Amorosi was born in Melbourne, Australia. Amorosi was discovered performing at Matrioshka, a Russian restaurant in Carnegie, by Jack Strom and signed a recording contract in 1997. After being signed to MarJac Productions (co-owned by managers Mark Holden and Jack Strom) and recording a promo CD titled "Get Here", she secured a deal with Transistor Music Australia. Amorosi also spent a short period training with the army.
Amorosi is known for her versatile vocal ability. She is able to vocally cover many genres of music including, pop, rock, blues, jazz, and gospel. Amorosi is also known for her vocal range. Amorosi's vocal range reaches Soprano C#6 in what is perceived to be full chest voice. Amorosi's ability to connect chest voice and head voice is one of her trademark talents. Amorosi's effortless approach to singing in her upper registry is what helped her become well known in both Australia and Germany. She has also been noted for her ability to sing in the whistle registry as well, hitting notes above E6. Amorosi's most powerful vocals can be heard in her song from her 2008 album, Somewhere in the Real World entitled "Start It". In the song "Start It", she can be heard belting two A5's and two B5's in mixed/chest voice and an E6 in the whistle registry. Also in the song "I Am Woman", performed at the ARIA Hall of Fame tribute for Helen Reddy in 2006, Amorosi can be heard belting a sustained C6.
In 1999, Amorosi released her debut single "Have a Look" which became a Top 20 hit. Second single "Absolutely Everybody", an anthemic dance song, reached the Top 10 and became the longest charting Australian single by an Australian female artist. It remained in the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart for over six months after its release. "Absolutely Everybody" was released internationally and reached the Top 10 in many European countries including the United Kingdom and Germany where it received a gold certification. Amorosi performed at many large events such as the NRL Grand Final, the opening of the Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island and the new millennium on "New Year's Eve" at Darling Harbour.
In 2000 two more singles "Shine" and "The Power" became major Australian hits, and her album The Power reached number one on the Australian album charts. Amorosi received six ARIA nominations in the year 2000 awards and The Power was nominated for "Best Female Artist" and "Best Pop Release" in the ARIA Music Awards of 2001. Her largest audience came in September 2000 with performances at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics and at the Paralympic Games. At the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics she sang the Olympic song titled "Heroes Live Forever". Amorosi won the APRA Award in 2001 for "Most Played Song" on Australian Radio with "Shine" and received international acclaim in Germany where she won "Best International Newcomer" at the 2001 VIVA Comet Awards. Later that year she also made a special appearance at the Goodwill Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Brisbane. In 2001 she performed at the AFL Grand Final.
In August 2002 Amorosi traveled to Manchester where she was one of the stars of the Commonwealth Games Hand-Over Ceremony, performing her hit "Shine" and a new song written especially for the event, "I’ll always be a Melbourne girl".
In February 2003, Amorosi performed her "Blues" set for the first time at the Melbourne International Music And Blues Festival and traveled to Germany to perform her latest European single "True To Yourself" on "Top of the Pops" and the hugely successful long-running show "Wetten, dass..?" which screens throughout Europe.
For her service to music she was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal by the Government of Australia in April 2003.
Over the next few years, Amorosi maintained a low-profile presence in the music industry, recording and performing in Australia and throughout the world. In a radio interview in 2008 she admitted being hired to perform at a number of Melbourne gangland functions, including one for the baptism of the daughter of convicted murderer Carl Williams, during that period.
On 25 January 2006, it was revealed that Amorosi was now under the management of Ralph Carr, having completed her seven year management with MarJac Productions. She is quoted on the website as saying, "I have been with my previous management for seven years and thought both parties had gone as far as we could together... Moving over to Ralph Carr Management seemed like a natural progression, given the acts he has successfully managed. I am excited and enthused."
On November 22, 2006 it was announced that Amorosi had signed to Universal Music Australia.
Amorosi’s charity work predates her fame, and her involvement with Kids Help Line and the Variety Club led to a number of honours, including a 2003 nomination for Australian of the Year. She still has the farm where endangered animals can find refuge, although she doesn’t get to visit much; her friends run it for her.
She supported Kiss on their 2008 tour of Australia.
Vanessa's latest album Somewhere in the Real World, released through Universal Music Australia, was released on May 24th 2008 after being delayed since a late 2007 release. The album tracks "Perfect" and "Start It" have both been used in promotions for the Seven Network. Released digitally and in stores on May 24, 2008, Somewhere in the Real World was already sitting at Number 3 on the national iTunes chart within hours of its release and climbing to number 2 within the first 24 hours and finally hitting the number 1 spot on the charts after just 4 days of release.
The single "Kiss Your Mama!" was serviced to radio on 3rd August and released 8th September 2007. On a special edition of Australian Idol she sang her hit song "Kiss Your Mama!".
Amorosi released her second single "Perfect" digitally on 5 April and physically on 26 April 2008. The single made it to number 1 on the digital iTunes charts on the 7th of June 2008, and Perfect was the #1 most played played song on Australian Radio in 2008.
The single "The Simple Things (Something Emotional)" was released as the third single on 20 September 2008.
On 20 April 2009 it was released that Amorosi will appear in a duet with American rock band Hoobastank, Amorosi also appears in the video which was shot in Los Angeles at Lacy Street Studio with director Paul Brown (Alicia Keys, Jack White). The video and single was serviced to Australian media on May 4. The single was released in Australia on June 19, 2009.
