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. James’ father was a delivery driver, but also used to be a DJ and a drummer for many years. Arthur’s 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 son’s 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 Redcar’s 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 «Said You’d Be There», «Hole in My Heart» and «Tear Me Apart».
Cue the Drama - an alternative rock band based in Marske-by-the-Sea and active between 2005 and 2008. Recordings included «On the Radio 98KUPD», «It’s Killing Me», «I Reach You» and «It Hurts».
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 «The Truth», as well as «Echoes» and «I Un-Proudly Present». In June 2010, the band released a five-track EP, Tonight We Dine in Hades, which in addition to the title track «Tonight We Dine in Hades» included «Superhero», «You Always Want a Fight», «Juliet Is Not Dead» and «She Aims to Please». 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 Contostavlos’s «Young», 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 judges’ houses performance of «I Can’t Make You Love Me», 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 «Boys» 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 «Can’t Take My Eyes Off You». He sang «Fallin’» 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 Jahméne Douglas who received 38.9% of the vote.
Naked
James Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can we take it to the next level, baby, do you dare?
Don't be scared
'Cause if you can say the words, I don't know why I should care
'Cause here I am, I'm givin' all I can
But all you ever do is mess it up
Yeah, I'm right here, I'm tryin' to make it clear
I'm not going to wait until you're done
Pretending you don't need anyone
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I'm not gonna try 'til you decide
You're ready to swallow all your pride
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
Hey, get out
I've got nothin' left to give for you give me nothin' now
Read my mouth
If you ever want me back, then your walls need breakin' down
'Cause here I am, I'm givin' all I can
But all you ever do is mess it up (all you ever do is mess it up)
Yeah, I'm right here, I'm tryin' to make it clear
getting half of you just ain't enough
I'm not going to wait until you're done
Pretending you don't need anyone
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I'm not gonna try 'til you decide
You're ready to swallow all your pride
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I wanna give you everything
I wanna give you everything
I wanna give you everything
I wanna give you everything
I'm not going to wait until you're done
'Cause you pretended you don't need anyone
'Cause you see that I'm naked (naked, naked)
Oh, you see that I'm naked (naked, naked)
I'm not going to try 'til you decide
You're ready to swallow all your pride
I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)
I'm standing here naked (I'm standing) (naked, naked)
I'm standing
I'm standing here
James Arthur's song "Naked" is a love ballad about a relationship that has hit a rough patch. The first verse sets the scene of the song, with the singer asking his lover if they are ready to take things to the next level. He expresses his feelings honestly by saying that he's ready to give all he can to the relationship, but his lover keeps messing things up. He needs more from his lover, and half of them just isn't enough. In the chorus, he further expresses his frustration by saying he won't wait for his lover to pretend they don't need anyone, and that he's standing there naked, waiting for his lover to break down their walls and give their all to the relationship.
The second half of the song is the singer becoming more assertive with his feelings. He realizes that he's given everything he can to the relationship and he's tired of his lover not reciprocating. He's telling his lover they can't pretend that nothing is wrong, and that walls need to be broken down if there's any chance for the relationship to continue. The song ends with the singer standing there, laying out his heart and soul, ready for his lover to take the next step.
The theme of the song is a common one in love ballads, where one person is ready to give their all while the other person is holding back. The lyrics display the vulnerability and honesty the singer is looking for, with a mood of raw emotion driving the song. Overall, James Arthur's "Naked" is a powerful reminder of the importance of communication and commitment in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, you there
Starting off with a catchy phrase, the singer calls the attention of the person he's singing to.
Can we take it to the next level, baby, do you dare?
He's telling the person that he's ready for a more intense relationship and he wants to know if the other is also ready for that.
Don't be scared
He's aware that intensifying a relationship can be scary, so he's reassuring the person that he or she shouldn't be afraid.
'Cause if you can say the words, I don't know why I should care
He's saying that if the person is not ready to commit, then he should not waste his efforts and care on that person.
'Cause here I am, I'm givin' all I can
He's putting his heart into the relationship and giving his best shot.
But all you ever do is mess it up
He's expressing his frustration at the other person, who seems to always spoil things.
Yeah, I'm right here, I'm tryin' to make it clear
The singer is saying that he's doing his best to be understood and to communicate his feelings.
That getting half of you just ain't enough
He's implying that the other person is only giving a part of themselves to the relationship and that's not enough for him.
I'm not going to wait until you're done
The singer is saying that he's not going to put his life on hold until the other person sorts themselves out.
Pretending you don't need anyone
He's criticizing the other person's attitude of acting like they don't need anyone.
I'm standing here naked
The metaphor of being naked represents vulnerability and honesty. He's saying that he's being himself and he's vulnerable.
I'm not gonna try 'til you decide
He's saying that he's not going to put any more effort into the relationship until the other person decides to change.
You're ready to swallow all your pride
He's looking for a change in attitude, where the other person is willing to humble themselves and compromise.
Hey, get out
He's changing his tone and telling the other person to leave because he's tired of the situation.
I've got nothin' left to give for you give me nothin' now
He's saying that he's given all he can and he's not receiving anything back from the other person.
Read my mouth
He's playing with words and saying that the other person should pay attention to his actions, not only his words.
If you ever want me back, then your walls need breakin' down
He's saying that if the other person wants to reconcile, they need to break their walls down and be honest and vulnerable.
I wanna give you everything
He's repeating that he's willing to give his all to the relationship, but he needs the other person to do the same.
'Cause you pretended you don't need anyone
He's criticizing the other person for acting tough and independent when in reality, they need someone else.
Oh, you see that I'm naked
He's saying that the other person can see how vulnerable and honest he is being.
I'm standing here
He's emphasizing that he's staying true to himself and not changing his mind about wanting a more committed relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: James Arthur, Johan Carlsson, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind