Born India Arie Simpson on 3rd October 1975 in Denver, Colorado, she tried various musical instruments at school there, but it was after moving to Georgia when her parents divorced that she took up the guitar. This led her into song writing, and from there into a professional career as a musician.
She co-founded the Atlanta-based independent music collective GroovmentEarthseed (Groovement was the collective artists' name and Earthshare was their independent label name), and began to perform publicly. A Universal Records/Motown music scout spotted her and introduced her to Motown CEO Kedar Massenburg. The consequent album, Acoustic Soul (2001), involved a wide mixture of styles, and thus attracted a wide audience. It entered the Billboard albums chart at number ten, and at number three on the R&B album chart., eventually going double platinum.
India.Arie also features on Stevie Wonder's 2005 album A Time to Love. She and Wonder duet on the title track "A Time to Love", which Arie wrote, and 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", written especially for the show. She 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.
Get It Together
India Arie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one has the power to hurt you like your kin
Kept it inside, didn't tell no one else
Didn't even want to admit it to yourself
And now your chest burns and your back aches
From 15 years of holding the pain
And now you only have yourself to blame
If you continue to live this way
Get it together
You want to heal your body
You have to heal your heart
Whatsoever you sow you will reap
Get it together
You can fly fly
Dark future ahead of me
That's what they say
I'd be starving if I ate all the lies they fed
Cause I've been redeemed from your anguish and pain
A miracle child I'm floating on a cloud
Cause the words that come from your mouth
You're the first to hear
Speak words of beauty and you will be there
No matter what anybody says
What matters most is what you think of yourself
Get it together
You want to heal your body
You have to heal your heart
Whatsoever you sow you will reap
Get it together
The choice is yours
No matter what it is
To choose life is to choose to forgive
You don't have to try
To hurt him and break his pride
To shake that weight off
And you will be ready to fly
One shot to your heart without breaking your skin
No one has the power to hurt you like your friends
Thought it will never change but this time moved on
An ugly duckling grew up to be a swan
And now your chest burns and your back aches
Because now the years are showing up on your face
But you're never be happy
And you'll never be whole
Until you see the beauty in growing old
Get it together
You want to heal your body
You have to heal your heart
Whatsoever you sow you will reap
Get it together
India Arie's song "Get It Together" is a powerful anthem about the importance of self-love and healing, especially after years of internalizing pain and trauma. In the first verse, Arie speaks directly to the listener, reminding them that the people closest to them - their family - are often the ones who can hurt them the most. She acknowledges the pain and hurt that the listener has internalized and urges them to confront it head-on in order to heal both their physical and emotional well-being.
The second verse speaks to the importance of positive self-talk and how it can transform one's entire worldview. Arie notes that it's easy to believe the negative things people say about us, but ultimately, the most important voice to listen to is our own. She encourages the listener to speak uplifting and beautiful words to themselves in order to change their own mindset and overcome any obstacles they may be facing.
In the third and final verse, Arie touches on the transformative power of time and growth. She notes that, though getting older can be difficult and uncomfortable, it also brings with it a greater sense of peace and acceptance. By learning to love and accept ourselves, we can embrace the beauty and growth that each year brings.
Line by Line Meaning
One shot to your heart without breaking your skin
Someone from your own family can hurt and wound you much more deeply than any physical injury could
Kept it inside, didn't tell no one else
You kept your pain hidden inside and didn't share it with anyone else
And now your chest burns and your back aches
You are experiencing physical symptoms of emotional pain that you've held onto for years
Get it together
It's time to start taking action to heal yourself
You want to heal your body
Physical health and emotional health are connected
Whatsoever you sow you will reap
Your words and actions have consequences
Dark future ahead of me, That's what they say
Others may try to bring you down and tell you that your future is bleak
Cause I've been redeemed from your anguish and pain
You have the power to overcome the pain and suffering inflicted on you by others
The choice is yours, No matter what it is
You are in control of your own choices and actions, regardless of what others may say or do
You don't have to try, To hurt him and break his pride
You do not need to seek revenge or try to harm those who have hurt you
Until you see the beauty in growing old
Only when you can find beauty and acceptance in aging will you truly find happiness and peace
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, TUNECORE INC
Written by: INDIA ARIE, ANDREW RAMSEY, SHANNON SANDERS, DANA JOHNSON, MEL JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind