David Usher was born in Oxford to an ethnic Thai Buddhist, artist Samphan Usher and a Jewish Montrealer, Dan Usher, who is an economist at Queen's University.[1] He has relocated to Malaysia, New York, California and Thailand since early childhood before his family settled in Kingston, Ontario. He attended high school at Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
Attending university at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Usher joined Moist in 1993 and their 1994 debut release, Silver, went quadruple platinum in Canada. As the lead singer of the band, he shot to stardom with his soulful voice and vaguely exotic good looks.
After Moist's multi-platinum follow-up, Creature, was released in 1996, David took some time during the band's hiatus to record his debut solo album, Little Songs, released in 1998. That same year he married photographer and actress Sabrina Reeves, with whom he is still living. Together they have a daughter, Coco, who was born on January 12, 2003.
After recording the album Mercedes 5 and Dime with Moist, he revived his solo career again, releasing the highly successful Morning Orbit in the summer 2001. It contains the hit single "Black Black Heart". In 2003, he released another solo album entitled Hallucinations, which matched the amount of major label albums he had recorded with Moist.
In 2005, he surpassed that number with the release of If God Had Curves. The album had a resemblance to his first solo effort Little Songs, as it is dominantly an acoustic album. This album also featured a collaboration with Tegan Quin, on the track "Hey Kids".
2007 David and family have moved back to Montreal, Canada and David's embarking on a tour in September/October and November 2007.
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Joy in Small Places
David Usher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My eyes were all sparked
From this common malaise
So I found me a doctor who said he'd even me out
Take my highs and my lows
'Cause the colours were just to loud
And as the day becomes night
And we only want greys
Well this is the price to pay
Mr. Jangle what you gonna do when the sun breaks down and the rain pours through
Tell me baby, what you gonna do this time
Mr. Jangle what you gonna do when the sun breaks down and the rain pours through
Tell me baby, what you gonna do this time
This time, what you gonna do this time
What you gonna do, gonna do
You got caught on my teeth so I spit out my tongue
And I cut off these hands just to see if the feeling would come
And we drank 'til we drowned 'til we chocked on the world
And we bathed in the beauty of all of you
Mr. Jangle what you gonna do when the sun breaks down and the rain pours through
Tell me baby, what you gonna do this time
Mr. Jangle what you gonna do when the sun breaks down and the rain pours through
Tell me baby, what you gonna do this time
This time, what you gonna do this time
What you gonna do, gonna do
Can't can't can't wait 'til tomorrow comes
Well I woke up last night just outside of myself
Skin hair bone broke down cell by single cell
And I could not believe I had died in my sleep
Just drowned in the beauty of all of you
Mr. Jangle what you gonna do when the sun breaks down and the rain pours through
Tell me baby, what you gonna do this time
Mr. Jangle what you gonna do when the sun breaks down and the rain pours through
Tell me baby, what you gonna do this time
This time, what you gonna do this time
What you gonna do, gonna do
Can't can't can't wait 'til tomorrow comes
Because there's joy in small places
Can't wait 'til tomorrow comes
Can't wait 'til tomorrow comes
It comes in small places
The song “Joy in Small Places” by David Usher is deep and powerful, touching upon themes of inner turmoil, seeking help, and the search for meaning. The first verse explains the singer's state of confusion and sensory overload, caused by living in a world brimming with technology, color, and stimuli. The singer searches for a solution and finds a doctor who can "even them out," effectively numbing their senses to find inner peace. However, this compromise leads to the bleakness of life's moments and the loss of innocence, hence the "price to pay." The chorus is an existential question to "Mr. Jangle," asking what they will do when the world falls apart and they are faced with difficult times.
The second verse takes a more radical premise, describing the singer "cutting off their hands" to see if they can still feel. They then indulge in alcohol, unable to cope with the world's weight, eventually leading to a state of emotional drowning from life's beauty. The third verse sees the singer's epiphany, waking up outside themselves, only to find that they were metaphorically dying inside. Still, they discovered beauty in small places, finding hope in moments that might otherwise be overlooked.
Overall, “Joy in Small Places” is a powerful message of hope, broad enough to touch on several deeper and philosophical themes. The song's visceral approach communicates an unforgettable message on the importance of taking solace in small moments of happiness throughout life, regardless of whether one is experiencing times of turmoil or peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I woke up last night in a technology haze
I woke up feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the real world due to my reliance on technology
My eyes were all sparked
My eyes were bright and stimulated from staring at screens
From this common malaise
From this feeling of discomfort or unease that many people experience in today's tech-heavy world
So I found me a doctor who said he'd even me out
I sought professional help to find balance and calm in my life
Take my highs and my lows
Help me regulate my mood swings and extreme emotions
'Cause the colours were just too loud
Because the intensity of life was overwhelming and I needed to tone it down
And as the day becomes night
As time passes by and things change
And we only want greys
As we start to appreciate normalcy and simplicity rather than always seeking excitement
And the innocence runs out
As we become more jaded and cynical after experiencing the world's harsh realities
Well this is the price to pay
This is the cost of growing up and losing our childlike wonder and enthusiasm
Mr. Jangle what you gonna do when the sun breaks down and the rain pours through
Asking Mr. Jangle what his reaction will be when life gets tough and things don't go as planned
Tell me baby, what you gonna do this time
Asking Mr. Jangle to share his plan for dealing with adversity
You got caught on my teeth so I spit out my tongue
You were irritating me so much that I had to speak out and confront you
And I cut off these hands just to see if the feeling would come
I did something drastic to see if I could still feel emotions or sensations
And we drank 'til we drowned 'til we choked on the world
We indulged in vices until it became too much for us to handle
And we bathed in the beauty of all of you
We appreciated and admired the positive qualities of the people around us
Well I woke up last night just outside of myself
I had an out-of-body experience where I felt disconnected from myself and my surroundings
Skin hair bone broke down cell by single cell
I felt like my entire physical being was breaking down and deteriorating
And I could not believe I had died in my sleep
I felt so disconnected from myself that I felt like I wasn't really alive
Because there's joy in small places
There is happiness and contentment to be found in simple, everyday things
Can't wait 'til tomorrow comes
I am eagerly anticipating and looking forward to the future
It comes in small places
Happiness often comes from unexpected and seemingly insignificant moments or experiences
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DARRIN O'BRIEN, DAVID USHER, JEFFREY HOWARD PEARCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TPA
I just found my cd in a box in the garage , im so happy i love most of this cd , im playing in my car very loud now and going back in my mind 18yrs ago and now , this is gold!!!
Andrew ITC
one of my fav song in this album. love it
Adrianne Spence
<3 Everything David comes out with!
melissa sinclair
love it !!! his music is so soothing
Cheer4Savannah
this song really brings out his voice (:
PrincessUnlucky
I can't be the only person that finds this song sad, everyone I know thinks it's happy
eins2001
The lyrics are bittersweet for sure
Бота Калдыбаева
❤❤❤
Евгений Боровиков
Охуенно
Айбек Аймагамбетов
Дааааа всё было лучшее