Harper grew up listening to blues, folk, soul, RnB, and reggae. Harper's blend of groove-laden funky soul and folky handcrafted acoustics helped him to gain cult status during the course of the 1990s and widespread attention toward the end of the decade. Harper combines elements of classic folk singers, blues revivalists and jam bands and is embraced by critics and college kids alike. Harper's body of work sells consistently and he tours constantly, building a solid, dedicated fan base.
Harper began playing guitar as a child in his hometown of Claremont, California (in California's Inland Empire). He eventually specialized in the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars). As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper got a record deal with Virgin Records, who released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).
This was followed by the incendiary Fight For Your Mind (1995) which became a college radio favorite and generated an abundance of songs which still fill his set list to this day.
In 1999 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson, who was unknown at the time and had not recorded. Harper obtained a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs that he forwarded to his producer, J.P. Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album.
From early on in his career, his music received more attention in Europe than it did in his home country. While he was a well-known and respected figure in the States, in countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, and The Netherlands he was a star, receiving a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim. His popularity in Europe is such that he was French Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist of the Year" (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003, and his tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside played to packed arenas across the continent.
In 2004, Harper recorded the album "There Will Be a Light " as the collaboration Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
In October 2004, Harper participated in the Vote for Change concert tour organised to benefit Moveon.org and encourage people in the swing states to vote during the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was cancelled, Harper took on a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and a full-band acoustic performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new Harper songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Dressed In Black."
In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts.
Next Harper did a worldwide tour, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.
In 2007, Harper released the album Lifeline, recorded in Paris just after his tour.
In 2009, Harper recorded the album "White Lies for Dark Times", as the collaboration Ben Harper and Relentless7.
In 2014, Harper recorded the album "Childhood Home" as the collaboration Ben & Ellen Harper.
In 2018, Harper recorded the album "No Mercy in This Land" as the collaboration Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite. At the 40th Blues Music Awards ceremony, Harper's joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, "No Mercy In This Land", was named as 'Song of the Year'.
Spilling Faith
Ben Harper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How long have I been looking down
Traded a blue sky today
For the cold hard ground
Don't let one day go to waste
I'm filling space
I'm spilling faith
Things are looking up today
I didn't have to look away
There's so much to be said for letting go
So much tomorrow only knows
Don't let one day go to waste
I'm filling space
I'm spilling faith
I'm filling space
I'm spilling faith
I'm filling space
I'm spilling faith
Today it all became so clear
Looked out my window not in my mirror
Make the book that is your life
Worth reading
Don't let one day go to waste
I'm filling space
I'm spilling faith
I'm spilling space
[Repeat: x3]
If we love long enough
We can get there from here
In Ben Harper's song "Spilling Faith", the singer expresses a newfound positivity in his life. The opening lines reveal a change in perspective from looking down to looking up. The persona seems to have had a difficult time in the past and traded a blue sky for the cold hard ground. However, things are now looking up and the persona does not have to look away anymore. The persona realizes that there's so much to be said for letting go and that the tomorrow holds immense possibility. The second verse emphasizes the importance of not wasting any more time and filling space with faith. The persona notes that when we decide to let go of the past, things become clearer and worth living.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of filling space and spilling faith. The repetition of these lines emphasizes the gravity of the message. The persona ardently believes that we should not let a single day go to waste, and instead, we should use it to fill ourselves with positivity and hope. The final lines of the song serve as a statement of hope, emphasizing the power of love and its ability to help us move forward in life.
Overall, "Spilling Faith" is a song about overcoming adversity and finding hope and positivity. The persona recognizes that it's never too late to let go of the past and start living a life filled with faith and positivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Things are looking up today
Today seems to be a good day.
How long have I been looking down
I've been feeling down for a long time.
Traded a blue sky today
I replaced the hope I had with despair.
For the cold hard ground
And it's been tough.
Don't let one day go to waste
Make the most of today.
I'm filling space
I'm trying to occupy my mind.
I'm spilling faith
I'm hopeful.
I didn't have to look away
I didn't have to avoid facing my issues.
There's so much to be said for letting go
There's a lot of benefits to moving on.
So much tomorrow only knows
Only the future knows what's in store.
Today it all became so clear
I gained some clarity today.
Looked out my window not in my mirror
I focused on the present instead of dwelling on the past.
Make the book that is your life
Make sure the experiences you have are worth remembering.
Worth reading
Worth revisiting in the future.
I'm spilling space
I'm letting my thoughts and emotions out.
If we love long enough
If we keep love alive for long enough.
We can get there from here
We can get through tough times if we have love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: BEN C. HARPER, JASON MATTHEW MOZERSKY, JESSE INGALLS, JORDAN TYLER RICHARDSON, RICHARD STARKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind