repeat: x6]
I have expressed my love and will continue to do so,
Now you know how I feel
Now you understand the depth of my emotions,
Tell me what are you gonna do
Ask me what your next steps are,
Now that I've said the words
Now that I have expressed my feelings,
Tell me what do you have to lose
What consequences do you have to fear,
I know that you feel it to
I'm aware that you share similar feelings,
I can see it when I look into your eyes
I can perceive it through your eyes and body language,
You're scared, but you don't have to be
You're frightened, but it's not necessary,
It's alright cause it's
It's acceptable and understandable,
Simple (What more can I say)
Straightforward and uncomplicated,
So Simple
That's all it is,
I Love you (What more can I say)
I have strong feelings of affection for you,
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK CHRISTOPHER BATSON, INDIA ARIE SIMPSON, KEVIN CANNON, DUANE COVERT, DANIEL WILLIAM JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind