Simms was raised by a family of musicians. Her grandfather, Frank Todaro, is a jazz pianist in Aspen, Colorado, an aunt played violin for Rod Stewart, Wayne Newton and Pavaroti. Brother Tommy Simms, of top Florida band Win Win Winter is a producer, singer, song writer and produced Juliet's first CD. Singing since she was four, writing since she was nine, Simms became a fixture of the local music cafes as a teenager. It was here where the first of 5 major labels who offered her deals, caught a live performance.
Her first 4 songs were produced by the Grammy nominated members of the death metal band Spineshank, but Juliet's melodic rock tunes "The View From Below", "Changing Skies", "Old Movie", and "I Notice" were not the right fit for that production team. Juliet asked the label for a different producer and they brought in studio master Richie Zito, a writer and producer for Elton John, the Motels and Heart, and he and Juliet re-recorded a handful of tracks that immediately garnered wide notice. "Someday" and "Make-up Smeared Eyes" captured the number one spots in three separate genres of the MySpace music charts, where Juliet became a Featured Artist. Her music was subsequently licensed to MTV’s The Real World and Road Rules. Her ballad, “Old Movie” was aired as a closing song on the 2006 season finale of The Real World.
Juliet competed on the second season of the NBC show The Voice (2012) on Team CeeLo and came in second overall.
Roxanne
Juliet Simms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light, oh
I loved you since I knew you
I wouldn't talk down to you
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your makeup
Told you once I won't tell you again
It's a bad way
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light (Roxanne)
Put on the red light (Roxanne)
Put on the red light (Roxanne)
Put on the red light (Roxanne)
Put on the red light (Roxanne)
Put on the red light (Roxanne)
You don't have to put on the red light (Roxanne)
Put on the red light (Roxanne)
(Roxanne) (put on the red light)
(Roxanne) put on the red light
(Roxanne) put on the red light
(Roxanne) you don't have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) put on the red light
(Roxanne) yeah, you don't have to put on the red light
"Roxanne" is a song about a prostitute named Roxanne who is being urged to leave her profession behind. The verse "you don't have to put on the red light" refers to the red light district where prostitutes would advertise themselves by hanging a red light outside their window. The first verse is directed towards Roxanne where Juliet is compelled to tell her that she doesn't need to sell her body anymore due to the fact that those days are over. She no longer has to "walk the streets for money" and doesn't have to feel the pressure of doing something right or wrong. The chorus serves as a pitch for Roxanne to come with Juliet and to leave her life of selling her body for money behind.
The second verse is directed towards Juliet's love interest, where she tells him that her love for him is genuine and she won't share him with someone else. She also advises him to put away his make-up (a reference to how some men would dress as women at that time) and not fall into Roxanne's trap. Juliet's love for him is so strong that she wants him to stay away from someone who is engaging in the wrong deeds of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Roxanne
The singer addresses Roxanne and begins to explain why she doesn't need to continue her current line of work
You don't have to put on the red light
The singer assures Roxanne that she doesn't need to continue working as a prostitute
Those days are over
The singer reminds Roxanne that the old ways of making a living aren't necessary anymore
You don't have to sell your body to the night
The singer tells Roxanne that she doesn't need to continue using her body to make money at night
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
The singer advises Roxanne that she doesn't need to wear provocative clothing to make money tonight
Walk the streets for money
The singer reminds Roxanne that she doesn't need to walk the streets to make money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right
The singer implies that Roxanne might not have cared about the ethics of her work but now she doesn't need to continue it
I loved you since I knew you
The singer expresses her love for Roxanne
I wouldn't talk down to you
The singer assures Roxanne that she is not looking down on her for her previous work
I have to tell you just how I feel
The singer emphasizes the importance of expressing her feelings to Roxanne
I won't share you with another boy
The singer declares that she will not compete with another person for Roxanne's attention
I know my mind is made up
The singer asserts that she has made a decision to be with Roxanne and that she is confident in that decision
So put away your makeup
The singer suggests that Roxanne doesn't need to use makeup to attract clients anymore
Told you once I won't tell you again
The singer reminds Roxanne that she has made her intentions clear and won't repeat them
It's a bad way
The singer acknowledges that Roxanne's previous line of work was not a positive or desirable one
Put on the red light
The singer repeats the title of the song as a reminder of the old ways of making money
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gordon Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anthony Coca
Still listening in 2020. Still pissed that she didn’t win.
Gabriel Carvalho
@Rachael Stovall 2023
Mel b
@Rachael Stovall I go back and pull all her performances to watch over and over!!!!!❤
Rachael Stovall
Here in 2022
Robert Smale
She absolutely SLAYED it. I still go back and watch that.
Google User
The best performance on The Voice EVER!!!!!
Wilburn Hutcheson
In my top 3 performances ever on the voice.
Mr.Wood787
Curious to know what the other top two are.
CannMan
Me too. Still listening in 2020. One of the best performances EVER! How the F doesn't she have 40,000+ views????
Richard Petzoldt
53K now, but not enough.