Lady Sovereign now resides in North London, England.
Career
Lady Sovereign first received attention when she recorded "The Battle", a freestyle girls versus boys battle rap with Shystie, Suz Rock and Frost P. Each rapper who participated in the recording of "The Battle" has since been signed to a record deal.
Lady Sovereign signed to Island Def Jam Music Group in 2005, after auditioning for Def Jam Recordings president and CEO, Jay-Z and The Island Def Jam Music Group chairman, Antonio "L.A." Reid.
Shortly afterwards, "Random" was released. This was followed by "9 to 5" which entered the UK Top 40 at number 33. The follow-up single, "Hoodie" - produced by dance act Basement Jaxx - failed to reach the top 40, peaking at number 44. Lady Sovereign has since recorded with AdRock from the American rap group the Beastie Boys and American producer Dr. Luke.
When The Ordinary Boys released the single "Boys Will Be Boys", Lady Sovereign came back with her own reply remix, featuring the music and chorus of the original, but with mostly her own vocals to the tune of "girls will be girls". In May 2006, the favor was returned when she was featured on The Ordinary Boys single, "Nine2Five," a remixed version of her own "9 to 5," credited as "The Ordinary Boys vs Lady Sovereign." "Nine2Five" entered at number 38 in the UK top 40 singles on downloads only, and jumped to #6 upon availability as a CD and 7" vinyl single during the week commencing May 22, 2006. This was her highest chart position to date and has helped to increase the media attention garnered by Lady Sovereign.
Lady Sovereign is the first non-American female to appear on the Def Jam label. Her former lack of success in the UK may be due in part to her stigma as representative of chav culture. She was featured on a Sky One documentary on chavs produced by Julie Burchill, after having been the target of a barrage of abuse and ridicule on the internet forum ChavScum. However, she has a following in the United States and has co-headlined a tour with The Streets, with whom she appeared in a remix for his song "Fit But You Know It." Lady Sovereign's cult following was again boosted after she recorded an attack on singer Jentina with "Sad Ass Strippa," a play on words of Jentina's song "Bad Ass Strippa." Kitty Empire of The Guardian is known to be a fan of "Sad Ass Strippa" and mentioned it in an interview she wrote about Lady Sovereign.
Lady Sovereign recently served as the host and spokesperson for Adult Swim and Chocolate Industries' Chocolate Swim.
On October 31, 2006, her debut album, Public Warning, was released, featuring "Random," "9 to 5," "Hoodie" and her new single, "Love Me or Hate Me," which was also released on the same day.
On August 1, 2006, Lady Sovereign's new single "Love Me or Hate Me", a collaboration with American producer Dr. Luke, was aired on the radio for the first time in North America on Flow 93.5 in Canada. The song explains how she is almost the exact inverse of typical female rappers that sell very well, and shows some disgruntlement in pop culture. She explains she doesn't have looks, she can't sing, and can't dance, so love her or hate her. The harmony featured in this song references the Genesis track "I Can't Dance". She is also known for sometimes calling herself a midget (she stands at 5'1, or 152 cm), where she says: "This is officially the biggest midget in the game".
She began an American tour on October 23, 2006 and soon appeared live on CBS-TV's Late Show with David Letterman. On November 18, 2006, it was announced that Lady Sovereign had contracted a throat and chest infection, forcing postponement of her shows in Las Vegas.
As of late 2006, "Love Me or Hate Me" was played in a Verizon Wireless advertisement for the LG Chocolate. It also appears on the Need for Speed: Carbon and Ugly Betty soundtrack, as does "9 to 5" on the latter. On October 17, 2006 "Love Me or Hate Me" became the first video by a British artist to reach #1 on the U.S. (and original) version of MTV's Total Request Live. "Love Me Or Hate Me" was released in the UK on 29 January 2007, with the album following on 5 February 2007.
She has recorded a track for The O.C.'s new album, Music From The O.C. Mix 6 "Covering Our Tracks", where she sings The Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant".
On December 31, 2006, Lady Sovereign helped ring in the New Year with a performance of "Love Me Or Hate Me" during the MTV Goes Gold: New Year's Eve 2007 special which aired on MTV.
Sov's full-length Straight Up Cheeky is supposedly coming out early summer, but as for other LS sightings: "Ch-Ching (Cheque 1, 2 Remix)" is on the first major-label grime comp Run The Road, and a 20-minute "FelineMix" has been floating around the p2ps for about a year now.
She returned with her new album Jigsaw which was released on April 7, 2009 on Sov's own label Midget Records.
Guitar
Lady Sovereign Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I could play guitar, then I'll play it,
But I can't so I'll just sing,just sing
I wrote S-O-R-R-Y,
I'm telling you that,
And I don't know why,
Maybe because I was sky-high,
So I turned off the light,
And I tried to write,
But only bullshit left my mind,
And most of the time I was fine,
But you're winding me up while I'm hard on my grind.
When were you born? 1985
Why didn't you finish school? Because I skied.
Step back, get back,
Come out of my face yeah,
I'm just trying to live my life.
[Chorus]
I feel a little tired,
I feel like crying,
I feel like lying,
I feel like I'm trying to do
What I'm supposed to do today.
(Fuck it)
A couple of interviews,
A photo shoot,
A show to do,
Promote new tunes.
Oh I hate it when I feel this way,
Oh why do I feel this way?
Tell me..
Yesterday was a different story,
High and mighty,
Feeling glory.
