Her debut album, The Soul Sessions, consists of classic soul tracks by Betty Wright, Aretha Franklin, Laura Lee and Bettye Swann and was released in late 2003. It reached the top 5 in the UK albums chart, and also made the top forty of the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.
Joss Stone was nominated for "British Breakthrough Act", and won "British Female Solo Artist" and "British Urban Act", entering the Guinness World Records for being the youngest BRIT Award solo winner at age seventeen.
After achieving critical acclaim for The Soul Sessions, Stone recorded an album full of original songs in 2004 titled Mind, Body & Soul.
It proved to be an even bigger success than her first album, as it debuted at #1 in the UK (breaking the record for the youngest female ever to top the albums charts there, a record previously held by Avril Lavigne).
Stone began working on her third studio album, Introducing Joss Stone, at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, in May 2006.
It was released on 12 March 2007 in the UK on Virgin Records, involving production by Raphael Saadiq and collaborations with Lauryn Hill, Common and Joi.
Stone describes it as "truly me. That's why I'm calling it Introducing Joss Stone. These are my words, and this is who I am as an artist".
The album debuted and peaked at number twelve on the UK Albums Chart. It also debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 118,000 copies in its first week, becoming the highest debut for a British solo female artist on the U.S. chart, surpassing the record previously held by Amy Winehouse with Back to Black. It has sold 60,000 copies in the UK since its release.
Joss Stone was nominated for the MOBO Award for "Best UK Female" in September 2007, but lost out to Amy Winehouse.
Tell Me 'Bout It, the album's lead single, debuted and peaked at number twenty-eight on the UK Singles Chart—where it stayed for three weeks only, and peaked at number eighty-three on the U.S Billboard Hot 100.
The second single, Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now, a collaboration with rapper Common, made the top sixty-five of the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Joss Stone turned its music video to a Product Red — this means that the video is available online over iTunes Store and that the gains from these sales revert to Product Red, an organisation which helps women and children in Africa affected by HIV and/or AIDS.
Joss Stone is the first artist to do this, entering the Guinness World Records once again.
On 4 October 2007, Stone's official website confirmed Baby Baby Baby as the album's third single.
Stone's fifth album, LP1 was released on 26 July 2011. The Somehow Songfacts says that the long player was the first release through Stone's own Stone'd Records and was recorded in just a week at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. Stone fought a legal battle with her record company EMI to release her from her contract and The LP1 album title signifies the fresh start the singer felt she was making.
Trivia:
Worryingly for fans of Stone, she recently confessed that singing is not a career she plans to stick to: she told a journalist recently that she would like to give it up in a few years to become a normal housewife with a husband and children.
Singles:
* 2004 - Fell In Love With A Boy
* 2004 - Super Duper Love
* 2004 - You Had Me
* 2004 - Right To Be Wrong
* 2005 - Spoiled
* 2005 - The Right Time (Cover of Extra for the GAP-Ad)
* 2005 - Don't Cha Wanna Ride?
* 2007 - Tell Me 'Bout It
* 2007 - Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now
08 You Had Me
Joss Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You lost me
You're wasted
You cost me
I don't want you here messing with my mind
Spitting in my eyes and I still see
Tried to keep me down
I don't want no part in your next fix
Someone needs to tell you this is it
Hey listen you'll be missin'
Out on all my love and my kissing
Make your mistakes on your own time
When you come down you're just no good to have around
Instead of making money you took mine
[Chorus:]
You had me
You lost me
You're wasted
You cost me
I don't want you here messing with my mind
I've realized in time
that my eyes are not blind
I've seen it before
I'm taking back my life
You tried to trade on my naivete
But the things you do and say embarrass me
See once upon a time I was your fool
But the one I leave behind is you
Hey listen you'll be missin'
Out on all my love and my kissing
Make your mistakes on your own time
When you come down you're just no good to have around
Instead of making money you took mine
[Chorus]
Vodka and a packet of cigarettes
That's all it used to be but now
You're sniffing on snow when you're feeling low
Suffocating dreams that could have been
Maybe for a minute I was down with that
But it didn't take long for me to see the light
You swore you had control of it
But when I stepped back you slipped on your supply
[Chorus]
Taking it back I'm taking it back
Taking back my life
Taking it back I'm taking it back
Taking back my life
Ain't nobody got no business stressing all the time
Taking it back I'm taking it back
Taking back my life
[Chorus]
Taking it back I'm taking it back
Taking back my life
Taking it back I'm taking it back
Taking back my life
Ain't nobody got no business stressing all the time
Taking it back I'm taking it back
Taking back my life
In Joss Stone's song "You Had Me," the singer expresses her frustration and disappointment with a past lover who caused her harm. She begins by acknowledging that he had her, but then lost her due to his actions that resulted in wasted time and money on her part. She doesn't want him interfering in her life and messing with her mind anymore. Despite his attempts to keep her down and control her naivety, she breaks free and takes back control of her life.
The chorus of the song reiterates her stance that he had her, but his actions cost her and she doesn't want him around anymore. She realizes that her eyes are not blind and she has seen through his manipulation tactics. In the bridge of the song, Stone describes the extent of her ex-lover's addiction through the use of substances like vodka, cigarettes, and cocaine. She initially was down with it but quickly understood that it was not sustainable in the long run, and his attempts to control it were not successful.
The song ultimately ends with Stone taking back her life and not allowing anyone to stress her out anymore. The lyrics showcase a woman who has taken control of her life and is no longer willing to put up with toxic relationships or behaviors.
Line by Line Meaning
You had me
I was in love with you and committed to the relationship.
You lost me
Your actions made me lose my faith in you and the relationship.
You're wasted
You are ruined and broken because of your addiction.
You cost me
Your addiction has caused me emotional and financial damage.
I don't want you here messing with my mind
I want to be free from your negative influence on my thoughts and decisions.
Spitting in my eyes and I still see
Despite your attempts to blind me with deception, I remain aware of the truth.
Tried to keep me down
You tried to control and limit me.
I'm breaking free
I am liberating myself from your hold on me.
I don't want no part in your next fix
I refuse to be involved in your drug use and self-destructive behavior.
Someone needs to tell you this is it
You need to realize that your actions have consequences and it's time to make a change.
Hey listen you'll be missin' Out on all my love and my kissing
If you continue your destructive behavior, you will miss out on the love and affection I have to offer.
Make your mistakes on your own time
I will not be a part of your self-destructive journey; you need to face the consequences alone.
When you come down you're just no good to have around
When you are experiencing drug withdrawal, you become a negative presence in my life.
Instead of making money you took mine
Your addiction has caused you to waste money that was meant for us and our future.
[Chorus:] You had me You lost me You're wasted You cost me I don't want you here messing with my mind
The chorus repeats the main message of the song: I was once in love with you but your addiction has caused me harm and I need to move on.
I've realized in time that my eyes are not blind
I have gained perspective and realized that I was being deceived by you and your addiction.
I've seen it before
I have recognized the pattern of your behavior and how it negatively affects our relationship.
I'm taking back my life
I am reclaiming control of my life and making a positive change for myself.
You tried to trade on my naivete
You tried to take advantage of my innocence and lack of experience.
But the things you do and say embarrass me
Your behavior has caused me to feel ashamed and humiliated.
See once upon a time I was your fool
I was naïve and easily manipulated by you.
But the one I leave behind is you
I am leaving you behind and moving on to a better life without you.
Vodka and a packet of cigarettes That's all it used to be but now You're sniffing on snow when you're feeling low Suffocating dreams that could have been
The addiction started small with just alcohol and cigarettes, but it has escalated to cocaine and is ruining the possibilities of our future together.
Maybe for a minute I was down with that But it didn't take long for me to see the light
I was willing to stay with you despite your addiction, but I quickly realized that it was not worth sacrificing my own well-being.
You swore you had control of it But when I stepped back you slipped on your supply
You convinced me that you had control over your addiction, but it's clear that you don't and you are only getting worse.
[Chorus]
The chorus is repeated again to emphasize the message of moving on from the toxic relationship.
Taking it back I'm taking it back Taking back my life Ain't nobody got no business stressing all the time
I am taking control of my life and refusing to let the stress of the past consume me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSS STONE, FRANCIS EG WHITE, WENDY ANNE STOKER, BETTY WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind