James Durbin (born January 6, 1989) is an American singer from Santa Cruz, … Read Full Bio ↴James Durbin (born January 6, 1989) is an American singer from Santa Cruz, California. Durbin was a Top 4 finalist on the tenth season of American Idol. He was eliminated on Thursday, May 12th, 2011. The Love Me Bad Songfacts reports that his pitch-perfect voice and hard rocker's attitude made him one of the most popular contestants of the series. After finishing fourth, he signed to Wind-Up Records (Evanescence, Seether). Love Me Bad, Durbin's first single released from his debut solo album, Memories of a Beautiful Disaster, was released online on October 19, 2011.

Durbin was born to Judy Settle-Durbin. His father Willy Durbin, a musician, died of drug overdose when he was 9. He was diagnosed with Tourette's and Asperger's syndrome shortly after his father died. He has facial tics, some social awkwardness, and restricted interests.
He has a fiancée, Heidi whom he met in a bar and considered his 'rock'. They have a son together named Hunter.
In 2006, he performed in Santa Cruz-based children's theater group called Kids on Broadway and played the lead role in "Beauty and the Beast" and "Singin' in the Rain", as well as "West Side Story" in a production by All About Theatre, a Santa Cruz community theatre company. He was also the lead singer in a metal band called The Hollywood Scars. He said he has also done country music before.

James was invited to record and mix his amazing vocal talent with legendary producer/engineer/artist Alan Parsons (of The Alan Parsons Project/Beatles/Pink Floyd fame). Along with professional vocalist PJ Olsson, the group recorded James' vocals on Alan Parsons' song "We Play The Game," a collaboration with The Crystal Method.

Then only 19, James' drive, power, and musical insight were all too evident as he and Alan worked on recording a lead vocal and backing vocals on the Alan Parsons track from A Valid Path.

Idol Performances:
** Top 24: Personal Choice - You've Got Another Thing Comin' (Judas Priest)
** Top 13: Personal Idol - Maybe I'm Amazed (Paul McCartney)
** Top 12: Year You Were Born - I'll Be There for You (Bon Jovi)
** Top 11: Motown - Living for the City (Stevie Wonder)
** Top 11 Redux: Elton John - Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) [[artist]Elton John]
** Top 9: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles)
** Top 8: Songs from the Movies - Heavy Metal (Sammy Hagar)
** Top 7: Songs from the 21st Century - Uprising (Muse)
** Top 6: Carole King - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (The Shirelles)
** Top 5: Songs from Then & Now: Closer to the Edge (30 Seconds to Mars) / Without You (Bandfinger)
** Top 4: Songs That Inspire / Leiber & Stoller Songbook: Don't Stop Believin' (Journey) / Love Potion No. 9 (The Clovers)

In 2016 Durbin and Alex Grossi of Quiet Riot worked on an album project "Maps to the Hollywood Scars". Volume 1 was released as a 5-song EP in February 2017. In March 2017, Durbin joined Quiet Riot, as their new lead singer. The band reported that their upcoming album, 'Road Rage' would be re-recorded prior to its release to feature Durbin on lead vocals. After recording a follow-up album, Durbin quit the band in September 2019. The album, 'Hollywood Cowboys', was released on November 8, 2019. In October 2020, Durbin revealed he had signed with Frontiers Records and was working on a "pure heavy metal" album. The Beast Awakens was released on February 12, 2021 under the Durbin moniker. Alongside Durbin, who performs lead vocals and rhythm guitar, the album also features drummer Mike Vanderhule and bassist Barry Sparks. In 2022, Durbin has joined forces with STRYPER members Robert Sweet and Perry Richardson (bass; also ex-FIREHOUSE) and RIOT guitarist Mike Flyntz in a new project called CLEANBREAK.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
James Durbin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps

I don't know why nobody told you
How to unfold your love
I don't know how someone controlled you

They bought and sold you

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps, yeah

I don't know why you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at you all
Still my guitar gently weeps, yeah

Ooh yeah
Yeah
Yeah

Oh, oh, oh, yeaow!

Overall Meaning

In the song While My Guitar Gently Weeps by James Durbin, the lyrics depict a sense of helplessness and despair. The love in the world is asleep and the world is turning amidst mistakes that are being made. The musician looks at his guitar and it feels as if even the guitar is saddened by the state of the world. The lyrics express a longing for someone to have provided guidance on how to unfold one's love to the world. The world has perverted and inverted love, and no one noticed or alerted about it. The guitar gently weeps amidst the chaos and turmoil.

The lyrics are metaphorical and express emotions that the musician is feeling at that moment. The guitar represents love and the musician is trying to tell the world that even love is helpless sometimes. The world has gone astray and there seems to be no hope left. The mistakes and failures teach us a lesson, and the songwriter is trying to convey the importance of learning from them. The lyrics signify the need for introspection and self-awareness. Even the simplest things like sweeping the floor seem to represent the larger problems the world is facing. The song is a tribute to the power of music that can transcend boundaries and touch the deepest emotions of the human soul.

Line by Line Meaning

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
I observe you all and sense the untapped love present in you

While my guitar gently weeps
While I express my emotions with my guitar in a sad and plaintive manner

I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
I notice the floor needs cleaning, but I am preoccupied with my sorrows

Still my guitar gently weeps
Despite my efforts to distract myself, my guitar continues to express my pain

I don't know why nobody told you
I am uncertain as to why no one gave you guidance and advice

How to unfold your love
How to express and reveal your innermost feelings of love

I don't know how someone controlled you
I don't understand how someone manipulated and dominated you

They bought and sold you
They used you to serve their own interests and disregarded your well-being

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
I observe the world and realize it's constantly changing

With every mistake we must surely be learning
We learn and grow from every mistake we make

Still my guitar gently weeps, yeah
Despite the world's happenings, my guitar continues to express my distress

I don't know why you were diverted
I am uncertain why you were led astray from your true self

You were perverted too
Your original nature was corrupted and distorted

I don't know how you were inverted
I don't understand how you were turned inside out and lost your true essence

No one alerted you
No one warned you about the perilous path you were on

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
I observe you all and sense the untapped love present in you

While my guitar gently weeps
While I express my emotions with my guitar in a sad and plaintive manner

I look at you all
I observe you all

Still my guitar gently weeps, yeah
Despite everything, my guitar continues to express my sorrowful feelings

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: George Harrison

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Marlene Greenman

3y↑5

He is the best. Hope he is doing well now. Amazing voice. American Idol never picks a Rockin Roller. Only one time they did

AlexRenae2

8y↑18

this deserved a standing ovation!

Garden Girl

4y↑1

He deserved to WIN

Garden Girl

9y↑10

The note at the end of this song sends shivers all over the body and sinks into the core!

standup2it

13y↑8

i'm not a rocker. i'm over 60 and i love james durbin!

Justin Gutierrez

9y↑12

i love this and im shocked no one likes this more

Kruppt808

6y↑3

My favorite version of this song by far.

Lana Teramae

I love how at the end of the performance when Ryan asked James what he was thinking about during the performance, he shied away a bit and asked, "Do I have to?" Like those are real emotions, he was more than just a heavy metal singer and his audition proved that as well.

Praise God Jihyo

5y↑11

He and Haley should've been the top 2 and that's the tea.

GlamByMeganMua

4y↑1

brandilovesjay _ I wish he won. I was devastated when he was voted off! 😭

Trevor Morris

I'm not huge fan of Durbin although I recognise he's very good. However, he really got me on this song, restrained and sensitive, and the high notes at the end did fir so well and weren't overdone at all. A very fine performance by James, probably my favourite by him. I couldn't make up my mind whether he deserved 2nd or 3rd, a toss-up between him and Casey. Haley, of course, deserved to be 1st.

However, as Cowell said in Idol 9, it's more than just a singing contest. Randy and JLo made that very obvious in their criticisms of Haley. Very, very little of that was aimed at the other contestants. They were obviously worried in case Haley's talent spoilt the Idol narrative of the two young teen Country kids who were falling in love with one another on the show. (No, I know that they weren't really. It was just a gimmick to appeal to the young lassies who voted.) Idol could actually have got exactly the same kind of gimmick going with Haley and Casey (but hey, they would be more difficult to control and market in the way Idol wanted to so that would never have done! They might have found James a handful as well.).
It was interesting listening to Randy telling James how important it was to take chances. What a contrast to the shite that Haley Reinhart, by contrast, had to take from him because she did just that although some of her performances were so brilliant that even he had to admit how good they were.

Trevor Morris

Great listening Randy saying how important it is for artists to take chances. Haley was criticised for doing that. However, it doesna matter. Idol wanted Scotty and Lauren for 1st and 2nd anyway and did what they could to get that result. They certainly did what they could to dampen the enthusiasm that was building up for Haley.