♪ It don't matter what the preacher gon' pray ♪
♪ Gonna love you any old ♪
♪ 'Cause when you wake up in the morning ♪
♪ Gonna throw it all away (whoosh) ♪
Yo, hello, what's going on, my name is Jacob Collier
and I'm from London, England, where do you come from?
And I am here today for one reason, and one reason only,
and the reason is to play the legendary game,
which is Song Association with Elle.
(synthetic chirping)
So the vibe is, if you don't know already,
I'm given a word, I have 10 seconds, 10 whole seconds,
to think of a song in which this word exists
and sing and maybe even play that song.
(vibrates lips)
I don't know, this is crazy, I'm a little nervous actually,
but I have faith in my memory to some extent.
Before we get started, there is something you should know,
I, for some strange reason,
am making four albums in one go.
It's a quadruple album, by the name of "Djessie,"
volume one and two have been released into the world,
they're yours to keep.
Volume three is sort of like, soon to come.
So bear that in mind, and check it out if you want to.
Only if you want to though.
(upbeat percussive music) (Jacob does vocal warm-ups)
(piano chords)
(clears throat) I think I'm ready.
Stay.
(timer ticks)
♪ Oh, won't you stay with me ♪ (ding)
♪ 'Cause you are all I need ♪
♪ Oh won't you, it's here to see ♪
♪ Oh won't you stay, won't you stay with me ♪
By Sam Smith.
Alone.
(timer ticks) Oh that's one of my songs.
♪ If you wanna get sunshine all night ♪
♪ Walkin' on the rooftop moonlight ♪
♪ I'ma go get some ♪
♪ Some time alone with you, oh ♪ (ding)
And it features Daniel Caesar,
who's really, really cool, he's a good friend of mine.
Daniel Caesar is a massive legend, if you don't know him,
you should know him, now you know him.
He's an amazing singer songwriter who's...
I've been a fan of his for a long, long time
and we finally got together last year,
and we wrote thing song and I made this groove,
that goes like (beatboxes and imitates bass line),
you know one of those like, sweet grooves,
he came in and he said I've got an idea,
and then we ran with it,
and it became "Time Alone With You," and yeah.
Best.
(timer ticking) Funny you should mention
Daniel Caesar, 'cause there's a song that goes,
♪ Whoa, you're the best part ♪ (ding)
That's how it goes, "Best Part" by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R.
♪ I just want to see how beautiful you are ♪
♪ You know that I see it ♪
♪ I know you're a star ♪
♪ Where you go I follow ♪
♪ No matter how far ♪
♪ If life is a movie ♪
♪ Then you're the best part ♪
♪ Sing la, la, la, la, la, la ♪
♪ You're the best part ♪
People I wanna collaborate with.
One is the Bulgarian Female Choir of Television and Radio,
who are just like, ridiculously killing,
and they make these sounds like (groans),
and it's just so cool, I wanna collaborate with those guys.
I would like to collaborate
with Kendrick Lamar, very, very much,
because Kendrick Lamar is really, really good at rapping
and in general, just like an overarchingly,
stupendous human being with incredible intentions,
and like, transparent talent, so I love him so much.
Wild.
(timer ticks) Oh there's
a beautiful folk song that goes
♪ Oh the summer time has come ♪
♪ And the trees are sweetly bloomin' ♪
♪ And the wild mountain thyme ♪ (ding)
♪ Grows around the bloomin' heather ♪
♪ Will you go, Lassie, go ♪
♪ And we'll all go together ♪
♪ To pull wild mountain thyme ♪
♪ All around the bloomin' heather ♪
♪ Will you go, Lassie, go ♪
So I'm from England, which is a good place to be from,
and in England, there's a deep tradition of folk music,
and folk songs that have been passed,
often mouth to mouth across many many generations,
and there's some incredible folk song collectors
that have existed in the world, one being Vaughan Williams,
who's an amazing classical composer,
another being Cecil Sharp,
and there's a room in London called Cecil Sharp House,
and it's a bit of like, kind of like
a central point for folk song collection.
I myself have been a huge fan of folk music for a long time.
And one of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world
is to sit with my family, stop running around,
and just play some folk songs, and sing them,
and there's something so universal about folk music,
in my opinion, and so that is such a good example of
just one of those timeless pieces of music
that stands alone and lasts forever.
Sun.
(timer ticks) ♪ Here comes the sun ♪
(ding) ♪ Here comes the sun ♪
♪ And I say it's all right, it's all right ♪
Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun," yay, hooray.
I've been wanting to arrange that song for a long long time,
but I was waiting for the right collaborator,
you know that feeling when you're like,
waiting for the right collaborator in your life
to do something or feel something?
And that was Dodie, and I realized that
she was the perfect person to do this with.
And so we did it and it was really fun,
and we made a video, which we shot in my garden,
on a little camera, and that was really fun.
Don't.
(timer ticks) Oh.
♪ Get up, (mumbles) ♪
(ding) ♪ Don't stop ♪
til you get enough
♪ (mumbles) Don't stop 'til you get enough (mumbles) ♪
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson.
One.
(timer ticks) There's a song that goes
♪ One last time ♪ (ding)
♪ I need to be the one who takes you home ♪
If I only do that one on strings.
(piano plays strings) ♪ One last time ♪
♪ I need to be the one who takes you home ♪
♪ One last time, I need to be ♪
There you go.
I can keep going up and up keys,
but Ariana Grande doesn't deserve that.
Well there was a piano in my house,
since I was very very little,
and I was always, I would always gravitate towards it
because there was harmony inside,
and things with harmony inside,
(plays piano chord) give me a lot of
(plays piano chord) good vibes.
And so I would sit for hours and play chords,
(plays various notes) and move one note in the chord
at one time and see if I could make any narratives
that I enjoyed out of these patterns.
And gradually, I got more and more obsessed
with finding chords.
When I was younger, I was into maths a lot,
and so I made these songs, I've never told anyone this,
I made these songs for the times tables.
And each number of the times tables had its own little song.
And it was real cool.
And so for example, the seven times table one,
which was in seven four, seven beats in a bar, it went like,
♪ Seven times table, seven times table ♪
(imitates bass guitar)
I'll have to release these one day,
I've got like, this four part young Jacob thing.
♪ One's time seven is seven (beatboxes) ♪
♪ Seven (beatboxes) is fourteen ♪
♪ Three times seven is 21 ♪
♪ Four times seven is 28 ♪
And it would go on and on.
But that was like, one of the first things I did
with many instruments.
I got really good at doing the drums here.
(drums play out of piano) Like one times seven...
And then I can play the bass on here.
(bass guitar plays out of piano)
And then I would play the keys on here.
(piano plays)
And then I'd play the guitar on here.
(guitar plays out of piano)
And so it was like my whole universe was that.
Bad.
(timer ticks) I'm trying to avoid
the two most obvious songs,
which would be "Bad Guy" and "Bad."
I'll do this one on organ, so it goes,
♪ You had a bad day ♪ (ding)
♪ La dee da da ♪
♪ Song just to turn it around ♪
♪ You had a bad day (mumbles) ♪
♪ Just to turn it around ♪
♪ You had a bad day, da da da da ♪
♪ Da da da da da da da da ♪
Don't know any of the words.
♪ You've had a bad day ♪
Bad.
Games.
(timer ticks) Yeah it goes,
♪ It don't matter what your papa gon' say ♪
♪ Gonna love you any old way ♪
♪ It don't matter 'bout ♪
(ding) ♪ The games you play ♪
♪ Gonna love you any old ♪
♪ It don't matter what the preacher gon' pray ♪
♪ Gonna love you any old ♪
♪ 'Cause when you wake up in the morning ♪
♪ Gonna throw it all away (whoosh) ♪
That's called "It Don't Matter" by me, Jacob Collier.
It's about letting things go.
I think we live in a world, I know we live in a world,
where it's easy and addictive to hold onto things,
and think that they last forever, like the internet.
And sometimes, a lot of like, the pain in your life
can come from holding onto things,
when actually nothing lasts forever,
and sometimes it's good to go (whoosh)
and let something go, and it's okay,
and don't worry, it's all gonna be all right.
Make.
(timer ticks)
(ding) ♪ Make money ♪
♪ Make love, make a difference ♪
I always find that really charming,
but the beginning of the song goes,
♪ Cat, blue, piano ♪
♪ It is some of the things I like ♪
♪ And the more I can have of these things in my day ♪
♪ The better I sleep at night ♪
Imogen Heap is sort of, in my opinion,
cut through a lot of the kind of,
groggy middle ground of mediocrity of the world.
And does things that are so novel and so interesting,
I don't know why I'm doing this with my hands,
and she invents technology, which I find really interesting,
such as gloves, there you go, gloves that make sound,
and you can move the glove around
and it goes (imitates warping),
and you can loop, and I think,
find that stuff absolutely extraordinary,
so yeah, thank you Imogen.
Moon.
(timer ticks) It's on my latest album.
"Djessie" volume two, and this big arrangement of (mumbles),
oh it's such a good song,
I've learned so much from this song.
It's like a big incandescent wonderland, it goes
(ding) ♪ Moon river ♪
♪ Wider than a mile ♪
♪ I'm crossing you in style some day ♪
♪ Oh ♪
(mumbles) No I don't even know the words,
♪ You heart breaker ♪
♪ Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way ♪
♪ Oh two drifters, off to see the world ♪
♪ There's such a lot of world to see ♪
♪ We're after the same rainbow's end ♪
♪ Waitin' 'round the bend ♪
♪ My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me ♪
That song is one of those songs that's so strong,
you can destroy it and it survives.
From like, in a musical way.
And so what you have to concentrate on
is how the chords make you feel, so like a
♪ Moon river ♪
Feels different from like a
♪ Moon river ♪
It's just a different vibe, or
♪ Moon river ♪
That was quite hellish.
But you can make all those artistic decisions,
and it's really cool.
One crazy thing I did on the final verse
of my arrangement of "Moon River" was,
I went to a key that does not exist.
D half sharp major, which is that key,
but that key's not on the piano normally.
It's like halfway between this note and this note, that.
I love doing that, and when you're singing
and you're not playing, you can do whatever you want,
so you can go into keys that don't exist all day long.
Fire.
(guitar plays out of piano)
♪ Always thought I'd see her again ♪
♪ I've seen fire ♪
(ding) ♪ And I've seen rain ♪
♪ Seen sunny days that I thought would never end ♪
And this is the bit I don't know (mumbles).
♪ But I always thought that I'd see you ♪
♪ Baby, one more time again ♪
Heart.
(timer ticks)
Heart.
(buzzer)
There's a song...
It like, went viral a while ago, it's really good,
it goes like,
♪ Look at me and tell me the truth ♪
♪ What would you do ♪
♪ If you don't know what we go through ♪
♪ You'll see my blonde hair, blue eyes and class ♪
♪ But I don't know, I got a really big heart ♪
As you live life, and you learn about life,
and you observe your own decision making within your life,
your music becomes fuller and more interesting,
and more varied and I've learned so much about myself
from making music and discussing a language with myself.
This sort of ever changing, multifaceted approach to music
that I enjoy, is the same as I aim for it within my life,
so as things happen in my life,
and as I grow older, I guess I'll continue to expand
in a musical way, too.
I'm quite excited to be old in some ways.
Just because I feel like then I'll have like,
the optimum life, you know, experience to draw from.
Little.
(timer ticks) ♪ Every time ♪
♪ We say goodbye I die a little ♪
(ding)
♪ Every time we say goodbye ♪
♪ I wonder why a little ♪
♪ La la la la la la ♪
♪ It's so strange the change from major to minor ♪
♪ Every time we say goodbye ♪
And the version I know is with Ella Fitzgerald singing.
Can't remember who wrote it, it's a beautiful old jazz song.
But for me, Stevie Wonder's like my O-G,
I always say Stevie Wonder but he really truly is,
he's one of those guys that writes songs
that are so universal and yet they're just so deep
and if you're like me
and you enjoy on picking harmony and rhythm,
there's just so much going on in his music.
And I find it extraordinary
that someone can exist on every level, you know,
from the most advanced chordal structures,
to just the best feeling lyrics.
There's a less known Stevie Wonder song which goes.
(plays jazzy piano chords)
And he goes,
♪ I'm happier than the morning sun ♪
♪ And that's the way you said that I would be ♪
♪ If I should ever (mumbles) inside my life ♪
♪ Happier than the morning sun ♪
♪ That's the way that I'll be ♪
♪ Every since you came inside my life ♪
And this is like, a pretend Clavinova sound,
but he really played it on like,
and original clavinette instrument,
which is so amazing, it's on the "Talking Book" album.
D'you want one more Stevie Wonder song?
♪ You are the sunshine of my life, ooh ♪
♪ That's why I'll always be around ♪
♪ You are the apple of my eye ♪
♪ That's why I'll always stay around ♪
♪ I feel like this is the beginning ♪
♪ But I've loved you for a million years, oh ♪
♪ And if I thought our love was ending ♪
♪ I'd find myself drowning in my own tears, oh ♪
♪ You are the sunshine of my life ♪
♪ That's why I'll always stay around, oh ♪
I wanna collaborate with Stevie Wonder,
more than words can say.
So Stevie, if you're watching,
then hit me up on my cell phone.
Hold.
(timer ticking) What's this one.
(angelic voices play from piano)
Okay I can do that, and so it goes
(ding) ♪ Hold me now, touch me now ♪
♪ I don't want to live without you ♪
♪ Nothing's gonna change my love for you ♪
This is not that good a sound, actually.
♪ Nothing's gonna change my love for you ♪
♪ (mumbles) how much I love you ♪
♪ The world may change my whole life through ♪
♪ But nothing's gonna change my love for you ♪
(upbeat percussive music) I did much better
than I was expecting to do, I have to say.
I'm relieved now it's over,
I'm feeling the steam, it's just decompressing.
And later I'll think of all the songs
I should have thought of for all the words I missed.
But that's okay.
I know how busy you are,
and it means so much to me
that you've stayed with me for this entire video,
and watched me play Song Association,
it's been really good fun.
Be sure to check me out on the internet,
listen to the music that I've released,
and will be releasing from "Djessie,"
the four album thing, and beyond,
and come see me on tour if you feel like it,
'cause that'll be really fun,
and subscribe and all the rest of it,
you know how to do this stuff,
but most importantly, just have yourselves a good day.
Okay, see you later, bye!