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)
Can't We Be Friends?
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So it seems this is how the story ends
She's gonna turn me down and say
"Can't we be friends?"
I thought for once it couldn't go wrong
Not for long! I can see the way this ends
She's gonna turn me down and say
Never again and through with love
And through with them
They play their game without shame
And who's to blame?
I thought I'd found a girl I could trust
What a bust! Now I see the way this ends
She's gonna turn me down and say
"Can't we be friends?"
Never again and through with love
And through with them
They play their game without shame
And who's to blame?
I should have seen the signals and stopped
What a flop! Now I see the way this ends
I'll let her turn me down and say
"Can't we be friends?"
I thought I'd found the girl of my dreams
So it seems this is how the story ends
I'll let her turn me down and say
"Can't we be friends?"
The lyrics to Jamie Cullum's song "Can't We Be Friends?" tell the story of a man who thought he had found the girl of his dreams, only to be let down and rejected. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Can't we be friends?" which, in this context, is ambiguously used as both a friendly offer and a dismissive rejection. The singer seems to have put a lot of hope and trust in his relationship but is ultimately disappointed when he realizes it is not meant to be.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of resignation and bitterness in the singer's voice. He repeats the phrase "Never again and through with love," suggesting that he has given up hope and is ready to move on from this failed relationship. The line "They play their game without shame and who's to blame?" hints at the idea that the singer feels like he was deceived and taken advantage of by the woman he thought he loved.
Overall, "Can't We Be Friends?" is a melancholic look at the end of a relationship and the disappointment that comes with it. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the singer's sense of resignation and the feeling that he has no choice but to accept the rejection and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I'd found the girl of my dreams
I believed that I had finally met the perfect girl for me
So it seems this is how the story ends
It appears that things are not going to work out as I hoped
She's gonna turn me down and say "Can't we be friends?"
She will likely reject me romantically and suggest just being friends
I thought for once it couldn't go wrong
I had confidence that this time, my romantic pursuit would be successful
Not for long! I can see the way this ends
My optimism was short-lived as I realize this situation won't end favorably for me
Never again and through with love
I've given up on love and am not willing to try again
And through with them
I'm also done with people who play games in relationships
They play their game without shame
Some people manipulate and toy with the hearts of others, with no remorse
And who's to blame?
I'm not sure who the culprit is in this cycle of heartbreak and disappointment
I thought I'd found a girl I could trust
I had faith that this girl could be someone I could rely on and be honest with
What a bust! Now I see the way this ends
Unfortunately, this situation was a failure and my hopes were in vain
I'll let her turn me down and say "Can't we be friends?"
I'll accept her rejection and try to maintain a friendly relationship
I should have seen the signals and stopped
I recognize now that there were likely red flags that I ignored or overlooked
What a flop! Now I see the way this ends
My optimism has turned to disappointment as I see how this will conclude
I thought I'd found the girl of my dreams
In the beginning, I thought my search for a perfect romantic partner had finally ended
So it seems this is how the story ends
But in reality, this is far from a fairytale ending
I'll let her turn me down and say "Can't we be friends?"
My final decision is to accept her choice, even if it's not what I had hoped for
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KAY SWIFT, PAUL JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind