Lumidee was born on August 24, 1984 in Bridgeport, Connecticut (later moving to Harlem, New York, United States). Her father died in 1995. She and her four siblings were raised by her grandparents. She began singing and rapping at the age of twelve. After graduating high school, she collaborated with local neighborhood producer DJ Tedsmooth to record her debut single, "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)" for an independent label, Straight Face. She later signed with Universal Records, where she released her debut album, Almost Famous, on June 23, 2003. Her single peaked at #3 in the U.S. and #2 in the UK, but it was her only hit until the 2007 release of "She's Like The Wind." According to Nielsen SoundScan, Almost Famous sold 276,000 copies in the U.S.
For the next few years, Lumidee was not in the mainstream music industry in the US, instead veering more towards reggaeton and dancehall music. After her hit single "Never Leave You" faded, Lumidee went overseas to continue her music career in Belgium, Germany, France, and The Netherlands. She released Grimey Streets in 2004, which was a mixtape consisting of new material, freestyles and tracks from Almost Famous. Lumidee also featured on several tracks in this era and had moderate success in Europe. However, due to her debut single being her only big hit to date, she was placed in the category of One Hit Wonders. In 2006, Lumidee released a song for the FIFA World Cup Album Soundtrack which was entitled 'Dance' and featured a sample of the classic Whitney Houston track "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." The song was a club hit around Europe and successfully entered the charts in the countries where it was officially released (Germany #5, Austria #5, Switzerland #32).
April 2007 brought the release of Lumidee's second album, Unexpected. It was released under TVT Records, unlike her debut which had been released under Universal. Lumidee stated in an interview, "I'm coming out of left field. Nobody ever thought of me coming back on a street credible label like TVT, alongside acts like Pitbull, N.O.R.E. and Jim Jones. Actually, nobody ever thought of me really even coming back, period." The US-Single "She's like the wind" peaked on #43. That song was not released as single in Europe because Lumidee had stolen the idea of making a cover version of that "She's like the wind" from a German Top 10 Hit. In Europe the Label released the single "Crazy" ft. Pitbull which had moderate chart success in Germany (#35), Austria (#65) and the UK (#74).
She currently resides in New Jersey as her crib was televised on MTV.
Break Away
Lumidee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And try to get used to me
Bein' alone is so brand new
I never felt so free
Can life allow
The fact that you're no
Longer thought of
It's honesty.
Open a book, a picture's there
Of us when times were fair
Happiness was always so scared
To reach us in our pair
You left me there
Goin' nowhere
Of pain I was aware
'Cause it's you that had me there.
[Chorus: x 2]
I made up my mind so let me go
I just want to let you know
This time I know that it's for real
I know in my heart that's how I feel.
I can't believe how you had me
So confused and weak
Alone and strong, I can go on
to understand my needs
Only in your dreams
Me and you
Could ever be
It's honesty.
Half the time I was blind (was blind)
And I just could not see
All the damage that you did
You did do to me
I held it in
It's released
I was my own
My own therapy.
[Chorus: x 2]
I'm gone
You need to just move on
How could you not see
We weren't meant to be.
I'm gone
You need to just move on
You and me no more
I'm sorry, it's over.
[Chorus: x 2]
I'm gone.
Poem - Spoken
(Sorry, you're on your own with this one...)
Lumidee's song "Break Away" is about the singer's decision to end a relationship that was causing her emotional pain. The lyrics express the freedom she feels in being single, even though it is a new experience for her. She reflects on her past with the ex-partner and acknowledges the times when they were happy together, but ultimately, she knows that it's time to move on, even though it is not an easy decision. She is resolved, however, and knows in her heart that it is for the best.
The lyrics also reveal that the relationship was damaging to Lumidee's emotional well-being. She was confused and weak during the relationship, and she prioritizes her own needs by ending it. The pain she endured is now released, and she finds her own therapy in being independent.
The poem spoken at the end of the song is ambiguous and can be left open to interpretation. It suggests that the singer is addressing the person whom she is breaking away from, but it is unclear whether her words are apologetic or accusatory.
Line by Line Meaning
I had to break away from you (From you)
I needed to leave you and get used to being alone.
And try to get used to me
I needed to focus on myself and learn to be independent.
Bein' alone is so brand new
I'm not used to being alone and it feels like a new experience.
I never felt so free
Leaving you has made me feel free.
Can life allow
Can I really accept the fact that you're gone?
The fact that you're no
The truth that you are no longer here.
Longer thought of
No longer in my thoughts.
It's honesty.
This is the truth.
Open a book, a picture's there
When I look back at the past, I see a picture of us.
Of us when times were fair
A time when things between us were good.
Happiness was always so scared
It seemed like happiness never lasted.
To reach us in our pair
It seemed like happiness could never reach us when we were together.
You left me there
You left me in a difficult position when we broke up.
Goin' nowhere
Confused and stuck in place.
Of pain I was aware
I knew I was in pain.
'Cause it's you that had me there.
It was you who caused my pain.
[Chorus: x 2]
This is the chorus that repeats twice in the song.
I made up my mind so let me go
I have decided to move on and leave.
I just want to let you know
I need to communicate this to you.
This time I know that it's for real
I am sure that leaving you is the right choice.
I know in my heart that's how I feel.
I feel strongly that this is for the best.
I can't believe how you had me
I can't believe how much control you had over me.
So confused and weak
I was very confused and vulnerable in our relationship.
Alone and strong, I can go on
Now that I'm alone, I'm getting stronger and can move forward.
to understand my needs
I can focus on understanding myself and what I want from a relationship.
Only in your dreams
The possibility of us being together again only exists in your dreams.
Me and you
The two of us as a couple.
Could ever be
It's not possible for us to be together right now.
It's honesty.
This is the truth.
Half the time I was blind (was blind)
I was blind to what was really going on in our relationship.
And I just could not see
I was incapable of seeing what was happening.
All the damage that you did
The harm that you caused me.
You did do to me
You were responsible for the harm that was done.
I held it in
I hid the pain from you.
It's released
I am now letting go of my pain and moving forward.
I was my own
I was responsible for taking care of myself.
My own therapy.
I had to provide my own therapy and healing.
I'm gone
I have left and moved on.
You need to just move on
You need to accept that we are over and move forward.
How could you not see
I am surprised that you were unable to see the problems in our relationship.
We weren't meant to be.
It was not in our destiny to be together.
I'm sorry, it's over.
I feel regretful but our relationship has come to an end.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: LUMIDEE CEDENO, TEDDY RAFAEL MENDEZ, EDWIN Z. PEREZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind