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.
Roses
James Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh ooh
Help me get better, you pull me right out of the blue
Oh oh
And daddy don't like you, but daddy and I never speak
Ee ee
Every night when I wake up I need you to get back to sleep
Ee ee
[Chorus:]
Smells like roses to me
Two young lovers at sea
Tastes so bitter, so sweet
You're my bang, together we go bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
Oh oh, oh oh
[Verse:]
You could've chose anybody but you chose me
Ee Ee
Hiding in bedsits cause no one around us agrees
Ee ees
And I feel romantic cause since morning I've been at the wine
I, I
Shall we eat all the poison and leave all the questions behind
I, I
[Chorus:]
Smells like roses to me
Two young lovers at sea
Tastes so bitter, so sweet
You're my bang, together we go bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
[Bridge:]
And all the chemicals and alcohol make for a volatile love
But stay with me
Just stay with me
And I never wanna lose you but I feel that this closeness will tear us apart
But stay with me
Stay with me
Bang, bang, bang [x4]
[Chorus:]
Smells like roses to me
Two young lovers at sea
Tastes so bitter, so sweet
You're my bang, together we go bang bang bang
The lyrics of James Arthur's "Roses" describe a passionate and volatile relationship between two lovers who feel strongly about each other, despite societal disapproval. The opening lines, "I could've chose anybody but I chose you," show that the singer has intentionally chosen to be with this person, even if it might not be the most conventional choice. The lines "Help me get better, you pull me right out of the blue" suggest that the singer sees their partner as a positive influence in their life, bringing them out of dark or difficult times.
The line "And daddy don't like you, but daddy and I never speak" highlights the familial tension and disapproval that the couple faces. However, in the midst of this, the singer still craves the presence of their partner, singing "Every night when I wake up I need you to get back to sleep." The chorus refers to the relationship as "smelling like roses," despite the bitterness that the couple must endure due to outside pressures.
The second verse continues to highlight the tension in the relationship, with the couple having to hide in "bedsits" because "no one around us agrees." The line "Shall we eat all the poison and leave all the questions behind" suggests a willingness to ignore outside forces and focus solely on their love. The bridge adds an element of danger to the relationship, as the singer acknowledges the "chemicals and alcohol" that make their love "volatile." However, despite the potential for danger, the singer pleads for their partner to stay with them.
Line by Line Meaning
I could've chose anybody but I chose you
Despite having other options, I chose you.
Help me get better, you pull me right out of the blue
You improve my life and lift me out of difficult situations.
And daddy don't like you, but daddy and I never speak
My father disapproves of you, but it doesn't matter because we don't have a relationship.
Every night when I wake up I need you to get back to sleep
You are a constant presence in my life and I rely on you for comfort.
Smells like roses to me
Being with you feels like a sweet and pleasant experience.
Two young lovers at sea
We are young and in love, and it feels like we are navigating uncharted waters together.
Tastes so bitter, so sweet
Our love is complex and has both good and bad aspects.
You're my bang, together we go bang bang bang
We have a powerful connection and make a big impact on each other's lives.
You could've chose anybody but you chose me
I am grateful that you chose to be with me, despite other options.
Hiding in bedsits cause no one around us agrees
We feel the need to hide our relationship because others don't approve of it.
And I feel romantic cause since morning I've been at the wine
I feel deeply in love with you, possibly due to consuming alcohol.
Shall we eat all the poison and leave all the questions behind
Let's ignore the potential negative consequences of our relationship and focus on the positive aspects for now.
And all the chemicals and alcohol make for a volatile love
Our love may be unstable due to substance use.
But stay with me
Despite the potential difficulties, I want you to stay with me.
And I never wanna lose you but I feel that this closeness will tear us apart
I am afraid of losing you, but the intensity of our relationship may cause problems.
Bang, bang, bang [x4]
Our love is powerful and impactful, like an explosion.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Shahid Khan, James Andrew Arthur, Gustave Rudman, Adele Emily Sande, Ben Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@coopverysly9904
0:00
[Verse:]
I could've chose anybody but I chose you
Ooh ooh
Help me get better, you pull me right out of the blue
Oh oh
And daddy don't like you, but daddy and I never speak
Ee ee
Every night when I wake up I need you to get back to sleep
Ee ee
[Chorus:]
Smells like roses to me
Two young lovers at sea
Tastes so bitter, so sweet
You're my bang, together we go bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
Oh oh, oh oh
[Verse:]
You could've chose anybody but you chose me
Ee Ee
Hiding in bedsits cause no one around us agrees
Ee ees
And I feel romantic cause since morning I've been at the wine
I, I
Shall we eat all the poison and leave all the questions behind
I, I
[Chorus:]
Smells like roses to me
Two young lovers at sea
Tastes so bitter, so sweet
You're my bang, together we go bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
Bang bang bang
[Bridge:]
And all the chemicals and alcohol make for a volatile love
But stay with me
Just stay with me
And I never wanna lose you but I feel that this closeness will tear us apart
But stay with me
Stay with me
Bang, bang, bang [x4]
[Chorus:]
Smells like roses to me
Two young lovers at sea
Tastes so bitter, so sweet
You're my bang, together we go bang bang bang
@ahmadfaiznasir
Let's be real, only the real ones knows that James has this song, and we're all also here because this song isn't in Spotify
@aeighpril
It’s in Spotify haha (from Back From the Edge)
@ahmadfaiznasir
@@aeighpril No wayyyyy, thank you!
@ahmadfaiznasir
wait hold up, its not there...
@daan8070
@@aeighpril You can't play it anymore, since a long time ago:(
@emmanuelobi9488
That's actually why I'm here 😅
@Ngachimusic
Still here begging for this song to be brought back to Spotify!!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾
@GeekyC
Same here mate 😅 it’s shocking it’s not on there
@lireyssaenz2912
Same here.😢😢😢😢😢
@zamoralibs3617
why did they remove it?