James es también conocida por sus numerosas colaboraciones con el colectivo de Jazz Postmodern Jukebox.
Primeros años y educación
James nació como Morgan Grunerud en Boise, Idaho , hija de educadores y actores Allen Grunerud y Shellie Harwood. La familia se mudó con frecuencia cuando James era una niña, al pasar de Idaho a Utah , Tennessee , y finalmente, Modesto , California, donde pasó sus años de escuela secundaria. James fue inspirada por sus padres para entrar en las artes escénicas, y se unió a un coro en la escuela. Su abuela también le compró una máquina de karaoke y estuvo de acuerdo en pagar por las clases de canto hasta que James fue a la universidad.
James asistió a la escuela secundaria a Peter Johansen High School en Modesto. Se graduó en 1999 y fue aceptada rápidamente a The Juilliard School en Nueva York a los 18 años. Allí estudió ópera y, finalmente, obtuvo su Licenciatura en Música Vocal en 2003. En la universidad, James también tomó una clase magistral dirigida por la veterana de Broadway Barbara Cook .
Carrera
Después de la universidad, James inicialmente luchó para encontrar trabajo. No hizo su debut de Broadway hasta 2010 en la producción musical The Addams Family, protagonizando por Nathan Lane y Bebe Neuwirth. En 2011, James apareció en Wonderland de Frank Wildhorn y el resurgimiento de Broadway de Godspell. James sprained se lesionó su tobillo en un ensayo para Godspell en octubre de 2011 y era incapaz de actuar durante preestrenos. Se Recuperó y, por noviembre de 2011, actuaba en el musical en el Círculo en el Teatro Cuadrado. En 2013, James actuó en la función de Teena Marie en Motown: El Musical. Se quedó con el reparto hasta que diciembre de 2013, lo dejó para perseguir una visita de rendimiento vocal.
Durante su tiempo en Broadway, ella también brillo como solista, con una banda de respaldo a menudo compuesta de Chris Fenwick, Mate Fieldes, Damien Bassman, entre otros. Ha cantado en numerosos clubes de Nueva York, incluyendo (Le) Poisson Colorete, 54 Below, Rockwood Music Hall, y Birdland. Su primer álbum solista, Morgan James Live: Una Celebración de Nina Simone, fue grabado en club de jazz de la Nueva York, Dizzy, y es una colección de covers de Nina Simone. Fue lanzado vía Epic Records en diciembre de 2012.
Su segundo álbum como solista (y primer álbum de estudio), Hunter, fue grabado en 2014 y lanzado por Epic Records en junio de 2014. El álbum, de 11 pistas, fue producido por Doug Wamble y su primer álbum completamente solista.
Desde 2014, James colabora con Postmodern Jukebox, grabando varios covers en su canal de YouTube.
Little Girl Blue
Morgan James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As merry as a carousel, the circus tent was strong
With every star in the sky above the rings, I loved so well
Now the young world has grown old, gone are the tinsel and gold
Sit there and count your fingers
What can you do? Old girl, you're through
Sit there and count your little fingers
Just sit there and count the raindrops
Falling on you, it's time you knew
All you can count on is the raindrops
That fall on little girl blue
No use old girl, you may as well surrender
Your hopes are getting slender
Why won't somebody send a tender blue boy
To cheer up little girl blue?
Now the young world has grown old, gone are the tinsel and gold
Sit there and count your fingers
What can you do? It's time you knew
All you can count on are the raindrops
That fall on little girl blueee...
The lyrics to Morgan James's song, "Little Girl Blue," reflect a sense of melancholy and nostalgia for a time when the world was full of wonder and possibility. The singer reflects on her youth and the memories of the circus tent and the stars in the sky. The use of the metaphor of the circus and the tinsel and gold represents a time when everything was bright and full of excitement. However, now as an older woman, she realizes that life is not what she thought it would be. The world has grown old and lost its luster. This realization leads her to feel like an "unlucky little girl blue" who can only count the raindrops that fall on her.
The repetition of "sit there and count" throughout the lyrics emphasizes a sense of hopelessness and resignation. The singer is stuck in this state of sadness, unable to change her circumstances. She has given up on her hopes and dreams, and there seems to be no one to save her. The lyric "Your hopes are getting slender" shows the negativity and pessimism associated with the singer's life, while "Why won't somebody send a tender blue boy to cheer up little girl blue?" demonstrates her desire for someone to come and save her from this life. The song's final line, "All you can count on are the raindrops that fall on little girl blue," concludes the song with a heartbreaking note of finality, indicating that the singer's sense of despair is irreversible.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was very young the world was younger than I
When I was a child, the world seemed fresh and new
As merry as a carousel, the circus tent was strong
Everything was exciting and wonderful like a circus tent
With every star in the sky above the rings, I loved so well
I loved everything about the circus, including the stars above it
Now the young world has grown old, gone are the tinsel and gold
As I grew up, everything lost its sparkle and magic
Sit there and count your fingers
There's nothing left to do but sit and think
What can you do? Old girl, you're through
There's nothing left for you and your youth is gone
Sit there and count your little fingers
Your options are limited, and you're feeling helpless
Unlucky little girl blue
You feel as though you're a victim of circumstance
Just sit there and count the raindrops
Endless rain reinforces your sorrow
Falling on you, it's time you knew
You recognize that this feeling won't go away
All you can count on is the raindrops
You feel like the only constant in your life is sadness
That fall on little girl blue
You feel small and insignificant amidst the rain and the world's problems
No use old girl, you may as well surrender
You feel defeated, as if there's no point in trying anymore
Your hopes are getting slender
You're losing hope and finding it harder to stay positive
Why won't somebody send a tender blue boy
You yearn for someone to come and make you feel better, even though you know it's unlikely
To cheer up little girl blue?
You just want to feel happy again and regain the joy of your childhood
Writer(s): Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.