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 Can't Hide Away From Love
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even though you may feel you've had enough
It'll give you two black eyes
And discolor all your skies
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
I'm telling you now don't mess around with love
I'm telling you, you won't last a round with love
It'll break into your flat
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
Like a man off the wagon
Who's found the minibar key
When your ex-raver stumbles
Into your warehouse party
So reel me in until I'm gasping for air
'Cause there's no love without despair
I'm telling you to throw on the clothes of love
I'm telling you they're worth it, the woes of love
It'll shake you to the core
And leave you crying on the floor
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
Hide away from love
In this song, Jamie Cullum warns the listener about the powerful grip that love can have on someone's life. He emphasizes that no matter how hard you try to hide from love, it will always find a way to catch up with you. The lyrics suggest that love can be both beautiful and painful, with its ability to "give you two black eyes and discolor all your skies". It is a force that cannot be avoided, evading it is just a waste of time.
The chorus repeats the message, reinforcing the idea that love cannot be ignored or fought against. The verses then provide examples of the fear and damage that love can cause. Cullum compares someone struggling with love to a man off the wagon at a minibar or an ex-raver stumbling into a party; they are overwhelmed and out of their element.
The bridge of the song brings a touch of optimism, suggesting that in the end, love is worth all the struggle and despair that it brings. The lyrics encourage the listener to "throw on the clothes of love" and embrace all the ups and downs that come with it. The song ends with the reminder that love cannot be hidden away from.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
Love is inevitable and unavoidable
Even though you may feel you've had enough
Love can be overwhelming and draining
It'll give you two black eyes
Love can hurt and leave you wounded
And discolor all your skies
Love can have a negative impact on your life and outlook
I'm telling you now don't mess around with love
Love should be taken seriously and not played with
I'm telling you, you won't last a round with love
Love can be a challenge and not everyone is cut out for it
It'll have you on your back
Love can knock you down and leave you vulnerable
It'll break into your flat
Love can invade every aspect of your life
Like a man off the wagon
Comparing the feeling of being in love to being drunk
Who's found the minibar key
The idea of love being a temporary escape or indulgence
When your ex-raver stumbles
Someone from your past unexpectedly enters your life
Into your warehouse party
A metaphor for your life or state of mind
So reel me in until I'm gasping for air
Wanting to be fully consumed by love, even if it's overwhelming
'Cause there's no love without despair
Acknowledging that love can be difficult and painful
I'm telling you to throw on the clothes of love
Embracing love and all its challenges
I'm telling you they're worth it, the woes of love
The difficulties of love are worth the reward
It'll shake you to the core
Love can fundamentally change you
And leave you crying on the floor
Love can be emotionally overwhelming and bring you to tears
Hide away from love
Reiterating the idea that love cannot be avoided or hidden from
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jamie Cullum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jennifer Andrada
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
Even though you may feel you've had enough
It'll give you two black eyes
And discolor all your skies
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
I'm telling you now don't mess around with love
I'm telling you, you won't last a round with love
It'll have you on your back
It'll break into your flat
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
Like a man off the wagon
Who's found the minibar key
When your ex-raver stumbles
Into your warehouse party
So reel me in until I'm gasping for air
'Cause there's no love without despair
I'm telling you to throw on the clothes of love
I'm telling you they're worth it, the woes of love
It'll shake you to the core
And leave you crying on the floor
I'm telling you, you can't hide away from love
Hide away from love
Thank U Jamie ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Anya Floris
I saw you in 2006 in Florida - my best friend surprised me with tickets to your show for my 16th birthday. It was an incredible show - we came down to stand in front and my friend got your attention and said it was my birthday, and I got a high-five from you. Later you signed my jeans with your lovely piano signature. It was such an amazing night. I'm 29 now, and your music has kept me company through some huge life stuff. Thank you for being you and sharing it with us. ♡
Custom Box
❤
Dina Silva
Omg his music and voice is like heaven to me...always so special, this man is so talented! I'm huge fan since day one! Thank you for this beautiful performance!
Cl Sch
Exactly!!
mengtianmusic
Jamie, 15 years after interviewing you in Zurich, you remain being rad and I remain being grateful for the talent, humility and impeccable taste you share with us all. Thank you always!
mengtianmusic
@dineke cost thank you very much for the hint!! No action taken yet, no harm done. Everyone else beware!! Apprently 65 comments were made from this account
dineke cost
Hi. Please I don't think this is real. The account is just bin created. 😉 We wished it was real...
mengtianmusic
@Jamie Cullum Serendipity: My friend and I are just now talking about your music over aperitif in Hirtshals Denmark on our holidays. I will shoot you a message with all thorough details first thing upon return to Zurich next week. Cheers mate!! Made my day
Jamie Cullum
I want to Specially appreciate you for being a big fan. Thanks for your nice comment on my post, it means a lot to me. I want you to send me a direct message via hangouts using my personal email or you can as well add me up on WhatsApp through my mobile number that will be indicated below. Also endeavor to add your name to the text so I can know you are the one texting because I don’t reply unnecessary messages,send me a message directly on hangout as specified thank you....
hangout mail: Jamiecullumaccesschat@gmail.com
Kelly Bolang
I can't hide away from this song ❤️🇮🇩