Following a minor stroke at age 18, she gained a Sony publishing contract and penned hits for the likes of Chris Brown, Dutch X Factor winner Lisa Lois, and Miley Cyrus (the American number two hit "Party in the USA"). After building up an established online presence, she signed to Universal Records and began working with the likes of hitmaker Dr. Luke (Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson), Atlanta rapper B.o.B, and R&B producer Labrinth on her debut album, Who You Are. In 2010, her first single, "Do It Like a Dude," originally written for Rihanna, reached number 25 in the U.K. charts and, following in the footsteps of Adele, Florence + the Machine, and Ellie Goulding, she was announced as the winner of the Critics Choice Award at the 2011 Brits. That same year, an appearance on Saturday Night Live coincided with her album being reissued in the U.S.
Following a tour that took in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Malaysia, and her first show in North America, Jessie J became the first U.K. female solo artist to achieve six Top Ten singles from a single studio album. The success of the sixth single, "LaserLight," featuring David Guetta, was aided in no small part by her appearance as judge on the U.K. edition of The Voice. The hit show gave the singer a chance to display her talent for musical coaching, while building a rapport with fans both old and new on prime-time television. Also involved were Tom Jones and will.i.am, with whom Jessie J performed at Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Concert in June 2012, before heading back to the studio to work on the follow-up to Who You Are.
After finishing her second and final season of coaching on The Voice in 2013, J returned with the singles "Wild" and "It's My Party," which preceded her second album, Alive, that September. With a planned U.S.-only version of Alive featuring collaborations with Pharrell Williams eventually put aside, J instead focused on recording new material for what would become her third studio album, Sweet Talker. Including the likes of Diplo, the-Dream, and the aforementioned Pharrell, the album also saw her join forces with De La Soul and 2 Chainz, while Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj both featured on the lead single, "Bang Bang," which debuted at number one in the U.K. and became a Top Ten hit in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Bulgaria. Sweet Talker arrived in October 2014, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. and U.K. Taking a break from music, she joined the cast of judges on television singing competition The Voice Australia. She returned in 2017 with the singles "Real Deal" and "Queen," which later appeared on her fourth LP, R.O.S.E.
Daydreamin'
Jessie J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You gotta tell me there's nothing there (nothing there)
I don't want nobody else
Hoping one day you might care (yea yea yea)
Voices saying just hold back
And erase the heart drawn on your sleeve (your sleeve)
I won't stop wishin' wishin' for you're my baby
You got me daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
Daydreamin'
Of what I want, what I want
Daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
Imagination running wild (running wild!)
And then to realize this ain't real (real real real)
Please just hit me with the truth (truth)
It really hurt if it's all I feel (all I feel)
Voices saying just hold back
And erase the heart drawn on your sleeve (your sleeve)
I won't stop wishin' wishin' for you're my baby
I want you here with me
You got me daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
Daydreamin'
Of what I want, what I want
Daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
I thought of leaving my heart away, yea
I'm flirting, I'm flirting
You'll give me blessing, I'm just here to say
Oh oh oh!
You got me daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
Daydreamin'
Of what I want, what I want
Daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
You got me daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
Daydreamin'
Of what I want, what I want
Daydreamin'
That's all I got, all I got
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
In Jessie J's "Daydreamin'" the singer expresses her strong feelings for someone she is hoping will reciprocate her love. Despite receiving warnings from "voices" to "hold back" and remove the "heart drawn on [her] sleeve," Jessie J is unable to stop herself from daydreaming about this person. She is deeply invested, hoping that one day this person will care for her in the same way. She acknowledges the unrealistic nature of her imagination, but still asks the person to hit her with the truth. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the intensity of her desire, with the final line "I don't wanna know" potentially indicating a fear of facing possible rejection.
The song's hook is built around the phrase "daydreamin'," a common term for fantasizing or imagining things that may not be possible in real life. Jessie J's use of this term conveys the idea that her thoughts are consumed with thoughts of this person, regardless of reality. She recognizes the possibility of the situation being a mere illusion but is willing to take that risk of being hurt.
The song's juxtaposition of upbeat instrumentation and lyrics that convey disappointment and despair make this a stirring piece of music. The repetition of the chorus, which includes minimal lyrics, enables the listener to easily latch onto the song's catchy melody, thus strengthening the emotional impact of the piece.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I could stop myself
I wish I could control my emotions and stop myself from falling for you
You gotta tell me there's nothing there (nothing there)
Be honest with me and tell me if there's no chance of us being together
I don't want nobody else
I only want you, and no one else can compare
Hoping one day you might care (yea yea yea)
I'm holding onto the hope that you will one day reciprocate my feelings
Voices saying just hold back
People are telling me to restrain my feelings
And erase the heart drawn on your sleeve (your sleeve)
And hide my emotions that are visible to everyone
I won't stop wishin' wishin' for you're my baby
But I won't stop wishing for you to be mine
Ha! Then watch you come to me
And then see you come to me on your own
Imagination running wild (running wild!)
My imagination is going out of control
And then to realize this ain't real (real real real)
But then I snap back to reality and know that this is just a daydream
Please just hit me with the truth (truth)
Please be honest with me and tell me the truth
It really hurt if it's all I feel (all I feel)
It would really hurt if these feelings are all one-sided
I want you here with me
I want you to be here with me in reality, not just in my daydreams
I thought of leaving my heart away, yea
I considered guarding my heart and not showing my feelings
I'm flirting, I'm flirting
But I can't help myself and still flirt with you
You'll give me blessing, I'm just here to say
I'm hoping for your approval, but I'm just expressing my feelings
You got me daydreamin'
You have me lost in my fantasies
That's all I got, all I got
All I have is these daydreams
Of what I want, what I want
Of what I desire and dream of
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
But sometimes, I don't want to know the disappointing truth that it might never happen
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know know
I'd rather just keep daydreaming
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSH ABRAHAM, JESSICA CORNISH, OLIVER ELLIOT GOLDSTEIN, CLAUDE KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind