As a young diva, Tara was scolded by her kindergarten teacher for disrupting class by constantly singing. Her music was better received at Columbia University, where jazz and classical coaches “shaped” her voice and supported her singing career. Encouraged by her professors and peers, including a Columbia-Juilliard exchange student with whom she occasionally writes songs, Tara decided to pursue a singing career not by dropping out like a few of her successful Columbia contemporaries (eg, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill) but speeding through school. In a record 2 ½ years, Tara graduated as an Economics major.
Armed with years of songwriting, stacks of poetry, and intense New York City performances, Tara returned to San Francisco to focus purely on music. In 2010, she met and began collaborating with multi-instrumentalist Jason Cirimele. The pair traveled constantly between San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, in order to play shows and record the "Tara Priya" EP.
After being named 1 of 3 "Pop" finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her single "Memories", Tara released her EP, gaining distribution in the US and Japan, and played in CMJ Music Marathon and the 2010 Miami Music Festival. In 2011, she was named a Top 25 finalist in Nashville's Music City Songwriting Contest, performed in the NAMM Show, had slots in the Canadian Music Fest and SXSW, and, in March, won the 18th Annual Billboard Song Contest for her song "Rollin'".
Of Indian-Persian ancestry, Tara is the great-niece of famed Persian poet Sohrab Sepehri. When not touring, she resides in Los Angeles.
"For those seeking a soulful jam, Columbia University's latest singing sensation, Tara Priya, offers a nostalgic escape from the autotune avalanche. Her sound is a throwback to the likes of Billie Holiday and Etta James, but never anachronistic. With influences ranging from Tupac to opera, Tara has developed a powerful voice of her own..."
---The Blue and White
Rollin'
Tara Priya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the world is at your back
And on your shoulders
And at your door,
You feel like
Everybody's tryin' to attack you
And even when you believe in yourself
You start to doubt, and you think
Maybe my heart won't make the distance
Maybe my heart won't see it through
Maybe I'm not meant to run a marathon
30 seconds and I'm through
And I wonder if
I should up and quit
Yeah, I wonder if
I'm okay
But I'm rollin', rollin' rollin'
My heart 'round the bend.
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Life always seems to kick it down again.
Burnin', burnin', burnin'
My heart's on fire.
Burnin', burnin', burnin'
We're down to the wire.
Will I get through?
Oh, I'll get through.
I keep on draggin' up the past
I keep on weighin' myself down
And when I'm pushin' back and forth
I know I'm just pushin' my own self, right down
And I wonder if
I should up and quit.
Yeah, I wonder if
I'm okay.
But I'm rollin', rollin', rollin'
My heart 'round the bend
Rollin', rollin'
My life is kickin' me down again.
Burnin', burnin', burnin'
My heart is on fire.
Burnin', burnin'
We're down to the wire.
Bone weary
And weary to my bones,
From rollin'
With those punches that are thrown.
Like Sisyphus
I'm cursed but blessed.
I keep rollin' and goin'
Can't get where I'm goin'
I'm throwin' and runnin' and whoa
I'm rollin', rollin', rollin'
My heart 'round the bend.
Rollin', rollin'
I'm kickin' myself down again.
Burnin', burnin', burnin'
My heart's on fire
Burnin', burnin', burnin'
Right down to the wire.
Will I get through?
Oh, I'll get through.
Tara Priya's song "Rollin" expresses the feelings of a person who is going through a tough time in life. The song starts by describing the way the world can be tough and how it can weigh you down. The lyrics mention how it can feel like everyone is out to get you, and how even when you believe in yourself, you can start to doubt.
The chorus of the song expresses the feeling of being knocked down and beat up, but still getting back up and continuing to move forward. Tara emphasizes in the chorus that she may struggle, but she is going to keep going.
The verse continues to mention how the past can haunt people and cause them to carry negative energy, but she is willing to continue the hard work of pushing forward, even if it hurts. The second chorus reiterates that life can have its ups and downs, but Tara will persevere and face every challenge.
The bridge of the song uses a reference to the Greek myth of Sisyphus, a king who was said to be cursed to roll a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down again, and to forever repeat this task. This serves as a metaphor for the struggles Tara faces, but she views them as both a blessing and a curse. The song ends with a final message of hope, that despite the hardships, she will get through it all.
Overall, "Rollin" is a powerful and emotional testament to the challenges life can bring, and the determination it takes to persevere.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes
On occasions
When the world is at your back
When everything seems to be pushing against you
And on your shoulders
And it is your problem to solve
And at your door
And it is knocking at your door
You feel like
You have a feeling like
Everybody's tryin' to attack you
Everyone is trying to take you down
And even when you believe in yourself
And even when you have confidence in yourself
You start to doubt, and you think
You start to lose faith in yourself, and you begin to think
Maybe. Just maybe.
That it may not work out after all
Maybe my heart won't make the distance
Perhaps I am not capable of achieving my goals
Maybe my heart won't see it through
Maybe I am not strong enough to complete what I started
Maybe I'm not meant to run a marathon
Maybe my abilities are limited
30 seconds and I'm through
I cannot even last for 30 seconds
And I wonder if
I am curious if
I should up and quit
I should call it a day
Yeah, I wonder if
I am also curious if
I'm okay
I am all right
But I'm rollin', rollin' rollin'
But I am moving forward, never stopping
My heart 'round the bend.
My heart is beating with anticipation
Life always seems to kick it down again.
Life always brings me down again.
Burnin', burnin', burnin'
Feeling intense emotion
My heart's on fire.
My heart is full of passion
We're down to the wire.
We are running out of time
Will I get through?
Can I make it through?
Oh, I'll get through.
I will make it through.
I keep on draggin' up the past
I keep revisiting my past mistakes
I keep on weighin' myself down
I keep burdening myself with negative thoughts
And when I'm pushin' back and forth
And when I am struggling
I know I'm just pushin' my own self, right down
I realize that I am self-sabotaging
Bone weary
Very exhausted
And weary to my bones,
Physically and emotionally drained
From rollin'
From constantly moving forward
With those punches that are thrown.
With the hardships that life throws at me
Like Sisyphus
Like the Greek mythological character Sisyphus
I'm cursed but blessed.
I am both cursed and blessed
I keep rollin' and goin'
I keep on moving forward
Can't get where I'm goin'
Can't reach where I want to be
I'm throwin' and runnin' and whoa
I am struggling and juggling everything
My life is kickin' me down again.
My life is bringing me down again.
Right down to the wire.
Until the very end
Contributed by Kaylee O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
shane lei
Tara Priya you are young beautiful and talented...Your future is bright! Love your voice..I would listen to you all day.
iNsTaNtpUdDiNhEaD
You gotta keep rollin'!
aharon mose
Awesome awesome
MrLarus71
Hot singing mama ;)