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 You Know
Jamie Cullum Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, don't you know, baby
Well, don't you know, baby
Now don't you know, baby
Little girl, little girl, don't you know
Please listen to me baby
Girl, I'm in love with you so

Now turn your lamp down low

I said turn your lamp down low
Woo, turn your lamp down low
And turn your lamp down low
Come on now, now baby
Girl, I'm in love with you so

Now I know I've been away
For such a long time
But now, baby
I can't get you off of my mind
So come on now, baby
Come on, come on now, baby
Ooh, listen to me baby
Love your daddy all night long

Now if you love me
Like I love you
We can do all the things that we used to do
Come on now, baby
Come on, come on now, baby
Now baby come on
Love your daddy all night long

Have you heard baby
I'm back in town
Let's mess around
See what I'm puttin down
Come on now, baby
Come on, come on now, child
Come on, come on now, baby
Love your daddy all night long

So turn your lamp down low
'Cause I love you so
Baby, baby please come on
Baby, baby please come on

Now you give me talking with me, baby
Love your daddy all night long

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Don't You Know" reflect a sense of longing and desire that the singer, presumably Jamie Cullum himself, has for a girl. He pleads with her, asking her if she knows just how much he loves her. He urges her to listen to him, to turn down her "lamp," which may symbolize the distractions of the outside world, and to focus on him. He says that he can't get her off his mind and that he is back in town, ready to mess around with her. The repetition of certain phrases, such as "don't you know" and "love your daddy all night long," emphasizes the singer's desperation for the girl's love and attention.

The singer also mentions that he has been away for a long time, perhaps indicating that he has been traveling or working abroad. However, he seems to have returned with a renewed sense of passion for this girl. He even suggests that they can do "all the things that we used to do," implying that they have a shared history. Overall, the lyrics of "Don't You Know" convey a sense of urgency and longing, as the singer tries to convince this girl to love him back.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, don't you know, baby
I need to tell you something important, my dear

Little girl, little girl, don't you know
I care about you, and want you to understand

Please listen to me baby
I really need you to hear me out

Now turn your lamp down low
Let's get intimate, my love

Come on now, now baby
Please follow my lead, my sweet one

Now I know I've been away
I'm sorry I was gone for so long

But now, baby
But now that I'm back

I can't get you off of my mind
I can't stop thinking about you

Now if you love me
If you truly care for me

We can do all the things that we used to do
We can share in the same joy as before

Have you heard baby
Are you aware, my darling?

Let's mess around
Let's have fun together

See what I'm puttin down
Join me in this adventure, my love

So turn your lamp down low
Dim the light and let's focus on each other

Baby, baby please come on
Please be with me, my dear

Now you give me talking with me, baby
Let's have a chat, my love

Lyrics © DistroKid, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ray Charles

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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