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)
Rocket Man
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Zero hour nine AM
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
The first verse of Jamie Cullum's "Rocket Man" describes an astronaut leaving earth for space. The singer is packed by his wife and ready to go with a launch set for 9 am. Cullum adds in a twist with the astronaut being excited for being "high as a kite" in space. Despite the novelty and thrill of the mission, the astronaut begins to miss his home and his wife, realizing the loneliness of space travel. He states that the experience is "timeless," indicating that the endeavor is both in moment and seems never-ending.
The chorus is where the meaning behind the song really comes through. The astronaut sings "I'm not the man they think I am at home / Oh no no no I'm a rocket man / Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone" revealing that he is not the same person he was before he left for space. It's apparent that he feels the weight of his duties to the mission while being isolated and away from the people he loves. The repetition of the line "rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone" adds to the idea that the astronaut is slowly but surely coming to a breaking point in his isolation.
The last verse adds another dimension to the song, taking a more contextual perspective on the experience of being a rocket man. The astronaut suddenly speaks of Mars, saying it's not a place anyone should raise their kids, it's too cold, and there's nobody there to raise them anyway. It speaks to the idea of exploration and the sacrifice that it entails. The astronaut also notes that he doesn't understand the science behind the mission but it is what he does five days a week, showing that he is just another cog in the machine.
Line by Line Meaning
She packed my bags last night pre-flight
My wife helped me pack my bags the night before my rocket launch
Zero hour nine AM
The launch is scheduled for 9 AM
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I will be high up in the atmosphere by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
I miss my home and my loved ones while being in space
It's lonely out in space
Space travel can be a lonely experience
On such a timeless flight
The journey in space can feel endless
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
I believe I will be in space for a lengthy duration
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I won't return home until my spaceship lands
I'm not the man they think I am at home
My identity changes when I am in space
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
I am an astronaut, not the person I used to be on Earth
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
I am using up my resources while being all by myself in space
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
Mars is not a suitable place for raising children due to the harsh conditions
In fact it's cold as hell
The planet is extremely cold
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
Even if someone wanted to raise their kids on Mars, there is no one else there to help
And all this science I don't understand
I do not comprehend all of the science and technology involved in space travel
It's just my job five days a week
I am an astronaut as part of my full-time employment
A rocket man, a rocket man
I am a space explorer, a rocket man
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Vladimir Cort, Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@enijize1234
Goddamn i never knew Jamie Cullum was so good. amazing voice, great chops and licks on the piano
@ArchiFloyd
Jamie Cullum is just really talented - nothing more to say!
@Valmorena
lovely
@MrInsensatez
love it, think it marries both jazz and rock anthem beautifully!
@carlaosan
Great performance! Thank you for posting it.
@mr3dfx1
Great
@albertofontanacabot1581
Jamie is a real rocket man!
@KatieMaslin
Love it!
@alexandrecosta8875
yes, fly "high"
@magdaveloso7160
Perfect!!!! #jamiecullum