Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz singer-songwriter, an… Read Full Bio ↴Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Though he is a primarily a vocalist, he also accompanies himself on instruments including piano, guitar and drums.

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)

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Jamie Cullum Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby, do you understand me now
Sometimes you see that I'm mad
But don't you know that no one
Can always be an angel
When everything goes wrong you see some bad
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Understand me, understand me

Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree
With a joy that's hard to hide
And sometimes it seems again that all I have is worry
Then you're bound to see my other side
I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

If I seem edgy I want you to know (Want you to know)
That I never meant to take it out on you
Life has it's problems and I've got my share
And that's one thing I never meant to do (Oh)
Now baby, I'm only human
And I've got fault like anyone
Sometimes I find myself alone regretting
Some little foolish thing some simple thing I've done
I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood (Oh)
Understand me, understand me, understand me

I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

Overall Meaning

In "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", Jamie Cullum feat. Gregory Porter sings about how sometimes people don't understand one's intentions or feelings, and misinterpret them, causing conflict and misunderstanding. The lyrics express how the singer can appear moody or edgy, and how this may lead others to believe he's being insensitive towards them. However, the singer emphasizes that he's only human, and has moments of joy, sadness, worry, and regret. The recurring lines of "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good, Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood" serve as a plea to be understood and accepted for who he truly is, flaws and all.

The song carries a message of vulnerability and an acknowledgment of the complexities of human emotions. It reminds us of the importance of empathy, communication, and not jumping to conclusions about someone's actions without understanding their intentions. The blend of Jamie Cullum's and Gregory Porter's vocals creates a beautiful harmony that showcases the depth and rawness of their emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby, do you understand me now
Do you comprehend my emotional state?

Sometimes you see that I'm mad
Occasionally, I express anger.

But don't you know that no one
Everyone has shortcomings.

Can always be an angel
No one is perfect.

When everything goes wrong you see some bad
When things do not go as planned, negative emotions may arise.

But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Despite my shortcomings, my intentions are pure.

Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
I hope to be understood and not judged harshly.

Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree
At times, I am lighthearted and joyful.

With a joy that's hard to hide
My happiness is apparent.

And sometimes it seems again that all I have is worry
On occasion, I am overwhelmed by stress and concerns.

Then you're bound to see my other side
My negative emotions become visible.

If I seem edgy I want you to know (Want you to know)
If I come across as irritable, I want you to understand.

That I never meant to take it out on you
I apologize if I unintentionally expressed my negative emotions towards you.

Life has it's problems and I've got my share
Like everyone else, I face life's obstacles and challenges.

And that's one thing I never meant to do (Oh)
I never intended to burden those I care about.

Now baby, I'm only human
I am not perfect; I make mistakes like everyone else.

And I've got fault like anyone
I have my own flaws and imperfections.

Sometimes I find myself alone regretting
Occasionally, I am alone with my remorse.

Some little foolish thing some simple thing I've done
I am remorseful for minor mistakes.

Understand me, understand me, understand me
Please empathize and comprehend my situation.

I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Despite my mistakes, my intentions are pure.

Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
I hope to be understood and not judged harshly.

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: Jamie Cullum

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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TRACKS

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01Interlude3:27

02Don't You Know2:56

03The Seer's Tower3:55

04Walkin'2:43

05Good Morning Heartache3:32

06Sack o' Woe3:45

07Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood2:58

PT2M58S

Jamie Cullum

08My One and Only Love4:32

09Lovesick Blues3:07

10Losing You3:24

11Out of This World5:51

12Make Someone Happy3:28

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10y↑1

Love this!

@gprosser11

10y↑4

well done..

@okAngelface

Understood! No doubt. Golden.

3y↑2

@damredub

10y↑4

Jamie is very good but Gregory Porter is the star turn on this track. His voice is simply fantastic. Different class really.

@worldcrisis8658

10y

There are 2 beliebers stumbled upon here

@regina7989

@Muzezzz

10y↑2

OK but not great! In terms of musical arrangement, vocal's and connection with the lyrics there is only one artist for me...Nina Simone.

@mectron63

10y↑2

oh lord please dont let me butcher this song.

@dorsetstrummers6283

10y↑1

The more times I hear this abomination the more I am convinced that neither singer had ever heard the song before and had no idea of the melody, so they just made it up as they went along.

@sweetsavorypodcast2613

9y↑1

that's Jazz baby!

@dorsetstrummers6283

Dana Genest
No ... Jazz is half a dozen people all playing a different tune at once, a drummer keeping time with no-one in particular, and someone blowing random notes on a trumpet.

This is just a shit cover version.

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