Since 2005, and prior to his participation in The X Factor, he was a vocalist and guitarist in a number of bands, and later, as a solo artist as well as forming his own The James Arthur Band and James Arthur Project.
Arthur was born in Middlesbrough, England to English mother Shirley Ashworth and Scottish father Neil Arthur. Jamesโ father was a delivery driver, but also used to be a DJ and a drummer for many years. Arthurโs parents split when he was just two-years-old and each settled with a new partner. Neil and Shirley were not on talking terms with each other for more than twenty years. But they agreed to attend the show together in a family reunion to attend their sonโs performance.
Arthur first went to Ings Farm Primary School in Redcar, North Yorkshire. When he was nine, he moved with his mother Shirley and his step father Ronald Rafferty to Bahrain where he studied at the local British School of Bahrain for four years. When they split, Arthur, then 14, had to move back with his mother and his two half-sisters Jasmine and Neve to the UK to live in a modest house in Saltburn-by-the-Sea.Upon his return, he continued his studies at Redcarโs Rye Hills School.
Arthur has five siblings, an older brother called Neil Arthur, an older sister called Sian Arthur, and three younger sisters, Charlotte Arthur and Jasmin and Neve Rafferty.
Arthur has been writing and recording songs since he was 15 as an unsigned artist both solo and in many bands including:
Moonlight Drive - a Cleveland-based progressive, experimental, rock five-piece band with Arthur in lead vocals. The band was active between 2005 and 2008. They had recordings such as ยซSaid Youโd Be Thereยป, ยซHole in My Heartยป and ยซTear Me Apartยป.
Cue the Drama - an alternative rock band based in Marske-by-the-Sea and active between 2005 and 2008. Recordings included ยซOn the Radio 98KUPDยป, ยซItโs Killing Meยป, ยซI Reach Youยป and ยซIt Hurtsยป.
Save Arcade - a Middlesbrough alternative rock band made up of Arthur (vocals, guitar), Josh Brown (keyboards, vocals), Matthew Green (guitar), Alex Beer (bass, vocals), Travis Shaw (guitar, percussions, vocals) and Karl Dowson (drums). In 2009, the band released a three-track EP called Truth, carrying the title track ยซThe Truthยป, as well as ยซEchoesยป and ยซI Un-Proudly Presentยป. In June 2010, the band released a five-track EP, Tonight We Dine in Hades, which in addition to the title track ยซTonight We Dine in Hadesยป included ยซSuperheroยป, ยซYou Always Want a Fightยป, ยซJuliet Is Not Deadยป and ยซShe Aims to Pleaseยป. Both releases were on the independent 57 Records UK.
Emerald Skye - a four-piece indie pop/rock band formed in March 2011 based in Redcar / Saltburn-by-the-Sea and made up of Arthur (guitar, vocals), Dean Harrison (piano, violin), Paul Gill (bass) and Save Arcade bandmate Green (drums).
Arthur also uploaded many of his own songs to Soundcloud and YouTube including an album entitled Sins by the Sea. In 2011, he auditioned for The Voice UK and made it into the final 200 contestants but no further.
In early 2012, he recorded songs and released two EPs as The James Arthur Band. The band consisted of Arthur (vocals and guitar), Jez Taylor (guitar), Chris Smalls (keyboards), Jordan Swain (drums) and Rich Doney (bass). In 2012, the band released The EP Collection CD with nine tracks with R&B, soul and hip hop influences, a compilation of tracks on both EPs. Arthur also released an EP named Hold On under the name The James Arthur Project in August 2012 in collaboration with John McGough. The tracks were written and arranged by McGough, and mixed by Matt Wanstall with all vocals by Arthur.
Arthur auditioned for The X Factor with an acoustic rendition of judge Tulisa Contostavlosโs ยซYoungยป, before explaining his past, including spells in care and time spent on the streets after break-ups within his family. He also revealed his father and mother had not spoken to each other for over 20 years, and this was a reunion of sorts for them to attend his audition. After his judgesโ houses performance of ยซI Canโt Make You Love Meยป, he was picked by his mentor Nicole Scherzinger as one of the 12 contestants for the live shows, and one of just three in the ยซBoysยป category. After the second live show, Arthur suffered from an anxiety attack backstage. Whilst being treated at the studio, paramedics determined he did not need to go to hospital, and he was ordered back to his hotel to rest. He later returned for the results show the following. Arthur was in the bottom two in week 7 after performing ยซCanโt Take My Eyes Off Youยป. He sang ยซFallinโยป for survival against Ella Henderson, with the judges going to deadlock after their vote was evenly split 2-2 (mentor Scherzinger and Gary Barlow voting to keep him, while Contostavlos and Louis Walsh voted in favour of Henderson). Arthur was then saved by the public vote. On 8 December, he made it through to the second night of the live finals.
Arthur won The X Factor on 9 December 2012, with 53.7% of the vote, against Jahmรฉne Douglas who received 38.9% of the vote.
Flyin
James Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my uproarious arrival pushed the noise to the scene
This inglorious desire that would be left out of me
So I'll be open to rise
And open closed minds, hook lines
I'll make 'em edible
You'll gobble it down
Like it's the only thing that's floating
Words can grant your relief
I tell it bitter and sweet
You can twist out the seats
And put the demons to sleep
This is closure
Exposure of the bad things brought to life
So you can face them, spit 'em out or maybe sleep tonight
I soak it up with the shirt off my back
Stay in the music 'til I'm dead on my back
Get 'em vexed and attack and attack and attack and attack
Yeah, I'm passive, they're ecstatic
And it's making me sick
I swim in grease
Spilling drinks on another prick
And I've tried, but it's too hard
So don't tell me to be calm
See, I do drink and I do get high
I throw punches through these blurry eyes
See, 'cause I was raised by a body of life
I've been focused on the ground
So long I lost it with the sky yeah
And the sky's where I'm destined for
They used to tell me that I couldn't soar
But for all my flaws
Looks to me like I'm flying high
Looks to me like I'm flying high yeah
Looks to me like I'm flying high
Looks to me like I'm flying high yeah yeah
The song "Flyin'" by James Arthur talks about his journey through ups and downs in his life. The lyrics depict his arrival, which caused a commotion and brought to light his desire to express himself. He acknowledges that people closed their minds to his ideas, but he plans to make his words more digestible, so people can understand his perspective. Arthur believes that his words have the power to put demons to sleep and bring closure to bad situations, hence bringing them to life so that people can face them.
In the next verse, Arthur takes a bitter and sweet approach to his lyrics, acknowledging that there is both good and bad in people's lives. He mentions that he soaks everything up with the shirt off his back, which could mean that he is willing to give it all in his music. He knows that he can attack people's emotions and bring out a reaction from them, making them either vexed or ecstatic. Arthur admits that he drinks and gets high but will not take criticism and tells people not to tell him to calm down. He believes that his upbringing has focused him on the ground for so long that he has lost touch with the sky. Arthur's ambition is to fly high even though people have told him that he can't.
In summary, the song "Flyin'" by James Arthur talks about his struggles and how he is overcoming them. He is a determined individual, focused on making an impact in the music industry. Arthur wants to be recognized and understood, and he aims to inspire his listeners to face their fears and gain closure.
Line by Line Meaning
Ehhh yeahh
Expressing excitement and energy
And my uproarious arrival pushed the noise to the scene
My energetic entrance caught everyone's attention
This inglorious desire that would be left out of me
This strong passion inside me that I can't ignore
So I'll be open to rise
I'll be vulnerable and open to growth
And open closed minds, hook lines
I'll try to change closed-minded people with my music
I'll make 'em edible
I'll make my music accessible and enjoyable
You'll gobble it down
You'll enjoy and consume my music
Like it's the only thing that's floating
You'll hold onto my music like a lifeline
Hold on or drown
My music can either help you or overwhelm you
Words can grant your relief
My lyrics can bring comfort or release from pain
I tell it bitter and sweet
I'm honest about the good and bad in life
You can twist out the seats
You can dance and let go of your worries
And put the demons to sleep
Let go of your inner demons through my music
This is closure
My music can bring closure or resolution
Exposure of the bad things brought to life
I bring to light the negative aspects of life
So you can face them, spit 'em out or maybe sleep tonight
Confront your problems, talk about them or let them go
I soak it up with the shirt off my back
I give everything I have to my music
Stay in the music 'til I'm dead on my back
I will continue making music until I die
Get 'em vexed and attack and attack and attack and attack
I provoke and challenge people with my music
Yeah, I'm passive, they're ecstatic
I'm calm, while my fans are thrilled and energetic
And it's making me sick
Their excitement can be overwhelming
I swim in grease
I'm surrounded by negative people and situations
Spilling drinks on another prick
I'm wasting my time and energy on the wrong people
And I've tried, but it's too hard
I've tried to change, but it's difficult
So don't tell me to be calm
Don't ask me to suppress my emotions
See, I do drink and I do get high
I use alcohol and drugs to cope with my issues
I throw punches through these blurry eyes
I fight my battles despite my impaired judgment
See, 'cause I was raised by a body of life
My life experiences have shaped who I am
I've been focused on the ground
I've been caught up in the negative aspects of life
So long I lost it with the sky yeah
I lost sight of my dreams and aspirations
And the sky's where I'm destined for
I know I have the potential for greatness
They used to tell me that I couldn't soar
People have discouraged me from pursuing my dreams
But for all my flaws
Despite my imperfections
Looks to me like I'm flying high
I feel like I'm achieving my goals
Looks to me like I'm flying high yeah
I'm proud of my accomplishments
Looks to me like I'm flying high
I'm thrilled with my progress
Looks to me like I'm flying high yeah yeah
I'm ecstatic with my success
Lyrics ยฉ GLAD MUSIC CO., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES ARTHUR, JONATHAN COFFER, SHAHID KHAN, SHAKIL ASHRAF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maria Eduarda Cardoso
Lyrics
Ay, yeah
And my uproarious arrival pushed the noise to the scene
This inglorious desire that would be left out of me
So I'll be open to rise
And open closed minds, hook lines
I'll make 'em edible
You'll gobble it down
Like it's the only thing that's floating
Hold on or drown
Words can grant your relief
I tell it bitter and sweet
You can twist out the seats
And put the demons to sleep
This is closure
Exposure of the bad things brought to life
So you can face them, spit 'em out or maybe sleep tonight
I soak It up with the shirt off my back
Stay in the music 'till i'm dead on my back
Get 'em vexed and attack and attack and attack and attack
Yeah, I'm passive, they're ecstatic
And it's making me sick
I swim in grease
Spilling drinks on another prick
And i've tried, but it's too hard
So don't tell me to be calm
See, I don't drink and I do get high
I throw punches through these blurry eyes
See, 'cause I was raised by a body of life
I've been focused on the ground so long I lost it in with the sky, yeah
And the sky ia where I'm destined for
They used to tell me that I couldn't soar
But for all my flaws
Looks to me like I'm flying high
Looks to me like I'm flying high, yeah
Looks to me like I'm flying high
Looks to me like I'm flying high, yeah
Chimchim No Jams
that was one sick performance!! such versatile artist... im crying ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ
Szidi Deac
James Arthur is rapping. My life is complete๐๐
MariGarci1981
Epic!!!
Jay Strong
Legendยก!ยก!ยก!ยก!ยก
Lais Silva
Que voz em cara. Muito sucesso pra vc. Me encantei por sua histรณria e por sua voz. Pode me considerar sua fรฃ brasileira cara. Sucesso na sua carreira. Encanto de pessoa. s2
Pavlina
PETITION FOR JAMES TO RELEASE A RAP ALBUM
jortepap
Barbara Palvin
.. what about "All The World's A Stage" EP? its awesome
Pavlina
Jort Rinket I KNOW BUT I NEED SOMETHING STRONGER THAN THIS.
Lori Irene
All the World's A Stage is literally an entire rap album
LIVES MATTERS
Pavlina one day we will making it!!!