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)
Not While I'm Around
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one's gonna hurt you, not while I'm around
Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays
I'll send 'em howling
I've got ways
No one's gonna hurt you
Others can desert you
Not to worry
Whistle, I'll be there
Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while
But in time
Nothing can harm you
Not while I'm around
Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while
But in time
Nothing can harm you
Not while I'm around
The song "Not While I'm Around" by Jamie Cullum is a protective ballad, which conveys the message of safeguarding someone you love from potential harm. In the first two lines, the singer assures his loved one that nothing will harm them as long as he is around. He reiterates this point by saying that no one will hurt you, directly or indirectly. The chorus describes the presence of demons, who are always out to get people in different ways. But the singer is not afraid of them and can send them away.
The second verse explains that while demons can deceive you or temporarily charm you, they can never harm you if you have the protection of someone who loves you. The last line of the chorus is repeated again, emphasizing that nothing can harm you while the person is around.
In general, the song creates a sense of protection, which can be extended to any relationship, whether it is romantic or between family and friends. The lyrics conveys the message that if you have someone who loves you and watches over you, nothing can harm you.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around
I'll protect you from any harm that comes your way
No one's gonna hurt you, not while I'm around
I won't let anyone hurt you while I'm here
Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays
There are evil forces lurking around and causing trouble nowadays
I'll send 'em howling
I'll scare those demons away
I've got ways
I have my own methods to handle those demons
No one's gonna hurt you
I won't let anyone hurt you
No one's gonna dare
No one will even dare to try hurting you
Others can desert you
Other people may abandon you
Not to worry
But don't worry
Whistle, I'll be there
Just whistle and I'll come to your side
Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while
Those demons may try to deceive you with their charming smile, at least for a short time
But in time
But eventually
Nothing can harm you
You will be safe from harm
Not while I'm around
As long as I'm here to protect you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stevenmflores
I played this song to my baby girl . When she was a baby all the time. She’s five now. We sing it together.!!!jamie you are the man!!! Nuff respect
@familienschlau4936
Same, she ist 13 now... 🥰🥰
@stevenmflores
❤ do me a favor brother check out
how do you fly
by Jamie Let me know what you think it’s a favorite holiday tune
@Hammer36666
couldn't be more beautiful... just perfect :)
@mamalogon
My wedding theme
@stephenbarry5196
Stephen. I Love Jamie Cullum. Enough Said
@rabahninho6277
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏
@tommygomez08
Hope you're still there, and that you're doing more than fine. Miss you, and hope to talk again soon.
@tommygomez08
@sara Rae I carried my kiss on my finger all day yesterday, and again today. I don't know why, I just picked it up in the morning yesterday and kept it with me all day. I guess I just felt like I wanted it with me. I sing as loud as I can when I'm alone, and hushed whenever I'm not. I wish i could sing loudly for someone again. I hugged my mama twice today, and every other chance I get.
I don't feel free, it just hurts. I'm holding onto this kiss as long as I can.
@tommygomez08
I miss you every day and I hope you're living your dream. I'm sorry for everything I said. The only thing I wish for with every shooting star and ever dandelion I find is that you find the happiness and love you deserve ❤