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)
Take Me Out
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
were coiled up around you like a diamond cage
Though your sparkle 's long resigned
It flickers like the embers of a dying blaze
These might be the last days of the blinding lights
So you and me should go and get so high tonight
[Chorus: x2]
We crossed the line so many times
It's nothing more than chalk wiped off a darkened wall
Speeding through those crystal nights
Clearly punctuated by some bloody falls
What used to seem so magical now seems so trite
So one more time lets go and get so high tonight
[Chorus: x2]
You and me should go and get so high tonight
You and me should go and get so high tonight
[Chorus: x2]
Just like everyone else
, Jamie Cullum's Take Me Out is an interesting and introspective song that has a deeper meaning than what one might think at first glance. The song starts with the lyrics "There was an age, the battered times were coiled up around you like a diamond cage. Though your sparkle's long resumed, it flickers like the embers of a dying blaze." This could refer to a time in the past when one felt trapped or confined, possibly by their circumstances or by their own choices. Despite once having a bright and sparkling presence, the individual's light has dimmed and is barely visible, just like the embers of a dying fire.
The chorus of the song repeats the lyrics "We crossed the line so many times, it's nothing more than chalk wiped off a darkened wall. Speeding through those crystal nights, clearly punctuated by some bloody falls. What used to seem so magical, now seems so trite. So one more time let's go and get so high tonight." Here, the individual is reminiscing about past experiences and how they used to feel exhilarating and magical. However, as time passed, those same experiences have lost their charm and excitement, becoming mundane and uninteresting. The individual is calling for one last night of excitement, of rebellion, of living life on the edge in search of that long-lost feeling of magic.
Overall, Take Me Out is a song about the fleeting nature of life and the need to make the most of it while we can. It's about finding that spark, that zest for life that we may have lost along the way and reveling in it for one last time before it fades away completely.
Line by Line Meaning
There was an age the battered times
There was a time in the past when difficult moments surrounded you and made you feel trapped, like you were in a cage made from precious jewels.
were coiled up around you like a diamond cage
These tough times felt like they had you trapped inside a beautiful but unwelcoming space, like a cage made from diamonds.
Though your sparkle's long resigned
Although you might feel like your inner light has faded away,
It flickers like the embers of a dying blaze
there are still small glimpses of hope that shine through, like dying embers that once were a roaring fire.
These might be the last days of the blinding lights
The good times might be coming to an end, and the excitement and glamour that once blinded us may not last.
So you and me should go and get so high tonight
We should enjoy ourselves as much as we can this evening.
We crossed the line so many times
We've taken risks and pushed boundaries before, often without thinking of the consequences.
It's nothing more than chalk wiped off a darkened wall
But now, those rebellious moments seem insignificant, like marks that can be easily erased from a dirty wall.
Speeding through those crystal nights
We've had some amazing, clear moments in the past that felt like they were made of crystal.
Clearly punctuated by some bloody falls
But those wonderful times were sometimes overshadowed by painful struggles and falls.
What used to seem so magical now seems so trite
The things that once seemed like pure magic now feel commonplace and unremarkable.
So one more time lets go and get so high tonight
Let's have one more night of excitement and fun before everything changes again.
You and me should go and get so high tonight
Together, we can enjoy a thrilling, exhilarating night.
You and me should go and get so high tonight
We should seize the moment and make the most of the time we have together.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMIE PAUL JOSEPH CULLUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind