Big White Room

Album: Who You Are (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jessie spent time in London's Great Ormond Street Hospital at the age of eleven being treated for an irregular heartbeat. Inspired by a sad incident during her stay there, seven years later she wrote her first ever song, which later found its way onto Who You Are. She recalled in an interview with The Independent December 10, 2010 waking up in the middle of the night to see a little boy in an adjacent bed praying, and her mother explaining that he was having an operation the next day and was asking God to save him. Jessie continued: "He died the next day so I said to my mum 'but God didn't save him'. I was so angry and it really confused me. I always wanted to write a song about the experience, but I knew I had to be of an age where it wasn't tacky or depressing and had a lightness to it."
  • The version that appears on Who You Are is a live recording. Jessie explained to The Sun: "We recorded and reproduced it so many times but for some reason it never felt right, like it was missing something. I think the live recording at Scala in London with Ben on guitar was perfect. It joins ties together all the pieces in my journey."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.