Born on the 14th March 1965, as a teenager she formed the band Monsoon, and created a fusion of Western and Indian pop styles. She married Steve Coe, who became the band's producer, and along with Martin Smith, the band became a trio. They made a single album, Third Eye, in 1982, from which they had a surprise hit single "Ever So Lonely". However, resenting pressure from their record company over musical direction, Monsoon as a band dissolved and Coe and Smith set about promoting Chandra as a solo artist on an independent label.
Chandra went on to release a number of albums in the 1980s, experimenting with her voice as an instrument. In the 1990s she released three albums on Peter Gabriel's Real World label, although Martin Smith ceased to be actively involved.
In 1996 she provided vocals for a cover of Prodigy's hit "Smack My Bitch Up". In 2002 she performed the song "Breath of Life" with Howard Shore for the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack.
She is no longer able to record, having developed "burned mouth syndrome" in 2010, which makes speech and singing so painful that she is effectively mute.
Out On My Own
Sheila Chandra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not gonna sing for you even though you may want me to
I can see through why you want to
Why you want to walk all over me
I dont need to come and ask you
When I feel so strong inside of me
Not gonna dance for you even though you may want me to
I can see through why you want to
Why you want to walk all over me
I dont need to come and ask you
When I feel so strong inside of me
I may be young
But Im not that dumb
And I know just what I want
Ooh, Im out on my own again
Out on my own.
Maybe I dont know where Im going
May be any way
Maybe I dont know where Im going
May be any way
I may be young
But Im not that dumb
And I know just what I want
Ooh, Im out on my own again
Out on my own.
Not gonna sing for you even though you may want me to
Not gonna sing for you even though you may want me to
I can see through why you want to
Why you want to walk all over me
I dont need to come and ask you
When I feel so strong inside of me
I may be young
But Im not that dumb
And I know just what I want
Ooh, Im out on my own again
Out on my own.
Out on my own again
On my own again
Im on my own
Im on my own
Im on my own again
Im on my own
Im on my own
Im on my own again
"Out On My Own" is a song by Sheila Chandra that expresses the independence and strength of a young woman who refuses to be walked upon by others. The first two verses repeat the phrase "Not gonna sing for you even though you may want me to" and "Not gonna dance for you even though you may want me to," indicating the refusal to comply with someone else's expectations. The repetition of these lines represents the assertiveness of the singer and her determination to stand up for herself. She knows that the person who is trying to control her is doing so because they want to walk all over her, but she refuses to give in to their demands. Instead, she finds strength within herself and does not need to come and ask for anyone's permission.
The singer acknowledges that she may be young, but insists that she is not foolish. She knows exactly what she wants and will not compromise her values to please someone else. The phrase "Out on my own again" represents the freedom that comes with being independent and the power that one can find by standing up for oneself. The singer admits that she may not know exactly where she is going, but she is confident that she is on the right path and will trust her instincts.
Overall, "Out On My Own" is a powerful expression of independence and strength that inspires listeners to stand up for themselves and trust their abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Not gonna sing for you even though you may want me to
I won't sing for you even though you want me to because I can see through your motives and why you want to walk all over me.
Why you want to walk all over me
I understand your intentions and see through your manipulations trying to break me.
I dont need to come and ask you
I don't have to ask for your approval since I have strong convictions inside me.
I may be young
I'm not old, but that doesn't mean I'm not smart enough to know better and make my own choices.
But Im not that dumb
I have intelligence and common sense to differentiate right decisions from wrong ones.
And I know just what I want
I know exactly what I want in life and what's best for me
Maybe I dont know where Im going
I might not be certain about my future, but that's okay, because I'll figure it out.
May be any way
It's possible that my path and my plans for the future may change, and that's okay.
Ooh, Im out on my own again
I'm once again charting my own course and making my own decisions in life.
Im on my own
At the end of the day, I am in control of my own life, and I have the strength within me to keep going and succeed.
Out on my own again
Back on this independent path without the interference of anyone impacting my growth.
Contributed by Owen R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.