James Yoshinobu Iha (井葉吉伸, Iha Yoshinobu or ジェームス・イハ born March 26, 1968 in… Read Full Bio ↴James Yoshinobu Iha (井葉吉伸, Iha Yoshinobu or ジェームス・イハ born March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is a Japanese-American rock musician. He is most famous as the rhythm guitarist in the highly successful alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins.

In 1998, Iha released a moderately successful solo album, 'Let it Come Down'. One music video was produced from this album, for the song Be Strong Now, which was also released as a four-track single.

Since the Pumpkins' breakup in 2000, Iha has pursued many projects. He continues to contribute to other artists' recordings, such as Don't Be Sad on Whiskeytown's Pneumonia released in 2001 and further guest appearances for Ivy, but made bigger news when he joined rock band A Perfect Circle in July 2003 in time for their Thirteenth Step club tour. He has since appeared on their 2004 album eMOTIVe as well as contributed remixes of Blue and Outsider. In 2003, he formed Vanessa and the O's. The group released an EP Plus Rien in Sweden the same year.

Iha also collaborated on two tracks with Japanese musician Chara for her 2001 album MADRIGAL. The tracks are called "Boku ni Utsushite" (ボクにうつして）and "Skirt" (スカート).

More recently, Iha has collaborated on musical and fashion design projects in Japan. With the help of longtime friend and manager Isao Izutsu, Iha started the clothing label Vapor in 2001. Iha also scored the Japanese film Linda, Linda, Linda, released in late summer 2005.

On March 31st, 2006, Pitchfork Media reported that Iha will be featured on Norwegian pop singer Annie's follow-up to her highly successful debut, Anniemal, which will reportedly be out near the year's end. Iha also remixed "Me Plus One", a track off of Anniemal.

James also is the bassist of power pop band Tinted Windows. Other members are Taylor Hanson, Adam Schlesinger and Bun E. Carlos. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2009.

His second solo album titled 'Look to the Sky' was released in March 2012.

Country Girl
James Iha Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hallelujah, I'm in love with a girl from the country
She's got no money just a smile I'm in love with
We go running I don't care where to till the mourning
There's a part of you that never dies I'm in love with
If I give you everything you'll ever need and it all comes down to
Your half smile, country mile, angel child
When night is falling you dream of city lights

You hear them calling you hold my hand and then we
Cry I'm in love with
And I can't find any other way to live and it all comes back to
Your half smile, country mile, angel child
Want you to stay, want you to sway, want you

I'm in love with you
I'm in love with you

Overall Meaning

The opening line of James Iha's Country Girl reveals that the singer is deeply in love with a girl from the countryside. He does not care about her financial status and is infatuated with her infectious smile. There is an element of youthful energy between the two lovers that is evident as they take off running without any specific direction, merely basking in each other's company. Despite not having much in common, there is a connection between them that is indescribable.

As the song progresses, the listener is informed of the woman's hardships, who spends her nights dreaming of city lights, representing a life with more opportunities, but she remains unswayed. The singer acknowledges that he cannot imagine living his life without her; she is his everything. He expresses his desire to be with her indefinitely, seeing her smile and taking any encounter with her as a blessing. The chorus is repetitive, highlighting the importance of the girl's half smile, country mile, and angelic nature, and how those attributes contribute to his love for her.

Country Girl is an emotional tribute to falling in love with someone who is your polar opposite. The song captures the feeling of raw, relentless love and the ecstasy that comes with being in love with an imperfect person. The love between the two characters is unconditional and spontaneous, reflecting a free-spirited relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Hallelujah, I'm in love with a girl from the country
I feel ecstatic because I am in love with a girl who comes from the countryside.

She's got no money just a smile I'm in love with
Even though she doesn't have a lot of money, I am enamored by her beautiful smile.

We go running I don't care where to till the mourning
We enjoy running without a particular destination, even until the morning comes.

There's a part of you that never dies I'm in love with
I am deeply in love with an aspect of her personality that never fades away.

If I give you everything you'll ever need and it all comes down to
If I provide you with all of your necessities, and it all boils down to

Your half smile, country mile, angel child
I still value your half smile, the vast distance from the countryside, and your angelic qualities.

When night is falling you dream of city lights
As darkness sets in, you long for the glittering city lights.

You hear them calling you hold my hand and then we
You can hear the city lights beckoning you, so you take my hand and we go together.

Cry I'm in love with
During difficult times, I divulge the fact that I am in love with you.

And I can't find any other way to live and it all comes back to
I cannot fathom another way to live, and it all returns to

Your half smile, country mile, angel child
My heart always comes back to yearning for your half smile, the country's vast distance, and your angelic personality.

Want you to stay, want you to sway, want you
I wish for you to remain by my side, to sway with me, and to exist in my heart always.

I'm in love with you
I am immensely in love with you.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RANDLE CHOWNING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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