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'm All Over It
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though it seems like we've been friends for years
I'm finishing
How I wish I had never begun
Though it should be the last one
And it's dragging me down to my knees
Where I'm begging you please
Don't you know
[Chorus]
I'm all over it now
And I can't say how glad I am about that
I'm all over it now
'Cause I worked and I cursed and I cried
And I said I could change and I lied
Well there's something still moves me inside
She's a melody
That I've tried to forget but I can't
It still follows me
When I wake in the dead of the night
And I know that I can't find
That song going round in my head
Like the last things you said
Please don't go
You think I know
[Chorus]
No I won't come back
No I won't come back
No I won't come back
No I won't come back
One dark morning
She left without a warning
And took the red-eye back to London town
I'm all over it now
I'm all over it now
I'm all over it now
I'm all over it now
I'm all over it now
And I can't say how glad I am about that
I'm all over it now
'Cause I worked and I cursed and I cried
And I said I would change but I lied
Yeah there's something still moves me inside
The song "I'm All Over It" by Jamie Cullum is a melancholic piece about trying to move on from a past relationship. The lyrics depict a sense of regret over starting the relationship, as it led to heartache and the inability to fully let go of the memories. The opening lines "Hello innocence, though it seems like we've been friends for years. I'm finishing, how I wish I had never begun" suggest the singer is speaking to their own conscience, reflecting on how they wish they never got involved in the relationship in the first place. The chorus "I'm all over it now, and I can't say how glad I am about that" depicts the singer's triumph in moving on, despite the difficulty they faced. However, the lyric "there's something still moves me inside" suggests that despite the progress made, there are still lingering emotions.
The song features a blend of genres, including jazz and pop, which are characteristic of Jamie Cullum's music style. Though the lyrics tell a sad story, the upbeat tempo of the melody contrasts with the overall mood of the song. The bridge "One dark morning, she left without a warning and took the red-eye back to London town" adds a layer of mystery to the tale, leaving room for the listener to fill in the blanks about what happened between the two individuals.
Overall, "I'm All Over It" is a song that reflects on the experience of trying to move on after a heartbreak. The catchy melody and upbeat tempo make the song alluring, but the lyrics add depth and resonate with anyone who has experienced a difficult break-up.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello innocence
Addressing the purity within himself
Though it seems like we've been friends for years
Reflecting on a long and complicated relationship with his inner self
I'm finishing
Coming to a final conclusion about the state of his inner self
How I wish I had never begun
Regretting past actions that led him to this point
Though it should be the last one
Recognizing that he needs to put an end to this cycle
And it's dragging me down to my knees
Feeling overwhelmed and defeated by his inner struggles
Where I'm begging you please
Desperately pleading with himself for help
Let me go
Begging himself to release the negative emotions and patterns
Don't you know
Appealing to his inner self for mercy
I'm all over it now
Having overcome his inner struggles
And I can't say how glad I am about that
Expressing gratitude and relief for his inner peace
'Cause I worked and I cursed and I cried
Acknowledging the hard work and pain it took to get to this point
And I said I could change and I lied
Admitting to false promises he made to himself
Well there's something still moves me inside
Recognizing that he is not completely immune to his inner struggles
She's a melody
Referring to his inner demons as a persistent tune
That I've tried to forget but I can't
Attempting to suppress his negative emotions with no success
It still follows me
Acknowledging that his inner demons continue to haunt him
When I wake in the dead of the night
Experiencing his inner struggles most vividly in moments of restlessness
And I know that I can't find
Feeling unable to escape his negative thoughts
That song going round in my head
Referring to his inner demons as a persistent tune playing in his head
Like the last things you said
Comparing the persistence of his negative thoughts to the echoes of past conversations
Please don't go
Begging himself not to succumb to his inner demons
You think I know
Acknowledging his own lack of control over his inner struggles
No I won't come back
Refusing to return to a place of inner turmoil
One dark morning
Reflecting on a specific moment of pain
She left without a warning
Referring to his inner demons as something that can suddenly leave him feeling defeated
And took the red-eye back to London town
Using a metaphor to express the sudden and overwhelming nature of his inner struggles
I'm all over it now
Emphasizing that he has overcome his inner struggles
I'm all over it now
Repeating the message of his victory over his inner turmoil
Yeah there's something still moves me inside
Admitting that he still has some emotional scars from his past struggles
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICKY ROSS, 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