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)
Wonderful
India.Arie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your like a ribbon in the sky you are a poet's endless rhyme
You take me to a higher ground then you knock me off my feet
Lately I been thinking 'bout you, cause you been creeping in my dreams
You inspire me the way you make me feel inside is amazing
Your honesty your artistry is engaging
You are everything I hope to be
You have touch my soul I want you to know you are my hero
You got so much soul to put it plain and simple you are wonderful
I am the woman in red, I am girl blue, I am the black or I am a golden lady too
You bring the music of your mind to elevate human kind
That's why I share my emotions with inner visions I explode
You inspire me the way you make me feel inside is amazing
Your honesty your artistry is engaging
You are everything I want to be
You have touch my soul I want you to know you are my hero
You got so much soul to put it plain and simple you are wonderful
[Bridge]
You so beautiful
Yeah
You are wonderful
You are beautiful
You are powerful
You have touch soul
And I just want to say
You have touch my soul
In such a special way
Stevie Wonderful
Stevie Wonderful
Stevie Wonderful
You have touch my soul, you're so divine, you're so sublime
You're wonderful
YOU have touch my soul, to put it plain and simple you are wonderful
You have touch my soul, you're so devine, you're so sublime
You're wonderful
The song Wonderful by India.Arie is a beautiful tribute to an inspiring individual who has impacted her life in a multitude of ways. The opening lines of the song pay homage to the person's creativity and talent, pointing out that they are like a modern-day Shakespeare and their words are like an endless rhyme. The person brings light and warmth into her life just like sunshine, and inspires her to be a better person. The song goes on to explain how this person has touched her soul and how their honesty and artistry resonates with her on a very deep level.
A key theme in the song is the idea that this person is not limited by societal norms or stereotypes. India.Arie sings that she is the woman in red, the girl in blue, the black and the golden lady. This shows that the person she is referring to goes beyond labels and represents the beauty and diversity of humanity.
The bridge of the song is a beautiful tribute to the person, with India.Arie singing that they are not only beautiful and wonderful but also powerful. The song ends by repeating the line "you have touched my soul, you're so divine, you're so sublime, you're wonderful," emphasizing the fact that this person has had a profound impact on her life.
Overall, the song Wonderful is a powerful ode to a person who has inspired and touched India.Arie's life in countless ways. It is a beautiful tribute to the beauty and diversity of humanity and shows how one person can have a profound impact on another.
Line by Line Meaning
You are the sunshine of my life another Shakespeare of your time
You bring light to my life and are a great poet like Shakespeare in your generation
Your like a ribbon in the sky you are a poet's endless rhyme
You're like a colorful and graceful ribbon flowing in the sky, being part of poetry that never ends for poets
You take me to a higher ground then you knock me off my feet
You empower and uplift me but also surprise me and put me off balance sometimes
Lately I been thinking 'bout you, cause you been creeping in my dreams
You've been on my mind lately because you've been in my dreams
You inspire me the way you make me feel inside is amazing
You motivate and encourage me, making me feel incredible on the inside
Your honesty your artistry is engaging
Your authentic, truthful nature and artistic abilities draw people in and captivate them
You are everything I hope to be
You are the embodiment of all the qualities I aspire to have
You have touch my soul I want you to know you are my hero
You have profoundly impacted me, and I want you to know that you are my hero
You got so much soul to put it plain and simple you are wonderful
You possess so much soul and passion that you are simply remarkable
I am the woman in red, I am girl blue, I am the black or I am a golden lady too
I am a person from different backgrounds and experiences who can appreciate and enjoy your music no matter what
You bring the music of your mind to elevate human kind
You bring the thoughts and emotions in your head into the music you make, which uplifts humanity
That's why I share my emotions with inner visions I explode
I'm inspired by you to express my innermost feelings and bring them to light in my own creative way
You so beautiful
You are incredibly beautiful
You are wonderful
You are amazing and exceptional
You are beautiful
You are gorgeous and stunning
You are powerful
You are strong and influential
Stevie Wonderful
You are as wonderful as Stevie Wonder
You have touch my soul, you're so divine, you're so sublime
You have profoundly touched my soul and are divine and exquisite
You're wonderful
You are simply amazing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SIDNEY BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind