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)
We Run Things
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We run things another way,
Getting love if you can love (yeah)
Getting love if you can love (yeah)
Nothing left for you to say,
Trouble melts and residence stays,
Don't stop 'cause it's getting tense now.
We run things another way,
I draw a face on a dartboard (yeah)
I wear it out like a record (yeah)
Tired eyes an' razor blades,
Tearing through a radio wave,
Don't stop 'cause it's getting tense now
'Cause I'm trying to hold on to something, yeah,
'Cause if you let me,
I'll show ya
I'll do it, can ya' hear it?
We run things another way,
We run things another way,
We run things another way,
We run things, another way (yeah)
We run things another way,
We run things another way,
Get on top 'cause I'm falling (yeah)
I never stop with your calling (yeah)
I shiver now I feel the raise,
I batter time and wasted days,
Don't stop if ya wanna tense now
'Cause I'm trying to hold on to something, yeah,
'Cause if you let me,
I'll show ya
I'll do it, can ya' hear it?
We run things another way,
We run things,
I'm trying to hold on to something, yeah,
'Cause if you let me,
I'll show ya
I'll do it, can ya' hear it?
We run things another way,
We run things another way,
We run things another way,
We run things, another way (yeah)
In Jamie Cullum's song "We Run Things", the lyrics suggest a sense of rebelliousness and non-conformity. The repetition of the phrase "We run things another way" emphasizes the idea that the singer is not interested in following the norm or adhering to societal expectations. The line "Getting love if you can love" implies that there is a sense of reciprocity in relationships, and that love and affection must be earned rather than simply bestowed upon someone. The following line, "Nothing left for you to say", suggests that the singer has already made their decision and there is no need for further discussion or persuasion.
The second verse continues with this theme of non-conformity, with the metaphor of drawing a face on a dartboard and wearing it out like a record emphasizing the idea of breaking from the norm and doing things in a different way. The line "Tired eyes and razor blades" could suggest feelings of exhaustion or even self-harm as a result of going against the grain. However, the line "Don't stop 'cause it's getting tense now" implies that the singer is committed to this path despite any potential consequences.
Overall, the lyrics of "We Run Things" suggest a desire to break free from societal expectations and norms, with an emphasis on doing things differently and earning love and affection through reciprocal relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
We run things another way,
We do things differently from the norm.
Getting love if you can love (yeah)
We only give love to those who are capable of reciprocating it.
Nothing left for you to say,
There's no need for any further discussion.
Trouble melts and residence stays,
Problems disappear while we maintain our position.
Don't stop 'cause it's getting tense now.
We must keep going despite the increasing pressure.
I draw a face on a dartboard (yeah)
I use a dartboard to symbolize someone I dislike.
I wear it out like a record (yeah)
I repeatedly hit it with a dart, as if playing the same section of a record over and over.
Tired eyes an' razor blades,
I'm exhausted and struggling.
Tearing through a radio wave,
I'm making my voice heard despite external interference.
'Cause I'm trying to hold on to something, yeah,
I'm clinging to a belief or goal.
'Cause if you let me,
If you give me a chance,
I'll show ya
I'll prove it to you.
We run things, another way (yeah)
We continue to operate differently from others.
Get on top 'cause I'm falling (yeah)
I need you to take control because I'm losing my grip.
I never stop with your calling (yeah)
I'm always willing to respond to your needs.
I shiver now I feel the raise,
I'm experiencing excitement and anticipation despite feeling afraid.
I batter time and wasted days,
I try to make the most of every moment and not waste time.
Don't stop if ya wanna tense now
We mustn't give up despite feeling tense or anxious.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: KARL GORDON, JAMIE CULLUM, BEN CULLUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind