Born in Sacramento to a black Air Force dad and a white mother, Steele lived the itinerant childhood of an American Air Force brat. Moving from California to Oklahoma and then to Ramstein, Germany, where she spent seven formative years, she had little chance to contemplate her racial identity until her family landed in Biloxi, MS in 1985. She explains, “[Ramstein] took up quite a bit of my early childhood and had a big influence on how I viewed life, the world and especially racial tension. Living amongst the safety of an Air Force Base in Germany with many other children from bi-racial families gave me a false sense of security and I wasn't quite ready for the criticism and ridicule I would receive when we moved to Mississippi.” Feeling “awkward, out of place and unsure where to fit in” in Biloxi, she dove headfirst into music, entering (and winning) several pageants and talent shows, including an appearance on Ed McMahon’s Star Search at the tender age of 15. While she would eventually come to accept the South, and they her (Shayna’s first show in Biloxi in 15 years occurred this past April), her artistic ambitions would finally pull her to New York in May of 1996.
After just three months in the city, her dynamic voice and fierce delivery were recognized as she landed a role as the first replacement in the history of the Broadway production of Rent. Joining the original cast at its peak, the experience/exposure of this gig quickly parlayed into roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and Hairspray, as well as several TV appearances including spots on The Grammys, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman and Carson Daly.”
Her move to the East Coast also exposed her to a huge variety of live music, simply unavailable in MS. “I never really felt ‘grounded’ until I moved to NYC. It was then that I really opened up to different genres of music other than R&B.” Schooled in jazz by her Godfather and gospel by her choir director, the Grammy-nominated Michael McElroy, Steele began to develop her sound, blending new influences, from Karen Clark Sheard (The Clark Sisters) to Rachelle Farrell, with her childhood icons Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and the Temptations. A completely unexpected call in 2005 would drop her squarely in the middle of genre she had absolutely no experience with: Electronica. Hearing that Moby “needed a screamer” for a track off his new album Hotel, a mutual friend recommended Steele, resulting in the disc’s second single “Raining Again”. Two years later, she was back, laying down vocals for “Extreme Ways (2007)” - Moby’s theme song to The Bourne Ultimatum - and in early 2008, “Disco Lies”, The first single off Moby’s 2008 release Last Night. The song reached #1 on the US Billboard Dance charts and went on to be featured in J.J. Abram’s summer blockbuster Cloverfield. Her voice has remained in high demand with recent features on the Grammy-nominated album Great Joy with The Broadway Inspirational Voices, and the soundtracks of Legally Blonde 2, Bambi 2, the 2007 re-remake of Hairspray starring John Travolta, and a singing feature on HBO’s The Sopranos during the show’s final season.
Inspired by a new musical awareness and the endlessly creative and supportive environment of Broadway, Steele started writing in earnest in 2002. It was during this period that she met David Cook. A pianist, composer and industry veteran, Cook has recorded or performed with some of the best vocalists in business including Natasha Bedingfield, Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson, and Lizz Wright. The two quickly developed a creative synergy, collaborating on Steele’s eponymous debut EP in 2004. Though self-released, the album’s breakout soul-funk single “High Yella” achieved the attention she needed to raise her solo profile. Creating not one, but two live bands, including her album players and her jazz group, Shayna Steele’s B-Side, she’s since shared the stage with luminaries Ledisi, George Clinton (as opening act), Deborah Cox, Oleta Adams, Moby, and, in 2006, Journey’s Neil Schon for a critically acclaimed, show-stealing performance at the Gibson Amphitheater’s tribute concert to the late Les Paul. In addition to Broadway’s stages, she’s also played prestigious venues including the Blue Note, Lincoln Center’s Rose Theatre, Joe’s Pub, The Cutting Room, B.B. King’s and more.
All of which brings Steele to the release of her first full-length album, I’ll Be Anything. Written, recorded and produced with Cook over the course of three years, the record represents an artistic culmination and catharsis for Steele; “This album covers so much of my life. Whether it was one beautiful second or one horrible year, it happened to me or I witnessed something spectacular that changed me … I couldn’t limit myself to one sound, one voice or style of writing, but … it all makes sense. It all flows.”
Wishing
Shayna Steele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seeing all the things I need to do
Hoping that the day is longer
Giving time to think about you
I′m maybe taking a walk outside
Or laying in my bed
Or grab a drink to Philly
I'll call my friend back home instead
Wishing you were here
Wishing you were mine
Always losing sleep about the things that I put on the line
A new day is coming
A new light is reborn
My senses they are yawrning
Even though my heart is torn
I meet to circle of giving you my all
I don′t even really know you
But I fall hard when I fall
Wishing you were here
Wishing you were mine
Always losing sleep about the things that I put on the line
Wishing you were here
Wishing you were mine
Always losing sleep about the things that I put on the line
Waiting for your call
I'm losing (losing)
I let myself sly to sleep away
I'm here again
And I wish you could hear me say
Wishing you were here
Wishing you were mine
Always losing sleep about the things that I put on the line
Wishing you were here (oh oh oh)
Wishing you were mine
Always losing sleep about the things that I put on the line
Uh Yeah, yeah
Tara tararara
Uh uh uhhh
The lyrics to "Wishing" by Shayna Steele speak to the feeling of longing and missing someone special. The singer is going through her daily routine, but is distracted by thoughts of this person. She wishes that they were with her, that they were hers. The lyrics are full of powerful imagery, as the singer looks out the window, is taking a walk, or is laying in bed, all while thinking about this person. Despite not knowing them that well, the singer has fallen hard, and can't help but think about what could have been.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out my window
Observing the world outside of my space
Seeing all the things I need to do
Recognizing the tasks that require my attention
Hoping that the day is longer
Desiring more time to devote to my thoughts about you
Giving time to think about you
Allocating time in my schedule to reflect upon my feelings for you
I'm maybe taking a walk outside
Possibly going for a stroll in the open air
Or laying in my bed
Resting in my place of slumber
Or grab a drink to Philly
Heading to Philadelphia for a beverage
I'll call my friend back home instead
Opting to talk to a friend from my hometown
Wishing you were here
Longing for your presence beside me
Wishing you were mine
Desiring a romantic relationship with you
Always losing sleep about the things that I put on the line
Frequently troubled by the potential outcomes of my actions regarding you
A new day is coming
Tomorrow holds new opportunities and experiences
A new light is reborn
With each sunrise, a fresh beginning is created
My senses they are yawrning
My body reacts with a stretching motion in preparation for the day
Even though my heart is torn
Despite the emotional pain within me
I meet to circle of giving you my all
I aim to make an effort to be completely devoted to you
I don′t even really know you
While I do not have an extensive knowledge of you
But I fall hard when I fall
I experience intense emotions when I become invested in someone
Waiting for your call
Anticipating a message or phone call from you
I'm losing (losing)
My emotional state is in a state of decline
I let myself sly to sleep away
I allow myself to slip into a slumber to escape my feelings
I'm here again
I have returned to my current reality
And I wish you could hear me say
I feel frustrated that you cannot hear my thoughts
Uh Yeah, yeah
An expression of affirmation or agreement
Tara tararara
A nonsensical chant or exclamation
Uh uh uhhh
A verbalization of surprise or disappointment
Contributed by Elijah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cristina Conde Sánchez
on Gone Under
Im spanish, and i would like to read, and understand "Dying" and "Gone Under" Shayna Steel Lyrics, is it possible??