Brendan James is a New York-based singer-songwriter originally from Derry, … Read Full Bio ↴Brendan James is a New York-based singer-songwriter originally from Derry, New Hampshire. In the fall of 2007, Brendan self-released his EP The Ballroom Break-In produced by Mikal Blue, who has recorded with Colbie Caillat. The album charted on iTunes Top 100. The Ballroom Break-In is symbolic of the days when he first moved to New York -- he could not afford practice space so he would sneak into hotel ballrooms to practice on their pianos. After the success of his EP, James was signed to Decca Records. Brendan released his debut full-length album, The Day is Brave, through Universal/Decca Records on June 3, 2008, in the United States, and on June 17, 2008 in Canada. It was also produced by Mikal Blue. It debuted on the Top 10 Billboard Heatseeker Charts, with Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton all praising his debut effort and was ranked as the tenth most selling folk-rock album on iTunes. "Hero's Song," appeared on the soundtrack album Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran. "The Sun Will Rise" appeared in the ABC drama Private Practice in 2007, and the episode "The Bone That Blew" in the FOX series Bones. Brendan's self-titled second studio album produced by Warren Huart was released on September 7, 2010.
On March 19, 2013, Brendan James announced a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to promote his new album. James raised $33,948, surpassing his goal, during the three week campaign. The album, titled "Simplify", was released on August 6, 2013.

Emerald Sky
Brendan James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So we boarded up the windows
And we've taken down the lights
From the streets I hear the echoes
Yeah we're leaving town tonight

We don't need no medication,
We've got all our vital signs
All this noise and light pollution,

I just wanna see the stars tonight

We're gonna walk out of this city,
Leaving everything behind
We can sleep the days and cover ground at night
Until we find that emerald sky

Now there's plastic in the valley
There's still heartache in the ghetto
I need to talk to someone, face to face this place
No it doesn't feel like home

We don't need no medication,
We've got all our vital signs
All this noise and light pollution
I just wanna see the stars tonight

We're gonna walk out of this city,
Leaving everything behind
We can sleep the days and cover ground at night
Until we find that emerald sky

I'm gonna find that place that we forgot
Where I don't care about the money you've got
Where I don't need much cause it don't take a lot
We're gonna go

We're gonna walk out of this city,
Leaving everything behind
We can sleep the days and cover ground at night
Until we find that emerald sky

We're gonna walk out of this city,
Leaving everything behind
We can sleep the days and cover ground at night
I hope we find that emerald sky oh

Look up look down, oh,
From the heaven to the ground

Look up look down, oh,
From the heaven to the ground

Look up look down, oh,
From the heaven to the ground

Look up look down, oh,
From the heaven to the ground oh

Overall Meaning

The song Emerald Sky by Brendan James is about leaving the chaos of the city behind in search of something more pure and simple. The lyrics describe a desire to escape the noise and light pollution of the urban landscape and seek out the beauty of the stars in the night sky. The song begins with the singer describing how they have boarded up the windows and taken down the lights in preparation for leaving town. They do not need medication because their vital signs are healthy, and they are eager to leave everything behind and start anew.

As the song goes on, the singer expresses the need to escape the plastic and heartache of the valley and the ghetto. They want to talk to someone face to face in a place that feels like home. They long for simplicity, where they do not care about money or have needs that require a lot. They hope to find that place under the emerald sky.

The song is a call to return to nature and find peace in simplicity. It is about shedding the chaos of the modern world and seeking out something more pure and meaningful. The emerald sky represents a place of beauty, peace, and simplicity that the singer hopes to find.

Line by Line Meaning

So we boarded up the windows
We have closed ourself off from the outside world and are choosing to focus on our internal world.

And we've taken down the lights
We have chosen to eliminate distractions and glare, preferring darkness to light for a certain period.

From the streets I hear the echoes
Despite our distancing from the noise, we can still hear the echoes from a world outside.

Yeah we're leaving town tonight
We have made the firm decision to leave our current environment and head in search of something new and exciting.

We don't need no medication,
We will not rely on external substances for our well-being and happiness. Instead, we are completely self-sufficient.

We've got all our vital signs
Our bodies are functioning well, and we have everything we need to survive on this journey.

All this noise and light pollution
The modern world is full of distractions and superficialities that do not allow us to focus on what is truly important for us.

I just wanna see the stars tonight
We yearn for simplicity, peace, and quiet, a chance to see the true beauty and mystery of the universe.

We're gonna walk out of this city,
We are choosing a new path and leaving our old life behind; we cannot remain in the city anymore.

Leaving everything behind
In order to begin anew and with fresh perspectives, we must rid ourselves of old baggage and painful memories.

We can sleep the days and cover ground at night
For us, the routine and pace of life will be different from what we were accustomed to before; we will sleep during the day and travel at night.

Until we find that emerald sky
We aim to find a new destination that is beautiful, fresh and unique to us - something that is rare and precious, just like an emerald sky.

Now there's plastic in the valley
Our environment is changing rapidly and not always in a good way. The presence of plastic waste in the valley suggests pollution and a lack of concern for the earth.

There's still heartache in the ghetto
Even in the parts of the world that seem to suffer the most; heartbreak and pain exists, which remind us that suffering is a universal human emotion.

I need to talk to someone, face to face this place
In this new life, it is important to build real human connections and relationships, listen to stories, and take counsel in person.

No it doesn't feel like home
The current environment doesn’t make us feel safe, comfortable, or at peace with ourselves.

I'm gonna find that place that we forgot
We have a strong sense of nostalgia and longing for a forgotten place, which we will seek to rediscover.

Where I don't care about the money you've got
At this new destination, material wealth will not be something we prioritize or stress over.

Where I don't need much cause it don't take a lot
In this new world, we encourage a minimalist lifestyle, and only need a few basic things to feel happiness and fulfillment.

We're gonna go
We are ready to embark on this new journey, take risks, and experience something new and beautiful.

I hope we find that emerald sky oh
We have a lot of optimism and hope for our journey, that our destination will be as beautiful as the emerald sky.

Look up look down, oh, from the heaven to the ground
As we move to our new location, we will continuously be observing everything from different angles and viewpoints - up and down, from high to low, from the earth to the sky - so that we will see everything with a fresh perspective.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS