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Beautiful Soul – inspiration

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The lyrics for “Beautiful Soul” are here.

In the house where I grew up, we had a copy of the painting “Temily Means Peace” by Western Australian artist Chelinay Gates (shown below) hanging on our living room wall. This picture was a strong image in my mind throughout my childhood, symbolising harmony and unity in diversity. My parents taught me that it didn’t matter what your racial or religious background was, we were all members of one human family. I learnt these beautiful and powerful words: “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” (Bahá’u’lláh)

Temily Means Peace - Beautiful Soul

As I grew up, though, I realised that not everyone was being showered with these same ideals of harmony and unity as I was. In a society where prejudice is such a stealthy but pervasive reality, I found it difficult for myself personally to remain aloof of all the muck and not to succumb to the same preconceived assumptions, indifference and apathy that plagued so many others.
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Lyrics and Inspirations from my recordings

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To see song lyrics and to read about the inspiration behind the songs, click on individual song titles.

 

“Universe For Afternoon Tea” EP (2009)

  1. Undertones – lyrics & inspiration
  2. Accidental – lyrics & inspiration
  3. I Look Up – lyrics & inspiration
  4. Once Upon A Time – lyrics & inspiration

 

“Shameem” (self-titled) Album (2011)

  1. Sleeper On The Night Train  – lyrics | inspiration
  2. Boy – lyrics | inspiration
  3. Back To The Ground – lyrics | inspiration
  4. Deep, Still – lyrics | inspiration
  5. Hurting You Too – lyrics | inspiration
  6. Disappointed – lyrics | inspiration
  7. Yin – lyrics | inspiration
  8. Parents And Children – lyrics | inspiration
  9. Strawberry – lyrics | inspiration
  10. In Time – lyrics | inspiration

 

“The Second City” Album (2015)

  1. Beautiful Soul – lyrics | inspiration
  2. Interlude I – Sunrise and Rain
  3. It’s All Illusion – lyrics | inspiration
  4. Under One Sun – lyrics | inspiration
  5. Hole in My Heart – lyrics | inspiration
  6. Interlude II – Nectarines and Mangoes
  7. Other Half of My Heart – lyrics | inspiration
  8. Impostor – lyrics | inspiration
  9. Give Me a Reason – lyrics | inspiration
  10. Intro – A Lover is He
  11. Chill in The Fire – lyrics | inspiration | lyric video
  12. Interlude III – All The Love
  13. Expectation – lyrics | inspiration
  14. I Give Thanks – lyrics | inspiration
  15. Outro – Giving Thanks

 

New album now available!

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Shameem’s new album is now available for purchase! This self-titled debut album features 10 brand new tracks written by Shameem, including one song co-written by Grammy-winning UK producer James Bryan.

This album brings together 18 months’ work of writing, performing, touring and experiencing that amazing thing called life. Driven by Shameem’s soulful, expressive voice and the strong rhythmic grooves of her band, the songs tell many different stories of hope, anguish, love, protest and growth – check out the lyrics and inspirations here.

Now available at the following stores:

Online stores

BandCamp – online download and physical CD
CD Baby – online download only
iTunes – online download only

Perth Record Stores

Fat Shan Records
Planet Video

“Keep ‘Em Shameem” – Drum Media article 17/11/11

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Local songstress Shameem Taheri-Lee and her band launch their debut LP this weekend, and Jackson Best finds out the goss.

You first caught people’s ears with the Universe for Afternoon Tea EP back in 2009. What’s been happening since Afternoon Tea? Playing lots of shows, and writing lots of songs! Earlier this year we did a big WA tour, which was challenging and exciting for the band. I also did a songwriting trip to London mid-year and scoped out the music scene while I was there, and played a few gigs too.
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In Time – inspiration

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The lyrics for “In Time” are here.

This song was written late at night, not long before album was recorded. It is the most intuitive, raw track of the album, and was recorded in only two takes.

This song was inspired, in part, by a beautiful poem, shown below. It’s about the simultaneous ecstasy and torture of being in love with an invisible, incomprehensible God.

“This is Faith” – poem by Ruhiyyih Khanum

To walk where there is no path
To breathe where there is no air
To see where there is not light –
This is Faith.

To cry out in the silence,
The silence of the night,
And hearing no echo believe
And believe again and again –
This is Faith.

To hold pebbles and see jewels
To raise sticks and see forests
To smile with weeping eyes –
This is Faith.

To say: “God, I believe” when others deny,
“I hear” when there is no answer,
“I see” though naught is seen –
This is Faith.

And the fierce love in the heart,
The savage love that cries
“Hidden Thou art yet there!
Veil Thy face and mute Thy tongue
yet I see and hear Thee, Love,
Beat me down to the bare earth,
Yet I rise and love Thee, Love!”
This is Faith.

Strawberry – inspiration

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The lyrics for “Strawberry” are here.

I have a bright, red birthmark on my left eye. The curious and irritating questions when I was a kid, as well as cultural notions from some of my family members, gave me quite a negative attitude towards it, to the point where I was seeking to have it removed. But as I grew up, I decided that it was something that was unique about me, and that it should be treasured.

This song is about being proud of the things that make us all individually unique. It is inspired by my red birthmark, hence it’s title, “Strawberry”.

Parents and Children – inspiration

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The lyrics for “Parents and Children” are here.

There is a time in all of our lives when we realise that our parents are not perfect. Sometimes we can even be pitted into a role reversal situation where the child has to act like a parent to their own parents. I do volunteer work with a number of young people, and this is an interesting and challenging period that I see them navigate through.

Yin – inspiration

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The lyrics of “Yin” are here.

“The world of humanity has two wings — one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly.” –  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Bahá’í Writings

This song portrays how it feels sometimes to be a woman in a man’s world, and how I hope that I, as a woman, can make a meaningful contribution to the world. It is in part inspired by my experience studying in a pre-dominantly male-attended university course!!

Disappointed – inspiration

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The lyrics for “Disappointed” are here.

When someone who calls himself your enemy inflicts pain upon you, it hurts for a little while but then you can move on. But when someone who is dear to you inflicts pain upon you, it hurts deeper and can last a lifetime. This song is about a time when I was sorely let down by someone I loved dearly and held in the highest esteem.

Hurting You Too – inspiration

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The lyrics of “Hurting You Too” are here.

This is my political song… I address it to the leaders of the world, who too often think of their own personal gain before the benefit of the people they serve. The world of humanity is like a human body – when you hurt one part of the body, you  may not realise it, but the whole body is affected. When you hurt others, you are in fact hurting yourself too.