Shut down time square,
Know that you saw me.
Felt enormous, like twenty stories.
[Chorus]
Today of all days,
You try to rush me.
Hush puppy, let me do my thing,
I'm not your puppet on a string bruv
(Really?)
Now don't get me wrong,
You silly little punk.
Expect me to walk,
Cause I'm not gonna run.
I wish life was as easy as playing the guitar,
Ya just pick it up and ya strum.
(Maybe not)
[Chorus]
The song "Guitar" by Lady Sovereign is a reflection of the artist's struggles and frustrations with life, specifically in the music industry. The chorus of the song is a declaration of her desire to play guitar, but since she cannot, she's resigned to just singing. The lyrics "I feel a little tired, I feel like crying, I feel like lying, I feel like I'm trying to do what I'm supposed to do today" express her emotional exhaustion from the daily grind of interviews, photo shoots, and performances. This is further emphasized by the line "Why do I feel this way?", indicating her confusion and helplessness in dealing with her emotions.
The first verse of the song is a self-reflection of her actions, as she admits to writing a sorry note while being high and unable to focus on her thoughts. This is followed by the line "most of the time, I was fine," suggesting that she struggles with balancing her personal life while being in the public eye. The second verse sees the artist attempting to control her situation, telling someone to "step back, get back, come out of my face" and asserting that she's "just trying to live my life." Overall, "Guitar" is a lament about the challenges of being a musician and the internal struggles that come with it, despite the public's perception of a "glamorous" lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could play guitar, then I'll play it,
I wish I had more talent and could play guitar, but I'll do what I can with my voice.
But I can't so I'll just sing,just sing
Since I can't play guitar, I'll stick to singing instead.
I wrote S-O-R-R-Y,
I apologized and wrote the word 'sorry'.
I'm telling you that,
I want to make sure that you know I've apologized.
And I don't know why,
I can't explain my actions and why I needed to apologize.
Maybe because I was sky-high,
Perhaps my mental state was altered, making me act in a way I didn't intend to.
And thinking to much about my life.
I was preoccupied with my personal struggles and insecurities.
So I turned off the light,
I tried to escape and avoid confrontation by turning off the light.
And I tried to write,
I attempted to explain my actions through writing.
But only bullshit left my mind,
Unfortunately, my thought process wasn't productive or useful and only resulted in excuses or nonsense.
And most of the time I was fine,
Usually I'm okay, but this particular situation got the best of me.
But you're winding me up while I'm hard on my grind.
You're adding stress and making things harder for me while I'm trying to stay focused on my work.
When were you born? 1985
Out of frustration, I ask when you were born (without any significant meaning).
Why didn't you finish school? Because I skied.
I respond sarcastically to your question about my lack of schooling, implying that I had other priorities at the time (skiing), but it's not something I take seriously.
Step back, get back,
I want you to give me space and back off.
Come out of my face yeah,
Leave me alone and stop bothering me.
I'm just trying to live my life.
I'm simply doing the best I can to get through my days and deal with my own struggles.
I feel a little tired,
I'm exhausted and worn out.
I feel like crying,
I'm sad and overwhelmed.
I feel like lying,
I want to avoid the truth and pretend everything is okay.
I feel like I'm trying to do
I'm putting in effort and attempting to accomplish my goals.
What I'm supposed to do today.
I'm doing what I believe is expected of me today.
Fuck it
I'm becoming frustrated and don't care anymore.
A couple of interviews,
I have a few interviews scheduled today.
A photo shoot,
I also have a photo shoot planned for the day.
A show to do,
I'm performing at a show later on.
Promote new tunes.
I'm using this opportunity to advertise and spread the word about my new music.
Oh I hate it when I feel this way,
I dislike feeling overwhelmed and stressed out.
Oh why do I feel this way?
I'm questioning why I feel so overwhelmed and sad today.
Tell me..
I'm hoping for an explanation or insight into my current emotional state.
Yesterday was a different story,
Yesterday was a much better day for me.
High and mighty,
I felt very confident and successful yesterday.
Feeling glory.
I was riding high on my accomplishments and feeling proud.
Shut down time square,
I had a huge impact on Times Square (it could be literal or figurative).
Know that you saw me.
I'm sure you saw and were aware of my success.
Felt enormous, like twenty stories.
I felt extremely powerful and successful - on top of the world.
Today of all days,
Out of all days, today is particularly challenging.
You try to rush me.
You're adding additional stress and trying to make me work faster or harder.
Hush puppy, let me do my thing,
Please stop bothering me or getting in the way - I need to do what I do best.
I'm not your puppet on a string bruv
I'm my own person and won't be controlled or manipulated by anyone else.
Now don't get me wrong,
I don't want to be misunderstood or misconstrued in my words or actions.
You silly little punk.
I'm calling you out for your behavior and attitude - I won't put up with it anymore.
Expect me to walk,
Don't assume that I'll go along with what you're saying or doing.
Cause I'm not gonna run.
I won't back down or run away from this - I'll stand my ground.
I wish life was as easy as playing the guitar,
I'm envious of people who have an easier time in life and fewer obstacles to overcome.
Ya just pick it up and ya strum.
I wish it were as simple and straightforward as playing an instrument.
Lyrics © Mute Song Limited
Written by: Gabriel Olegavich, Louise Amanda Harman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VK
I miss the side ponytail...but her new stuff is good, different, but good
Tibi Kregi
still fuck with this in 2017 👌🏼💯💯
The G. Files
banger