Amorosi is currently in LA writing and recording her new album.
Who Am I
Vanessa Amorosi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still I stay
Holding onto memories
That can never be replaced
I pick you up
You hold me down
Like all the tears I cried
Who am I?
If you love somebody else
Through all the pain and all the tunnels
You found no way out
So ask
Who Am I?
If my love hits off the floor
Wipe it up with another tear
But still I cry more
So life's cruel
I'm in denial
Never thought I'd walk down a road
That could lead me to nowhere
The colours I
Used to have
Now I'm nothing but a grey in life
No need to look here
Who am I?
If you love somebody else
Through all the pain and all the tunnels
You found no way out
So ask
Who Am I?
If my love hits off the floor
Wipe it up with another tear
But still I cry more
Now I know my love had failed
Couldn't keep you at home
Keep you in my arms
You had to run
And so you ran from me
And all the time that I put in you
Instead of myself
Could have given it somebody else
And maybe it would be returned
But I gave it to you baby
I gave you all that I had
We used to be happy
Then love ran away
In, out, out, in we go, love
Thought I'd never really known
Never really know, no
Who am I?
If you love somebody else
Through all the pain and all the tunnels
You found no way out
So ask
Who Am I?
If my love hits off the floor
Wipe it up with another tear
But still I cry more
Uh...
(You and I have changed)
(We used to be happy)
(Then your love ran away)
Then your love ran away
(You and I have changed)
(We used to be happy)
(Then your love ran away)
We changed
(You and I have changed)
You and I changed
(We used to be happy)
(Then your love ran away)
If you love somebody else
(You and I have changed)
You and I
(We used to be happy)
Uh...
(Then your love ran away)
(You and I have changed)
(We used to be happy)
(Then your love ran away)
Hm...
(You and I have changed)
(We used to be happy)
(Then your love ran away)
(You and I have changed)
(We used to be happy)
(Then your love ran away)
The lyrics to Vanessa Amorosi's song Who Am I? explore the pain and confusion of a failed relationship. The central theme is the recurring question of the title: who am I if the person I love has chosen someone else? The artist describes her struggle to let go of cherished memories and come to terms with the fact that her love has gone unrequited. She feels trapped in a bitter place and is in denial about her situation, never thinking she would end up in a place where she feels lost.
The verses describe the intense emotional turmoil of the artist as she comes to terms with the end of her relationship. The first verse paints a picture of someone who is desperate to hold onto the past, despite knowing that it can never be recovered. The second verse is more introspective, with the artist questioning her own self-worth and feeling like she is nothing but a grey in life. The chorus features the central question: who am I if my love is unreturned? The bridge reflects on the past, with the artist realizing that the time she invested in her lover could have been given to someone else, but ultimately, she gave it all to him. The final lines of the song repeat the central themes, asking the question, "Who am I?" as the artist struggles to come to terms with a love that has gone wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
Bitter place
A place or situation full of bitterness and sadness
Still I stay
Despite the bitterness, the singer stays in that place/situation
Holding onto memories
The singer clings to memories from the past
That can never be replaced
Memories which are precious and can never be replaced
I pick you up
The singer tries to lift someone up
You hold me down
That someone brings the singer down
Like all the tears I cried
Just like the tears the singer shed
That rushed to the ground
Those tears landed on the ground
If my love hits off the floor
If the singer's love is disregarded/ignored
Wipe it up with another tear
The singer cries more tears to replace the love
So life's cruel
Life is hard and unfair
I'm in denial
The singer refuses to accept something
Never thought I'd walk down a road
The singer never expected to end up in that situation
That could lead me to nowhere
The road has no destination or purpose
The colours I used to have
The happiness and vibrancy the singer had
Now I'm nothing but a grey in life
The singer feels dull and colorless now
No need to look here
There's nothing worth noticing anymore
Now I know my love had failed
The singer realizes their love was not enough
Couldn't keep you at home
The singer couldn't make someone stay
Keep you in my arms
The singer wanted to hold someone close
You had to run
That someone chose to leave the singer
And so you ran from me
That someone ran away and left the singer alone
And all the time that I put in you
The singer dedicated time and effort to that someone
Instead of myself
The singer neglected their own needs
Could have given it somebody else
The singer could have given that affection to someone else
And maybe it would be returned
They could have received love in return
But I gave it to you baby
The singer gave their all to that someone
We used to be happy
The singer reminisces being happy with that someone
Then love ran away
Their love disappeared
Thought I'd never really known
The singer realizes that they never really understood something
You and I have changed
The singer and that someone grew apart
Uh...
An expression of disappointment or confusion
Contributed by Aria G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tasoq
I never get tired of hearing this song
Scott O'Neill
Agree
thetarnishedsaint
Really cool and catchy. Kind of at the core of the self-esteem/respect issues that we struggle with in our lives. Kind of wonderful that God loves us, accepts us, and empowers through that our ability to love both self and others. Not an easy journey but well worth the time, effort and struggle:) Cool song!!!
katmanduxo 1991
thetarnishedsaint this hit home legit
Bridget Bonds
Vanessa amorosi And Kelly Clarkston were a music group that would be fantastic
nicole whiting
Love it
Anindya Fadilla
THIS SONG!!!!!! Summer in Perth '09!!!
HARSHITA K
such a amazing song...... but why isn't there any dance videos for this song
Zharne Andrews
Best song <3
Gacha Films
Nice video!