In the beginning, Columbia Records signed Carlile in late 2004 on the strength of songs she'd been recording periodically at home. Released in 2005, Brandi Carlile showcased those early songs along with several newly recorded tracks. Shortly after the release of Brandi Carlile, she left her home in Seattle and set out with the Hanseroth brothers, with whom she'd worked on her earliest recordings and independent regional tours. The tightly knit trio, which forms the core of her band today, spent the better part of two years on the road honing the songs that would later become part of her album "The Story".
In 2005, she was featured on Rolling Stone's "10 Artists to Watch in 2005" list. By the end of 2006, Carlile had embarked on several headlining tours and supported a variety of artists including Ray LaMontagne, The Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.
Her second album, The Story, was released in April 2007. It was produced by T Bone Burnett and includes a collaboration with the Indigo Girls on "Cannonball." The album was recorded in an eleven-day-long session with Carlile , the twins (Tim and Phil Hanseroth) and drummer Matt Chamberlain to capture the raw intensity of Carlile's live performances. The crack in Carlile's vocals during the title track, "The Story", came out by accident and was a direct result of the way the album was recorded. Carlile herself describes the vocals as "technically wrong but emotionally right."
Carlile was exposed to a wider audience when ABC's Grey's Anatomy showcased three of her songs: "Tragedy," "What Can I Say," and "Throw It All Away". In April 2007, Grey's Anatomy debuted a version of the video for the single The Story interspersed with footage from the show. On May 3, 2007, a special two-hour episode of "Grey's Anatomy" featured Carlile's song "Turpentine" during footage of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, "Private Practice".
Josephine
Brandi Carlile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Noontime wind can you blow
For me one more time
Where the midnight moon shines so bright
Nearly pulled us up to Heaven
By the strings of our heart
Take me back Josephine
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Morning sun shine on me
Come light inside my window
And rest on my brow
Kiss my eyes when I sleep
And carry me back home
If my dreams will allow
Take me back Josephine
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Take me back Josephine
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Someone help me understand why I'm still loving you
The song "Josephine" by Brandi Carlile is a deeply introspective and melancholic ballad that speaks to the feelings of heartbreak and longing for an unidentified lost love. The song opens with the singer calling out to Josephine, asking to be taken back to a "cold and dark December" when she was missing someone, but didn't know who. The lyrics express the uncertainty and confusion that often accompany the end of a relationship, where the memory of an ex-lover lingers despite the inability to recall what it was that once drew the singer to them.
The chorus of the song repeats this request to be taken back to that particular moment in time, to remember what it was like to be in love with the lost love. The lyrics seem to suggest that the singer has tried to move on, but continues to find themselves haunted by a past relationship they cannot let go of. The second verse calls out to the natural elements- the wind, moon, and sun- as if they could provide some solace or guidance in the search for understanding.
The final verse is a final plea for assistance- someone to help the singer understand why they still love the person they miss. The song closes with one last repetition of the chorus, expressing the desire to be taken back in time and to understand what it meant to love that person.
Overall, "Josephine" is a powerful expression of heartbreak and the search for closure in the wake of a lost love. The lyrics are deeply emotive and introspective, exploring the complex emotions that accompany the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me back Josephine
The singer is asking Josephine to take them back to a specific moment in time.
To that cold and dark December
The singer is referring to a specific time in the past that was cold and dark.
I am missing someone but I don't know who
The singer feels a sense of loss but can't pinpoint who or what they are missing.
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
The artist is alone and attempting to recall what they have lost.
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
The artist is questioning how they fell in love in the first place.
Noontime wind can you blow
The singer is addressing the wind and asking it to do something.
For me one more time
The singer is asking the wind to do something that it already did before.
And take me on back to the start
The artist wants to go back to the beginning.
Where the midnight moon shines so bright
The artist is describing the setting they want to return to.
Nearly pulled us up to Heaven
The artist is referring to a moment of great emotional intensity.
By the strings of our heart
The singer is using a metaphor to describe the connection between two people.
Morning sun shine on me
The artist is addressing the sun and asking it to do something.
Come light inside my window
The singer wants the sun to shine into their room.
And rest on my brow
The singer is describing the sensation they want to experience.
Kiss my eyes when I sleep
The singer is asking for a specific kind of comfort.
And carry me back home
The artist wants to return to a place that feels like home.
If my dreams will allow
The artist is acknowledging that their return to this place may not be possible.
Someone help me understand why I'm still loving you
The singer is asking for help in comprehending their feelings.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRANDI M. CARLILE, TIMOTHY JAY HANSEROTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind