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.
Wolves
James Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryna find a purpose that you already had
You've been actin' out a childhood trauma
It was learnin' behavior from your mom and dad (your mom and dad)
If only you could open your eyes, open your eyes
You've been cravin' all the validation
From the people that you swore you'd never become
All of the leeches and preaches and demons
If only you could open your eyes and ask yourself why
Why are you so afraid of my love
Like you don't deserve it?
You know you do, you know you do
'Cause I've been there too
Too busy howlin' at the moon
To see the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everythin' is cool
But they don't give a damn about you (about you)
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know
Darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killin' time
Mm, well, maybe you should spend less time with Mary Jane
Jealously and Hennessy or Novocaine (oh no)
One too many hangers on the gravy train
I feel like that you're forgettin' everything
Everythin' about you, everythin' about me
Everythin' about love, there's no love without trust
Look what it's doin' to us
I don't wanna lose you, I don't wanna change you
But I don't wanna stand back and watch as they break you
Wish you could see it like I see you, but you're
Too busy howlin' at the moon
To see the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everythin' is cool
But they don't give a damn about you (they don't give a damn)
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know
Darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killin' time
Why are you so afraid of my love
Like you don't deserve it?
You know you do, you know you do
'Cause I've been there too
Too busy howlin' at the moon
To see the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight (with me tonight)
They tell you everythin' is cool
But they don't give a damn about you
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know
Darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killin' time
'Cause you know
Darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killin' time
The lyrics of "Wolves" by James Arthur talk about a person who is struggling to find their purpose in life and is seeking validation from others. The person has been acting out a childhood trauma that they learned from their parents, and they have been surrounding themselves with people who are not good for them. The person is afraid of love and does not believe that they deserve it. The singer wishes to shake them out of this mindset and bring them home with him.
The song highlights the importance of introspection and self-reflection. The person is trying to find a purpose that they already had, but they are not able to see it because of their past experiences and the people they surround themselves with. The lyrics emphasize that the darkness that the person is experiencing is a necessary phase before the light comes, which is the person's realization of their worth and self-love.
The singer's desire to bring the person home with him represents his willingness to support the person and help them through their struggles. The final line "no more killing time" implies that the person should stop wasting their life on negative influences and start living for their purpose.
Overall, "Wolves" is a heartfelt song that encourages people to seek their purpose and self-worth, reminding them that they are not alone in their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been runnin' all around in circles
You have been aimlessly searching for something that you already possessed.
Tryna find a purpose that you already had
You have been trying to find a purpose that was already within you.
You've been actin' out a childhood trauma
Your past has influenced your current behavior.
It was learnin' behavior from your mom and dad (your mom and dad)
You learned this behavior from your parents.
If only you could open your eyes, open your eyes
If only you could become more aware of your surroundings.
You've been cravin' all the validation
You have been yearning for validation from others.
From the people that you swore you'd never become
You are seeking validation from people that you used to detest becoming like.
All of the leeches and preaches and demons
The people in your life have been sucking your energy and morals away from you.
Are givin' you Xannies and drinkin' your blood
The people in your life are doing things to you that are harmful.
If only you could open your eyes and ask yourself why
If only you could open your eyes and question why these things are happening to you.
Why are you so afraid of my love
Why do you fear my love for you?
Like you don't deserve it?
Are you trying to say that you do not deserve my love?
You know you do, you know you do
You know that you deserve my love.
'Cause I've been there too
I have also experienced similar feelings.
Too busy howlin' at the moon
You are too busy with things that have no benefit for you.
To see the wolves as they surround you
You are not aware of the dangers that are surrounding you.
Wish I could give your head a shake
I wish I could help you become more aware.
And bring you home with me tonight
I wish I could help you come to a safe place with me.
They tell you everythin' is cool
The people around you are telling you that everything is fine.
But they don't give a damn about you (about you)
They do not care for you.
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
When they leave, you are not alone.
'Cause you know
You are aware.
Darkness comes before the light
Difficult times come before good times.
No, no, no more killin' time
It is time to stop wasting your time.
Mm, well, maybe you should spend less time with Mary Jane
You may benefit from spending less time smoking marijuana.
Jealously and Hennessy or Novocaine (oh no)
You should consider cutting back on drugs and alcohol.
One too many hangers on the gravy train
You have too many people in your life who are taking advantage of you.
I feel like that you're forgettin' everything
It feels like you are forgetting everything important.
Everythin' about you, everythin' about me
Everything about you and I.
Everythin' about love, there's no love without trust
Love cannot exist without trust.
Look what it's doin' to us
Look at how this situation is affecting us.
I don't wanna lose you, I don't wanna change you
I do not want to lose you or change who you are.
But I don't wanna stand back and watch as they break you
I do not want to watch you be destroyed by these people.
Wish you could see it like I see you, but you're
I hope you can see yourself the way I see you, but you seem to be.
Too busy howlin' at the moon
Too busy worrying about things that do not matter.
To see the wolves as they surround you
You are not aware of the dangers that are surrounding you.
Wish I could give your head a shake
I wish I could help you become more aware.
And bring you home with me tonight (with me tonight)
I wish I could help you come to a safe place with me.
They tell you everythin' is cool
The people around you are telling you that everything is fine.
But they don't give a damn about you
They do not care for you.
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
When they leave, you are not alone.
'Cause you know
You are aware.
Darkness comes before the light
Difficult times come before good times.
No, no, no more killin' time
It is time to stop wasting your time.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Chris Crowhurst, James Arthur, Max Wolfgang
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anais Sanjian
You've been runnin' all around in circles
Tryin' to find a purpose that you already had
You've been actin' out a childhood trauma
It was learnin' behaviour from your mom and dad (mom and dad)
If only you could open your eyes, open your eyes
You've been cravin' all the validation from the people that you swore you'd never become
All of the leeches and breaches and demons are givin' you Xanax and drinking your blood
If only you could open your eyes and ask yourself why
Why are you so afraid of my love
Like you don't deserve this
You know you do, you know you do
'Cause I've been there too
Too busy howling at the moon
Touching the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everything is cool
But they don't give a damn about you (about you)
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know darkness was before the light
No, no, no more killing time
Mh, or maybe you should spend less time with Mary Jane
Jealously and Hennessy or Novocaine (oh no)
One too many hangers on the gravy train
I feel like you're forgetting everything
Everythin' about you, everythin' about me
Everythin' about love, there's no love without trust
Look what it's doin' to us
I don't wanna lose you, I don't wanna change you
But I don't wanna stand back and watch as they break you
Wish you could see it like I see you, but you're
Too busy howling at the moon
Touching the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everything is cool
But they don't give a damn about you
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know darkness was before the light
No, no, no more killing time
Why are you afraid of my love
Like you don't deserve it
You know you do, you know you do
'Cause I've been there too
Too busy howling at the moon
Touching the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everything is cool
But they don't give a damn about you (about you)
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know darkness was before the light
No, no, no more killing time
'Cause you know darkness was before the light
No, no, no more killing time
Camille Hébrant
Lyrics ❤️
You've been runnin' all around in circles
Tryin' to find a purpose that you already had
You've been actin' out a childhood trauma
It was learnin' behaviour from your mom and dad
If only you could open your eyes, open your eyes
You've been cravin' all the validation from the people that you swore you'd never become
All of the leeches and breaches and demons are givin' you Xanax and drinking your blood
If only you could open your eyes and ask yourself why
Why are you so afraid of my love
Like you don't deserve this
You know you do, you know you do
'Cause I've been there too
Too busy howling at the moon
Touching the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everything is cool
But they don't give a damn about you
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killing time
Or maybe you should spend less time with Mary Jane
Jealously and Hennessy or Novocaine
One too many hangers on the gravy train
I feel like you're forgetting everything
Everythin' about you, everythin' about me
Everythin' about love, there's no love without trust
Look what it's doin' to us
I don't wanna lose you, I don't wanna change you
But I don't wanna stand back and watch as they break you
Wish you could see it like I see you, but you're
Too busy howling at the moon
Touching the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everything is cool
But they don't give a damn about you
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killing time
Too busy howling at the moon
To see the wolves as they surround you
Wish I could give your head a shake
And bring you home with me tonight
They tell you everything is cool
But they don't give a damn about you
So when you wake up and they're gone, you're not alone
'Cause you know darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killing time
No more killing time
No more killing time
No more no more
Darkness comes before the light
No, no, no more killing time
James Arthur
Hey guys, I'm so excited to bring you this stripped back, plus a little something extra that no one else has seen yet! This felt like such a special thing to make as we came out of the pandemic, and now I get to play at the same venue with a crowd on my tour on Wednesday. Thanks for being part of this, so grateful for your support always. Enjoy! JA x https://www.momenthouse.com/jamesarthur
Maria Luiza
James Arthur Amoo suas músicas 😍
Aimee Marshall
Absolutely amazing 🥺obsessed with you x
Sarah Rieussec
https://media.tenor.com/5FmfYNNPcwQAAAAM/dance-music.gif
Kylee Gallipani
These lyrics and this rendition give so much imagery to this song. Beautiful as always James!
Anabela Oliveira
Beatiful song and Amazing performance! Wonderful! Thank you 🙌🔝❤️🎶
Lamnunthem Singson
You just know he never disappoints us especially when it's an acoustic version
Abraão Alves
@Soham Chatterjee definitely yes
Efeurhobo Maro
like... never ever, my favorite artist
Aj Francis
Yep I prefer most if not all his acoustic versions over the studio..