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)
Love you should have come over
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Parading in a wake of sad relations as their shoes fill up with water
Maybe I'm too young to keep good love from going wrong
But tonight you're on my mind so you never know
I'm broken down and hungry for your love with no way to feed it
Where are you tonight, you know how much I need it
Too young to hold on and too old to break free and run
Sometimes a man, he gets carried away,
When he feels like he should be having his fun
And he's much too blind to see the damage he's done
Cause sometimes a man must awake to find that really he has no one
So I'll wait for you and I'll burn
Will I ever see your sweet return
Oh will I ever learn
Oh lover, you should've come over
'Cause it's not too late
Lonely is the room, the bed is made, the open window lets the rain in
Burning in the corner is the only one who dreams he had you with him
My body turns and yearns for a sleep that will never come
Sometimes a man, he gets carried away,
When he feels like he should be having his fun
And he's much too blind to see the damage he's done
Cause sometimes a man must awake to find that really he has no one
So I'll wait for you and I'll burn
Will I ever see your sweet return
Oh will I ever learn
Oh lover, you should've come over
'Cause it's not too late
'Cause it's not too late
The opening verse of Jamie Cullum's "Lover You Should Have Come Over" sets the tone for the melancholic ballad about the search for love and the pain of lost love. The singer observes the rain falling on the funeral mourners, while acknowledging his own youth and lack of experience in keeping a good love from going wrong. However, he cannot help but think about the person he loves on this night, hungering for their love but unable to feed it. The second verse carries on this theme of lost love and loneliness with the singer yearning for someone who is not there, feeling too young to hold on or too old to break free.
The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase "lover, you should've come over," is a mournful lament for the relationship that could have been if only one party had taken a different path. The final verse includes the striking image of the singer's body turning and yearning for sleep that will never come, highlighting the depth of the loneliness he feels. Ultimately, the song is a stirring meditation on love lost, and the longing to recapture it before it’s too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out the door I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners
Observing the sadness of a funeral ceremony as rain soaks the mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations as their shoes fill up with water
Family members sadly walking in the funeral procession, getting wet in the rain
Maybe I'm too young to keep good love from going wrong
Admitting to being inexperienced in maintaining love relationships
But tonight you're on my mind so you never know
Thinking about the possibility of rekindling past romance
I'm broken down and hungry for your love with no way to feed it
Feeling emotionally deprived and yearning for affection, but unable to satisfy it
Where are you tonight, you know how much I need it
Wondering where the person of interest is and how much their presence is desired
Too young to hold on and too old to break free and run
Feeling stuck between wanting to commit and wanting to escape
Sometimes a man, he gets carried away,
Acknowledging a man's tendency to lose control
When he feels like he should be having his fun
When he thinks he deserves to indulge himself
And he's much too blind to see the damage he's done
Not realizing the mistakes he's made and their consequences
Cause sometimes a man must awake to find that really he has no one
Coming to the realization that he's alone after mistreating those around him
So I'll wait for you and I'll burn
Enduring the pain of being apart from the loved one
Will I ever see your sweet return
Questioning the possibility of reconciliation
Oh will I ever learn
Reflecting on the mistakes made and hoping for personal growth
Oh lover, you should've come over
Expressing disappointment that the lover didn't turn up
'Cause it's not too late
Feeling optimistic that there's still a chance to rekindle the relationship
Lonely is the room, the bed is made, the open window lets the rain in
Feeling lonely as chaotic rain brings a dismal atmosphere to the room
Burning in the corner is the only one who dreams he had you with him
Suffering in loneliness while remembering the loved one's presence
My body turns and yearns for a sleep that will never come
Feeling the deep desire for restful slumber, but unable to find it
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeffery Scott Buckley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xia Vang
Saw Jamie Cullum in concert many many years ago. Pure talent.
María Buttironi
Jamie has the virtue to make amazing covers without ruining the originals. <3
robyn Herrick
*Better :)
Nicolas Hopkins
@robyn Herricklmao sure buddy
Renata Rodriguez
Let the guy sing.. he knew he was never in a competition with Jeff, but he felt it, loved it, and found his own way to share it. Any fans of Jeff should be happy when someone with an audience shares his music. It touched too few before it was over, and Jamie's just passing it on here.
Mike
Well said Renata
Adam Taylor
I love the way that Jamie Cullum changed the entire feel of the song
IMO thats the best way to cover a song (in the same way that Jeff Buckley changed the feeling in Hallelujah)
PS I love both musicians
Adam Taylor
***** May I make a suggestion?
I think that the only thing that would make him role in his grave is hearing your sheer amount of anger at a cover song. Like really, grow up. Are you an edgy teen or something? THey are the only people who use the words "fucking faggot"...
Jamie took a much more minimalistic approach to this song than Jeff's original, and I like the fact that he hasn't straight up copied it. I think that if you want to cover a song, then change the way it feels or don't bother. That is especially true for a song written by Jeff as he had such an incredible voice that mimicking it will always disappoint.
Will Lenk
Idk about that it’s pretty similar tempo / rhythm section to the original and I think the same key. I think yes he “changed“ the feel, but that’s only to say he kind of vacated the emotional feeling of the vocal, which doesn’t really serve it well. But yea I mean, you’re right— no need to get upset that he was inspired enough and gave it a crack!
alysson santos
Loved this version ! Love you Jamie