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)
Strength Courage & Wisdom
India.Arie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Behind my eyes there lives a me that I've been hiding for much too long
Cause I've been, too afraid to let it show
Cause I'm scared of the judgment that may follow
Always putting off my living for tomorrow
It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my faith
It's been illusive for so long, but freedom is mine today
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found
Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me
Behind my pride there lives a me, that knows humility
Inside my voice there is a soul, and in my soul there is a voice
But I've been, too afraid to make a choice
Cause I'm scared of the things that I might be missing
Running too fast to stop and listen
It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my faith
It's been illusive for so long but freedom is mine today
I've gotta step out on faith it's time to show my faith
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found
Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me
I close my eyes and I think of all the things that I want to see
'Cause I know, now that I've opened up my heart I know that
Anything I want can be, so let it be, so let it be
Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me
It's been inside of me all along, everyday I'm praying for
Strength, courage, and wisdom
To find me, yeah,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me
I found it in me, I found it finally
I'm sure to keep it' cause I like it, I say thank you
India.Arie's song Strength Courage & Wisdom is about breaking free from fear and self-doubt to embrace individuality and personal power. The song starts with the artist acknowledging the dream that lives inside her head that she wants to come to fruition. She also admits that she has been hiding her true self due to fear of judgment. The first verse ends with her resolving to show her faith and take a step out of her comfort zone. In the chorus, she realizes that strength courage and wisdom have always been inside her and it's time to bring them to light.
In the second verse, India.Arie talks about the humility that lies within her as well as the soul that her voice holds. However, the fear of missing out and running too fast have been holding her back. Again, she resolves to step out on faith and let freedom ring. The song ends with the artist reveling in the realization that everything she wants can be hers if she just believes in herself and allows herself to be true to who she is.
Overall, the song is a powerful message of hope and empowerment urging the listener to take control of their destiny and not be held back by fear or self-doubt.
Line by Line Meaning
Inside my head there lives a dream that I want to see in the sun
I have a dream in my imagination that I want to make a reality
Behind my eyes there lives a me that I've been hiding for much too long
There is a part of me that I have kept hidden from the world
Cause I've been, too afraid to let it show
Cause I'm scared of the judgment that may follow
I am afraid to express my true self because of the potential negative reactions of others
Always putting off my living for tomorrow
I have been delaying my personal growth and progress for too long
It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my faith
It's been illusive for so long, but freedom is mine today
I've gotta step out on faith, It's time to show my faith
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found
I must take a leap of faith and trust in my abilities to achieve my dreams. I have been avoiding this for too long, but today I am ready to take action and make progress. In doing so, I have discovered a newfound sense of freedom and independence.
Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me
I have always had the inner strength, bravery, and knowledge to succeed, but I needed to believe in myself and take action in order to discover and utilize these qualities.
Behind my pride there lives a me, that knows humility
Inside my voice there is a soul, and in my soul there is a voice
But I've been, too afraid to make a choice
Cause I'm scared of the things that I might be missing
I have learned the importance of being humble and have discovered my inner voice and the power it possesses. However, I am still hesitant to make important decisions because I fear the potential losses that may come with them.
Running too fast to stop and listen
It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my faith
It's been illusive for so long but freedom is mine today
I've gotta step out on faith it's time to show my faith
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found
I have been too busy with life to pause and reflect on my goals and aspirations. Once I take that first step towards achieving them, I will find the liberation that has evaded me for so long.
I close my eyes and I think of all the things that I want to see
'Cause I know, now that I've opened up my heart I know that
Anything I want can be, so let it be, so let it be
I visualize all of the things I desire, and I now realize that anything is possible as long as I remain open-minded and positive.
It's been inside of me all along, everyday I'm praying for
Strength, courage, and wisdom
To find me, yeah,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me
I know deep down that I have always possessed the qualities necessary to succeed, but I pray for the strength, bravery, and knowledge to utilize them fully and realize my potential.
I found it in me, I found it finally
I'm sure to keep it' cause I like it, I say thank you
I have finally discovered the inner qualities that have been hiding inside of me all along. I am grateful to have found them and will cherish and utilize them going forward.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: India Arie, India Arie Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind