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)
You're Not The Only One
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that first rung it feels so cold
The air up there looks so inviting
You'll do the rest when you are old
The printed pictures, they stain your hands
It's like a memory you don't own
The architecture of your grand plan
The bitter taste of the unknown
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I don't know if you're gonna make it
How many girls you're gonna know
I don't know if you'll be a ??? ???
With front row tickets to the show
Right now your snare drum is a trash can
Your bedroom shadows are your stage
Your old best friend he is your one fan
He'll watch the light inside your face
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one fading away
The lyrics to Jamie Cullum's song You're Not The Only One explores the universal struggles of chasing dreams and the fear of the unknown future. The first verse speaks of the excitement of pursuing dreams but also the fear and uncertainty that comes with it, especially when starting off at the bottom. The second verse describes the feeling of being lost and overwhelmed by the grand plan, the pressure to succeed as well as the unknown outcomes. The repetition of the phrase "I'll tell you for nothing" emphasizes the singer's sincerity and the message that the struggles of pursuing one's dreams are shared experiences and no one is alone in it. The song ends with a bittersweet reminder that while the struggles are shared, so is the realization that not all will make it to their dreams.
The use of imagery in the song is particularly powerful. The mentioned snare drum being a trash can and bedroom shadows being a stage encapsulates the idea that even in humble beginnings, there can still be magic and potential. The idea that the architecture of one's grand plan is designed to put them on a throne highlights the pressure that comes with pursuing one's dreams and how the dream can be both a blessing and a curse.
Overall, You're Not The Only One serves as a poignant reminder that success isn't an easy journey and that it's okay to feel lost and overwhelmed. It's a song that inspires and comforts while also acknowledging the shared struggles of pursuing one's dreams and the idea that we are not alone in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Right now the world looks so exciting
At this moment, the world appears to be full of opportunities and possibilities
But that first rung it feels so cold
But when starting out, the first step is difficult and uncomfortable
The air up there looks so inviting
The next level seems to be desirable and attractive
You'll do the rest when you are old
You can wait to achieve your goals until you are older and have more experience
The printed pictures, they stain your hands
Pictures in a magazine can seem like a memory, but they are not yours and can leave an impression on you
It's like a memory you don't own
Magazines can make you feel like you were part of something, but you weren't really there
The architecture of your grand plan
The design of your ambitious idea for success
Designed to put you on a throne
Created to make you feel powerful and successful, like royalty
The bitter taste of the unknown
The feeling of uncertainty that comes with trying to achieve your goals
I'll tell you for nothing
I will give you this information for free
You're not the only one singing singing
You are not alone in trying to bring your dreams to life
Trying to bring to life your dreams
Working hard to achieve your aspirations and make them a reality
You're not the only one who believes
Others also have confidence in your potential and abilities
I don't know if you're gonna make it
I'm not sure if you will succeed
How many girls you're gonna know
How many relationships you will have along the way to achieving your goals
I don't know if you'll be a ??? ???
I'm not sure if you'll become a successful musician
With front row tickets to the show
Having the best seats to see someone else succeed, rather than being the one in that position
Right now your snare drum is a trash can
Currently, you are using makeshift and improvised instruments to practice your craft
Your bedroom shadows are your stage
You use the shadows in your bedroom as an imaginary stage while practicing
Your old best friend he is your one fan
Your childhood friend is the only person who supports and encourages your dreams
He'll watch the light inside your face
He sees the passion and excitement in your face while you are practicing or performing
You're not the only one fading away
Others are also struggling or losing motivation to succeed
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN CULLUM, JAMIE PAUL JOSEPH CULLUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Camracer R Studios
Lyrics!
Right now the world looks so exciting
But that first rung it feels so cold
The air up there looks so inviting
You'll do the rest when you are old
The printed pictures, they stain your hands
It's like a memory you don't own
The architecture of your grand plan
Designed to put you on a throne
The bitter taste of the unknown
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I don't know if you're gonna make it
How many girls you're gonna know
I don't know if you'll pay your dad back
With front row tickets to the show
Right now your snare drum is a trash can
Your bedroom shadows are your stage
Your old best friend he is your one fan
He'll watch the light inside your face
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one fading away
raidza talavera romero
Right now the world looks so exciting
But that first rung it feels so cold
The air up there looks so inviting
You'll do the rest when you are old
The printed pictures, they stain your hands
It's like a memory you don't own
The architecture of your grand plan
Designed to put you on a throne
The bitter taste of the unknown
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I don't know if you're gonna make it
How many girls you're gonna know
I don't know if you'll be a ??? ???
With front row tickets to the show
Right now your snare drum is a trash can
Your bedroom shadows are your stage
Your old best friend he is your one fan
He'll watch the light inside your face
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one fadin
Silvia Bianchini
His voice is just PERFECT there's no other way to describe it
William Ray
Cannot stop listening to this sensational song!!!
zitronesaft
This authentic, very simple video shows me, that Jamie just want to have fun at making music, his passion he wants to share with us. It's not about being famous, commercialization or showmanship like other artists are related do. He's plugging self-being and l love it.
Camracer R Studios
Lyrics!
Right now the world looks so exciting
But that first rung it feels so cold
The air up there looks so inviting
You'll do the rest when you are old
The printed pictures, they stain your hands
It's like a memory you don't own
The architecture of your grand plan
Designed to put you on a throne
The bitter taste of the unknown
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I don't know if you're gonna make it
How many girls you're gonna know
I don't know if you'll pay your dad back
With front row tickets to the show
Right now your snare drum is a trash can
Your bedroom shadows are your stage
Your old best friend he is your one fan
He'll watch the light inside your face
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one who believes
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one singing singing
Trying to bring to life your dreams
I'll tell you for nothing
You're not the only one fading away
Sila
Master piece!! Wow..I love this song!!! It touched my heart every time ❣️
Ingred Cardoso
Que música, meus amigos, que música!!! 😍
Danilo Rodrigues
Belíssima música!
Me emociona a sua sensibilidade e força!
Alicja Brygman
yes
Jess
This song is so good, makes me feel something. Can't stop singing to it!
alyssa smith
Falling In love with this song, and his voice singing it. I wish I could listen to this all day without having to push play every time the song ends, wish it was on replay