Cullum was born in Romford, East London. He was brought up in Hullavington, Wiltshire, and educated at the independent fee-paying Grittleton House School and the sixth form at Sheldon School. He then went on to study English Literature, and minored in Film Studies, at Reading University where he graduated with First Class Honours.
His mother, Yvonne, is a secretary of Anglo-Burmese origin, whose family settled in Wales after Burma's independence; his father, John Cullum, worked in finance. His paternal grandfather was a British Army officer, while his paternal grandmother was a Jewish refugee from Prussia who sang in Berlin nightclubs.
Cullum married British model Sophie Dahl at a country hotel in the New Forest National Park in England on 9 January 2010.
Cullum released his first album, Jamie Cullum Trio—Heard it All, in 1999, of which 500 copies were made. Due to their rarity, original copies have sold for as much as £600 on eBay. The success of Heard It All Before resulted in Cullum being invited to appear on Geoff Gascoyne's album Songs of the Summer.
After graduating from Reading University, Cullum released a best-selling album, Pointless Nostalgic, which stirred interest from Michael Parkinson[2] and Melvyn Bragg.
Just after Cullum made his first television appearance, on Parkinson in April 2003, he signed a £1m contract[3] for three albums with Universal, who beat Sony in a bidding war. Cullum's third album, Twentysomething, released in October 2003, went platinum and became the #1 selling studio album by a jazz artist in the United Kingdom. Cullum ended 2003 as the UK's biggest selling jazz artist of all time.[3]
Although primarily a jazz musician, he performs in a wide range of styles and is generally regarded as a "crossover" artist with his musical roots firmly based in jazz. Cullum draws his inspiration from many different musicians and listens to an eclectic mix of music from Miles Davis[4] to Tom Waits and many more. Cullum has belonged to several bands, ranging from banging drums in a hip hop group to playing guitar in rock bands such as Raw Sausage and The Mystery Machine, in his teenage youth. Cullum names his elder brother, Ben Cullum, as his biggest musical influence, and the two continue to collaborate extensively.
Cullum is well known not only for his abilities on the piano, but also for his unique entertainment style and charisma. One of the many things that features in Jamie's concerts is the "stompbox" (not to be confused with an effect pedal for guitars), made from a small wooden block. The stompbox is used to amplify a musician's tapping foot. Jamie found this in Australia and uses it to enhance upbeat and fast-paced songs such as Seven Nation Army originally by the White Stripes and "Gold Digger", originally by Kanye West. He is also often found using a looping machine. This plays a heavy part in Cullum's versions of Seven Nation Army and Teardrop by Massive Attack. Cullum is also often found beatboxing at most gigs.
As well as the White Stripes and Kanye West, Cullum has performed work by Massive Attack, Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, Radiohead, Gnarls Barkley, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Joy Division, Lady Gaga and many others. He has also performed with Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, Will.i.am and Burt Bacharach.
Cullum rarely works to a set list and on average his gigs last just over two hours. The gigs are largely improvised, rooted in jazz but not solely consisting of jazz music.
Cullum has played at many large music festivals, including Glastonbury Festival (in 2004 & 2009), Coachella 2005, 2006 South by Southwest, North Sea Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl (performing with the Count Basie Orchestra) and the 2006 Playboy Jazz Festival. On the April 29th 2006 Cullum played his biggest ever crowd on Queensday in The Netherlands.
Discography:
1999 - Heard It All Before
2001 - Pointless Nostalgic
2003 - Twentysomething
2005 - Catching Tales
2009 - The Pursuit
2010 - Devil May Care
2013 - Momentum
2014 - Interlude
2018 - The song society playlist
2019 - Taller
2020 - The pianoman at christmas
2021 - The pianoman at christmas (The complete edition)
Blame It On My Youth
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If, only just for you, I did exist, blame it on my youth
I believed in everything
Like a child of three
You meant more than anything
You meant all the world to me
If, you were on my mind, all night and day, blame it on my youth
If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth
Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth.
In Jamie Cullum's song "Blame It On My Youth," the lyrics express the innocence and naivety of youth in love. The singer takes responsibility for their actions and the intensity of their love, blaming it on their youth. The first two stanzas present the idea of a love so powerful that it consumes everything else in their life - an all-encompassing obsession. The singer believed in everything like a child, and the person they were in love with was the most important thing in the world to them. They place the responsibility of their emotions and actions on their youth and lack of life experience.
The next two stanzas describe the extent of the love they had for the person they are singing to. The person they were in love with was always on their mind, and they were so preoccupied with their thoughts, they forgot about basic necessities like eating and sleeping. Their love is so intense that it even caused them to cry when they learned the truth. However, the singer argues that the blame should not be placed on their heart but on their youth, implying that they are still learning and growing, and their youth is an excuse for their actions.
Overall, "Blame It On My Youth" is a song that expresses young love's intensity and passion, acknowledging the consequences of such emotions. The singer takes responsibility for their actions, but also recognizes that their youth is bound to make them emotional and impulsive.
Line by Line Meaning
If, I expected love, when first we kissed, blame it on my youth
I was young and naive when we first kissed. If I imagined it to be more than it was, then it's because I didn't yet have the experience to know better.
If, only just for you, I did exist, blame it on my youth
When I was young and in love with you, I felt like you were the center of my world. If that made me do crazy things, then it's because I was still learning how to navigate my feelings.
I believed in everything
As a child, I had a natural trust in the world around me. I had an innocent outlook on life and love that made me think anything was possible.
Like a child of three
This line emphasizes the theme of youthfulness and naivete. I was so young when I fell in love with you that I had no idea what I was getting into.
You meant more than anything
When I was young and in love, you represented everything I wanted in life. You were my whole world and I couldn't imagine living without you.
You meant all the world to me
You were my everything. When you're young and in love, it's easy to get lost in that person and forget about everything else in the world.
If, you were on my mind, all night and day, blame it on my youth
When I was young and in love, all I could think about was you. If I couldn't get you out of my head, it's because I was still figuring out how to process my emotions.
If, I forgot to eat, and sleep and pray, blame it on my youth
Love can be all-consuming, especially when you're young and inexperienced. If I neglected my basic needs in order to focus on you, it's because I didn't know any better.
If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth
When I found out that my feelings weren't reciprocated, it was devastating. If I shed a tear or two, it's because I was still learning how to cope with heartbreak.
Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth.
I was young and in love when I gave you my heart. If I made mistakes or was too naive, it wasn't because of my heart, but because of my age and lack of experience.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Edward Heyman, Oscar Levant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind