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.
The Power of Love
James Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away
I'm so in love with you
Make love your goal
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on, burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down, I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Love is like an energy
Rushing, rushing inside of me
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on, burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
This time, we go sublime
Lovers entwined, divine, divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure, the only treasure
I'm so in love with you
Make love your goal
The power of love
A force from above
(Clean my soul)
Cleaning my soul
Flame on, burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
The lyrics of James Arthur's song The Power Of Love are about the power that love has to overcome darkness and negativity in the world. The song begins by comparing dreams to angels, with both having the ability to keep bad things at bay. Love is then described as the light that drives darkness away, and the singer proclaims that they are so in love with their partner. The chorus emphasizes the power of love as a force from above that cleanses the soul and burns with desire.
The second verse features more metaphors and imagery, with the singer stating that they will protect their partner from anything that may harm them, even the hooded claw and vampires. Envy is described as something that only hurts itself, while love is a powerful energy that rushes inside the singer. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing once again the transformative power of love.
The final verse describes love as simultaneously dangerous and pleasurable, yet pure and the only treasure. The singer declares their love once more before the chorus repeats to end the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, oh
This is an expression of excitement or surprise.
Dreams are like angels
Dreams can be comforting and protect us from negative feelings, just like angels.
They keep bad at bay
Dreams help us ward off negative thoughts or emotions.
Love is the light
Love has a powerful and illuminating effect on our lives.
Scaring darkness away
Love can help us overcome fear and other negative emotions that may consume us.
I'm so in love with you
The singer confesses his deep love for someone.
Make love your goal
The singer encourages us to make love our ultimate purpose.
The power of love
Love is an incredibly strong and transformative force.
A force from above
Love is a divine, supernatural energy.
Cleaning my soul
Love has a cleansing effect on the soul, helping to rid it of impurities and negativity.
Flame on, burn desire
The singer is consumed by his passion and desire for his loved one.
Love with tongues of fire
The intensity of love is likened to fire, passionate and unquenchable.
Purge the soul
Love can help purify the soul, freeing it from harmful emotions and thoughts.
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
The singer promises to protect his loved one from harm and danger.
Keep the vampires from your door
The singer will keep negative and harmful influences away from his loved one.
When the chips are down, I'll be around
The singer promises to remain by his loved one's side during tough times.
With my undying, death-defying love for you
The singer's love for his loved one is so strong that it will endure even in the face of death.
Envy will hurt itself
Envy is a destructive emotion that ultimately harms the one who feels it.
Love is like an energy
Love is a powerful and dynamic force that can energize and motivate us.
Rushing, rushing inside of me
The singer feels overwhelmed by the intensity of his love.
This time, we go sublime
The singer is entering into a new, heightened stage of his relationship.
Lovers entwined, divine, divine
The singer and his loved one are deeply connected and spiritually elevated.
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love can be both thrilling and risky.
Love is pure, the only treasure
Love is a pure and valuable thing, the most precious of all treasures.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Rudy Amado Perez, Holly Johnson, Peter Francis Michael Gill, Brian Philip Nash, Mark William O'Toole
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind