His critically acclaimed voice is powerful, soulful, and unforgettable. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects of New York City, Bernard played bass in the neighborhood salsa band. At 16 he began writing and singing in ìTotal Eclipseî, who later signed with Brunswick Records. As the frontman for Tackhead, Bernard began his journey to become one of the most sought-after singing talents in the world.
Bernard has appeared on tours and albums, singing with some of the best-known artists of the 20th Century: Ryuchi Sakamoto, Gill Scott-Heron, Sly & Robbie, Material, Bootsy Collins, Duran Duran, Herb Alpert, Paul Carrack, Yoko Ono, and many others.
Bernard spent the last decade touring and recording with the Rolling Stones, rounding out fourteen albums, including fronting three albums from Charlie Watts and contributing his voice to solo efforts from Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood.
Not only is Bernard an accomplished vocalist, he is also a songwriter, trombone player, percussionist, keyboardist, and producer. He has displayed these diverse talents with Ron Wood, Stevie Salas, The Rolling Stones, Living Colour, Herbie Hancock, as well as his own Peach Boys, Tackhead, and Nicklebag. It is clear that with his highly-regarded talent, and unparalleled experience, Bernard Fowler will continue to lend his skills and sounds to many more thankful ears in the 21st Century.
Josephine
Bernard Fowler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our eyes met and we began to dance
I saw a beach, I could hear the shore
When all the time I'm in a Woolworth store
Jo Josephine
I make her hum, she makes me sing
Jo Josephine
With just one touch
She makes the hardest wood soft
My baby turns me on, not off
Sometimes, sometimes when you bring me down
Still I like having you around
Jo Josephine
I make her hum, she makes me sing
Jo Josephine
I make you moan, you make me scream
When I'm lost I can't find her anywhere
I turn up my nose to sniff the air
Odor so sweet, I know that she's there
I don't need to run, I don't need to hide
My Jo never leaves my side
Don't need no headache from no one-night-stand
I'd rather use my baby's right hand
Jo Josephine
You make me moan, you make me scream
Jo Josephine
I make her hum, she makes me sing
Jo Josephine
I'm the king and you're my queen
Jo Josephine
She's my love, you know what I mean
When I'm lost I can't find her anywhere
I turn up my nose to sniff the air
Odor so sweet, I know that she's there
Jo Josephine
Jo, come talk to me
Jo, what was that you said
Jo, come talk to me
The lyrics of "Josephine" by Bernard Fowler depict a love between the singer and a woman named Jo who seems to bring him endless joy and pleasure. The song opens by describing Jo as a "fairytale" romance, where the singer's eyes meet Jo's and they begin to dance. Fowler uses the imagery of a beach and the sound of the ocean, but this is juxtaposed with the setting of a Woolworth store, indicating that perhaps this is just a fantasy or a playful escape.
The chorus iterates the singer's love for Jo, how she makes him hum, sing, moan, and scream. Jo's touch alone can make the hardest wood soft, and the singer is turned on by her instead of being turned off. The bridge of the song switches to a more reflective and honest tone, as the singer admits that sometimes Jo brings him down, but he still likes having her around. The song concludes with a repetition of the chorus, asserting that Jo is the singer's love and queen, and that when he's lost without her, he can always find her sweet scent somewhere in the air.
Overall, the lyrics to "Josephine" present a playful and exciting love story between two individuals who bring out the best in each other. While some may interpret the use of a name like Jo as potentially objectifying, the song portrays her as a powerful and captivating figure who holds the singer's heart and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
A fairytale, a storybook romance
This love story is perfect, like a storybook tale.
Our eyes met and we began to dance
Our love began with an instant attraction and a dance.
I saw a beach, I could hear the shore
In my mind, I picture ourselves on a beautiful beach.
When all the time I'm in a Woolworth store
But in reality, we are just in a regular store.
Jo Josephine
I make her hum, she makes me sing
My lover's name is Josephine and we bring out the best in each other.
Jo Josephine
I make her moan, she makes me scream
We are very passionate with each other and we both enjoy a physical relationship.
With just one touch
She makes the hardest wood soft
My baby turns me on, not off
With just one touch from her, it's easy for me to become aroused and I never get tired of being with her.
Sometimes, sometimes when you bring me down
Still I like having you around
Even though sometimes you upset me, I still love having you in my life.
When I'm lost I can't find her anywhere
I turn up my nose to sniff the air
Odor so sweet, I know that she's there
When I can't find her, I can sense her presence since she has a unique and sweet scent.
I don't need to run, I don't need to hide
My Jo never leaves my side
Don't need no headache from no one-night-stand
I'd rather use my baby's right hand
I don't have to worry about looking for anyone else since Josephine is always there for me, providing physical pleasure that is far superior to a casual fling.
Jo, come talk to me
I want to make sure we stay connected and communicate with each other.
Jo, what was that you said
Jo, come talk to me
I want to make sure there are no misunderstandings and that we stay close to each other.
Jo Josephine
You make me moan, you make me scream
Jo Josephine
I make her hum, she makes me sing
Jo Josephine
I'm the king and you're my queen
Jo Josephine
She's my love, you know what I mean
Josephine and I bring out the best in each other and our love is strong and true.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ERIC WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lares Deces
The endearing and fun sentiment behind "don't try this with your dad's stereo", is that most of us who learned the art of scratching and cutting, DID start by moving records back and forth -- on our dad's stereo/turntables. :)
Acito
Just from Twitter.. Josephine was killin it 🔥 💃🏾
[artisthony]
Josephine tore this up‼️ 🔥
Ronnie Rowe
Old school Bboys number one there will never be a time like that again NOSTALGIA
Ronnie Durham
AMEN!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
tekubus
When Vincent Gallo informs you that Run DMC is the freshest DJ MC crew around, you should believe it.
Bond Win
M Holman and V Gallo ,JMB WAS IN A GROUP CALLED GRAY !! RIP JMB 💔💔💔💔💔
Eric Couch Classic
I miss those days of Hip Hop…
Taija Silva
Josephine DID that Ish!!👏🏽👏🏽
wirlaway
what Josephine! gettin down. hitting those pops, tutting god damn she's good