Lewis has become a multi-platinum selling artist and three time Grammy Award nominee. She was proclaimed 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine in 2008. Her two albums Spirit and Echo, released in 2007 and 2009 respectively, have collectively sold in excess of 10 million copies worldwide and topped the charts in numerous countries. Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, took place in 2010. As of December 2012, Lewis has sold 28 million records worldwide. Her third album Glassheart was released 12 October 2012. It was preceded by the single "Collide", which became her seventh top-five hit in the UK. With the release of Hurt: The EP and "Trouble", Lewis has had nine top-ten hits in the UK.
Lewis' debut single A Moment Like This became the fastest selling UK single after being downloaded over 50,000 times within thirty minutes of its release. Her second single, Bleeding Love, reached number one positions in over thirty singles charts around the world. In November 2008 she set a record in the UK for the fastest selling download-only release with her cover version of the Snow Patrol song Run which sold 69,244 copies in two days. Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, started in 2010.
Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent, and Maria Lewis of Welsh, Italian and Irish descent. Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and from there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments such as the guitar and piano, in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter. Lewis wrote her first full-length song at the age of 12. She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences. After leaving the BRIT School at 17, she took a number of jobs to fund studio time, recording a demo album called Twilight. The album, almost exclusively comprising her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis. Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret. However, none of Lewis's demos were released and she considered taking a hiatus from her music career to attend university until her boyfriend persuaded her to enter The X Factor which subsequently severed her connections with UEG.
Songfacts says that Collide, the first single from Leona Lewis's third album finds her taking a more dance pop route than on her previous material. She said, "I'm excited for people to see a different side to my music. I'm a fan of so many different genres and styles. For me this song has all the great ingredients of a summer anthem." The song got its first play on Scott Mills' Radio One show on July 15, 2011 and will be released on September 4, 2011.
Lewis' third studio album, Glassheart, is due for release in 2012.
Learn To Love You
Leona Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You?ve been hiding so long
Don?t be scared
Just you keep holding on
I?ve been there
Locked myself away
Cant bare to face another day
But if you search within yourself
You can
[Chorus]
Learn to love you
And you learn to heal the pain
Let strength hold you
Let it shelter you from rain
Those shadows cast away your pride
Find the light that shines inside
Of you
So alone its so cold where you are
Close your eyes
Let the peace warm your heart
Free your spirit
Chase away your fears
And wipe away the lonely tears
Feel your courage near
Let it reach into your soul
And then
[Chorus]
Learn to love you
And you learn to heal the pain
Let strength hold you
Let it shelter you from rain
Those shadows cast away your pride
Find the light that shines inside
Of you
[Bridge]
I know your hurting
Your walls are caving in
But in time you can make it
I know your troubles
Your worlds diminishing
But just listen to the voice within
And
[ChorusX2]
Learn to love you
And you learn to heal the pain
Let strength hold you
Let it shelter you from rain
Those shadows cast away your pride
Find the light that shines inside
Of you..
In "Learn to Love You," Leona Lewis speaks to someone who's, for a long time, hidden and suffering. She encourages them to keep holding on and search deep within themselves to learn to love who they are, so they can heal the pain and let strength hold them through the hard times. She relates with them, having locked herself away in the past, unable to face another day, and now she's teaching and reassuring them from her own experiences.
The song deals with the theme of self-love and acceptance. The artist encourages the listener that it's possible to embrace all parts of ourselves, including the broken and wounded parts, and find light in the midst of darkness. Each verse walks the listener through different stages of the struggle to love oneself, and the chorus repeats the song's essential message each time it comes around, underscoring its importance.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been sad
You've been feeling unhappy
You've been hiding so long
You've been keeping your feelings to yourself for a long time
Don't be scared
Don't be afraid
Just you keep holding on
Keep persevering
I've been there
I've experienced the same emotions
Locked myself away
I isolated myself
Can't bear to face another day
I was unable to cope with my feelings
Your broken and ashamed
You feel shattered and embarrassed
But if you search within yourself
But if you look deep within yourself
You can
You have the ability
Learn to love you
Discover how to love yourself
And you learn to heal the pain
And then you can start to heal the emotional pain
Let strength hold you
Let your inner strength support you
Let it shelter you from rain
Let it protect you from negative experiences
Those shadows cast away your pride
Don't let negative thoughts and feelings diminish your self-esteem
Find the light that shines inside of you
Discover the positive qualities that you possess
So alone it's so cold where you are
You feel lonely and isolated
Close your eyes
Take a moment to relax
Let the peace warm your heart
Allow a sense of calmness to enter your heart
Free your spirit
Emancipate yourself from emotional pain
Chase away your fears
Conquer your fears
And wipe away the lonely tears
And shed tears of joy instead of sadness
Feel your courage near
Savour a newfound sense of bravery
Let it reach into your soul
Allow it to penetrate your deepest emotions
And then
And after you've done all that
I know your hurting
I'm aware that you're in pain
Your walls are caving in
Your emotional walls are crumbling
But in time you can make it
However, with time, you can overcome this
I know your troubles
I understand your problems
Your worlds diminishing
Your world feels like it's falling apart
But just listen to the voice within
But pay attention to your inner voice
Contributed by Ruby B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
suzanne ummenthum
this song is so beautiful i can listen it all day long. <33
jasmine.A
love this song
xxBlackxAngelx
I like this song, it's sounds so beautiful (= Leona Lewis is so good. =D
tomXmidlandsX
this has got to be one of the BEST songs with the BEst lyrics how encouraging its like a get through song i wish she wud record this properly on her album
NMachiela
I loveher so much! she is so sweet!!
Taylor Holeman
this song is amazing. i wonder why it is not released yet?
Rambo Parrot
beautiful!
JW
Sweet voice
tammyot
fantastic song love it soo much how can we get this unreleased album????
Laura Serban
leona is amazing