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)
I
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every single little crack on your face
I think I love
Even our most casual embrace
You don't have to try
'Cause I've made up my mind
Baby, I think I love you today
You threw a can of beer at me like a stone?
You drunk too much wine
And threw up in the taxi cab on the way home
You looked like a mess
But I must confess
Baby, I think I love you today
When I think what we could do
If I could only say to you, yeah
All of these things
Well, do I dare?
But would you care?
'Cause I think I love
Every time you honor me with a kiss
And I think I love
Well, there are just a million things I could list
Should let you know
But maybe tomorrow
Baby, I think I love you today
Jamie Cullum's song "I Think I Love" talks about the feeling of being in love and appreciating every little thing about the loved one. The opening lines "I think I love every single little crack on your face" is a way to tell the person that everything about them is beautiful, including their imperfections. The song goes on to describe how the smallest things like a casual embrace and a kiss can make the person feel loved.
The second verse talks about a particular memory shared between the two individuals. Even though it was not a pretty sight, it still holds a special place in the singer's heart. The lyrics "You don't have to try 'cause I've made up my mind, baby, I think I love you today" expresses the confidence in the singer's feelings towards the loved one. The chorus talks about the dilemma of whether or not to confess their love and the fear of not getting a reciprocated response.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I love
The singer is expressing their feelings of love and attraction towards someone.
Every single little crack on your face
The singer is so enamored by the person that they even find imperfections like facial wrinkles endearing.
Even our most casual embrace
The singer is so in love that even the most mundane and ordinary gestures, like a casual hug, mean a lot to them.
You don't have to try
The artist is telling their beloved that they don't have to put on a performance or try hard to impress them, because their love is already certain.
'Cause I've made up my mind
The artist has decided that they love this person and nothing can change their mind.
Baby, I think I love you today
The singer is not sure if their love will last forever, but they know they love this person at this very moment.
Remember that time
The singer is reminiscing about a specific moment or experience they shared with their beloved.
You threw a can of beer at me like a stone?
The person did something unexpected and possibly reckless, like throwing a can of beer like a projectile, which somehow endeared them to the artist.
You drunk too much wine
The person may have indulged a bit too much, but that doesn't change the artist's feelings towards them.
And threw up in the taxi cab on the way home
The person got sick in an inconvenient or embarrassing situation, but the artist still loves them unconditionally.
You looked like a mess
The person may have appeared disheveled or unattractive in this particular moment, but the singer still loves them despite their flaws.
But I must confess
The artist is admitting that their love is not logical and doesn't always make sense, but that doesn't change how they feel.
When I think what we could do
The singer is imagining the possibilities of what they and their beloved could achieve or experience together.
If I could only say to you, yeah
The singer is hesitant to express their full feelings to their beloved, but wishes they could be honest and vulnerable with them.
All of these things
The singer has a laundry list of reasons why they love this person, but may not be able to articulate it fully.
Well, do I dare?
The artist is grappling with whether or not to be brave and confess their love, which feels risky and scary.
But would you care?
The artist is unsure if their confession of love would be reciprocated or appreciated by their beloved.
'Cause I think I love
The singer is reminding themselves and their beloved of their feelings of love and attraction.
Every time you honor me with a kiss
The singer feels honored and loved every time their beloved shows affection, like with a kiss.
And I think I love
The artist has a million little reasons why they love this person, but it's hard to put into words.
Well, there are just a million things I could list
The artist has an overwhelming amount of love and affection for this person, and could go on and on explaining why they feel this way.
Should let you know
The artist is feeling a strong urge to share their feelings of love with their beloved.
But maybe tomorrow
The singer is putting off confessing their love for now, possibly because they are scared of rejection or unsure of their beloved's feelings.
Baby, I think I love you today
The artist still loves their beloved, even if they haven't yet expressed their feelings fully.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jamie Cullum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eddyattridge79
I used to know Jamie before he was famous. He lived in the house opposite mine. We would meet up with a few others and chase each other with sticks, pretending we were in war. Nice guy from what I remember.
@christinstracke5773
I cannot mention the multiple times Jamie Has saved my life... His music has healing powers, displaying life and all it entails... cruelty, happiness, irony, bittersweetness, consolation, self-realization... all of which should be acknowledged and embraced, not ignored or swallowed. So good.
@alexchannon
I have been looking for this song for literally 7 years, I remember when it came out and watching the video on Rage (Australian music video tv show) and I always remembered that there was a bell hopper in the video. FINALLY FOUND IT!!!
@yourbibillyhills
congrats!
@BruceJC75
He's totally original! Nobody has ever had a sound like this! He freakin rocks!
@ingdanify
Every Jazz-lover can't resist this beautiful song. Good on you mate
@toodsf1
Just because it's by Jamie Cullum doesn't make it jazz mate - this isn't. It's a pop song with some flashy piano playing. Don't get me wrong it's a good song and I like it too but it ain't jazz
@ingdanify
toodsf1 I undertand that you don't think his a jazz singer, but I have seen several inteviews and he was on Nevermind the buzzcocks with david tennant as host. In the beginning david says;
He's the jazz singer who is marrie to...... and so on. If you think he is a pop singer and his song are definetely pop. Then I won't argue. It's just what I think. Well we can all agree, he is an amazing singer anyway! But thanks for the comment. I like to discuss
@quve019
@alexander: it's Jazz, the tempo genre is specified as Cool Jazz, not Pop, in the 3/4ths rhythm.
@emmylovesblueluv4201
Plop