Renee developed a great love for music at an early age and honed her voice by singing
along with the radio. Before long she was entering talent contests and appearing in
local musical productions. Her aspirations for stardom were documented on video and
became the subject of two E! television documentaries,
"The Making of a Child Star" and "The Journey Continues".
In 1995, Renee appeared in her first commercial, the award winning ad for Levi Jeans.
In 1998 she did a Segento Cheese commercial.
She made her first foray in TV in 1995 in "Streets Of Laredo".
In 1998, Renee appeared in the episode "Doodlebug" in "Touch By An Angel".
In 1999, she was seen in two shows, "Chicken Soup For The Soul" and "Providence".
In 1999, Renee’s first major motion picture roles were "The Insider",
starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, and "End Of Days" with
Arnold Schwarzenegger. And, in 2000, she appeared in "Space Cowboys".
In 2002, she had her first major role in the CBS comedy "Still Standing", a four year run.
But, by 2002, Renee’s second career, her singing career, began to take shape.
After she saw the movie "Pleasantville", she fell in love with Etta James’s "At Last",
which began a love affair with the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald,
Anita O’Day and the Great American Songbook.
Then Renee was able to perform with Eddie Reed’s Swing Band playing LA area clubs.
In September 2002, she released "By Request" to commemorate her club performances.
"At Last" being one of the tracks.
Renee gained the attention of Grammy Award winning producer David Foster
and subsequently signed a contract with the Warner Records label.
In 2003, 13 year old Renee performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival singing
"At Last" to an amazed jazz audience, who gave Renee a standing ovation.
Bill Cosby, whose jazz band backed Renee quipped that “she’s only 13
and knows only one song”.
Finally, in May 2004, all elements of Renee’s career came together.
On the "Still Standing" final episode, of the second season, she performed "Summertime",
in a dream sequence, the first track on her self-titled CD "Renee Olstead",
produced by David Foster, released that month.
The release started Renee on a whirlwind promotional tour starting with
the "Today Show" and "Jazz At Lincoln Center Spring Gala" in NYC.
Montreux Jazz Festival, as part of a European tour, David Letterman and
finally Oprah ended a busy 2004. Renee’s CD was #5 on the
Billboard Jazz Chart, for 2004, after many rave reviews.
In 2004, Renee recorded two songs for movie soundtracks.
She recorded "Merry Christmas In Love" for the Italian movie "Christmas In Love"
and "A Love That Will Last", a track on her CD, was used in "Princess Diary 2".
Also, in the summer of 2004, Renee’s next film "13 Going On 30" was released.
During and after the end of the "Still Standing" run, in the Spring of 2006,
Renee continued to perform her music around the world.
She performed in numerous charity events in the US.
Renee again toured Europe, this time with B.B. King, performed in Live 8,
in Berlin, and with Chris Botti and at the "Unite The Stars" charity event,
in South Africa.
Performance highlights include the "28th Gift Of Life Celebration" hosted
by George Lopez, with Renee performing "Midnight Man" with David Foster,
in 2007. The Java Jazz Festival, in 2008, "My Baby Just Cares For Me",
where Renee received the International Jazz Talent Award, and the "Hit Man:
David Foster And Friends" tribute to David Foster with Renee performing Through The Fire, in 2008.
In 2008, she recorded her third movie soundtrack with "Ain’t we Got Fun"
for the movie "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl".
TV came back in the picture, in 2008, as Renee was cast in the series
"The Secret Life Of The American Teenager" as Madison.
In the final episode, of the second season, again her two careers came together,
as Madison sang "Fly Me To The Moon" and
"Someone To Watch Over Me" at a wedding reception.
In 2009, Renee’s long awaited CD "Skylark", again produced by David Foster,
was released, and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
Discography:
2000: Stone Country
2000: Unleashed
2002: By Request
2004: Renee Olstead
2009: Skylark
Official Web Site: www.ReneeOlstead.com
Official Fan Site: www.ReneeOlstead.info
Nothing But The Blame
Renee Olstead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And something 'bout doin' what I've done
I didn't know I was ended
But how it yet begun
Oh oh
And when I look back
I've should have known
The facts were there and they were played
Now I don't deserve anything
No nothing but the blame
Yeah
And 'bout the time oh I knew I loved you
Was 'bout the last time you felt that way
And 'bout the time I saw stars above you
Was round the last time you felt the same
And now you'll never know how much I love you
Yet I hurt you just the same
And I, I don't deserve anything
No, nothing but the blame
Yeah
And 'bout the time oh I knew I loved you
Was 'bout the last time you felt that way
And 'bout the time I saw stars above you
Was round the last time you felt the same
Oh oh oh oh
Seems you'll never know how much I love you
And yet I hurt you just the same
Oh I don't deserve anything
No nothing but the blame
I don't deserve anything
No nothing but the blame
The lyrics of Renee Olstead's song "Nothing But The Blame" speaks of a relationship in a state of despair. The singer reflects on how the love between the couple started strong, but something went wrong along the way. The first verse suggests that the Sunday morning brings mixed feelings to the singer about the relationship that seems to have ended before it even began. The second verse confirms that the singer was aware of the problems in the relationship and how it affected her partner. The chorus acknowledges the responsibility for the state of the relationship and concludes the singer is left with nothing but the blame.
The second verse further reveals that the singer's partner stopped feeling the love she had for him, leading her to have an affair with someone else. She regrets hurting her partner while acknowledging that she still loves him. The chorus that follows reinforces the premise that there are no excuses for the situation but to blame herself. The lyrics reflect sadness, self-pity, and regret, and the melody brings out the melancholy tone behind the words, leading the listener to feel the pain of a lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Something 'bout that Sunday morning
There was something peculiar about that particular Sunday morning
And something 'bout doin' what I've done
I have a feeling that what I did was very consequential
I didn't know I was ended
I was oblivious to the fact that our relationship was coming to an end
But how it yet begun
It's strange how I failed to realize what was happening even when it had started
And when I look back
Hindsight has proven to be enlightening in regards to our situation
I've should have known
I should have been able to discern what was happening in our relationship
The facts were there and they were played
The truth concerning our failing relationship was out in the open
Now I don't deserve anything
I am not worthy of any kindness or positive regard in light of the situation
No nothing but the blame
I am fully responsible for the demise of our relationship
And 'bout the time oh I knew I loved you
Around the time that I realized that I was in love with you
Was 'bout the last time you felt that way
It was then that you stopped reciprocating my feelings of love and affection
And 'bout the time I saw stars above you
Around the time that I felt the strongest emotions of love for you
Was round the last time you felt the same
It was then when you stopped feeling the same way about me
And now you'll never know how much I love you
I regret that you will never know just how much I loved you
Yet I hurt you just the same
Despite my love for you, I still caused you pain
I, I don't deserve anything
I am undeserving of any form of kindness or compassion
No, nothing but the blame
I am solely responsible for the failure of our relationship and deserve all the blame
Writer(s): David Foster Copyright: Fozbeats Music
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.