Throughout his prolific career, James Newton Howard has scored films of all scales and genres, earning multiple award nominations for his work. Howard began studying music as a young child and went on to attend the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California and then majored in piano performance at the University of Southern California. After Howard left college, he toured with Elton John and Toto as a keyboardist during the late 1970s and early 1980s before moving into film music in the mid-1980s.
By the 1990s, Howard truly hit his career stride, scoring the surprise blockbuster romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) and receiving his first Academy Award nomination for his score for Barbra Streisand's drama The Prince of Tides (1991). Setting the musical mood for numerous films throughout the decade, Howard's skills encompassed a plethora of genres, including two more best original score Oscar nominations, the Harrison Ford actioner The Fugitive (1993) and the Julia Roberts romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding. In addition, Howard scored the Western epic Wyatt Earp (1994), the legal drama Primal Fear (1996), and the blockbuster M. Night Shyamalan suspense thrillers The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), and The Village (2004). His collaborations on tunes for One Fine Day (1996) and Junior (1994) garnered Best Song nods. Along with scoring such smaller, character-driven films as Five Corners (1988), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), and American Heart (1993), Howard proved equally skilled at composing for big-budget Hollywood spectacles, including Space Jam (1996), Dante's Peak (1997), Dinosaur (2000), and Collateral (2004). Although for Dante's Peak he only composed the main theme only, the score itself was composed by John Frizzell. Though he concentrated primarily on films, Howard has also contributed music for TV series, earning an Emmy nomination in 1995 for his theme to NBC's ratings smash ER.
Howard is now one of the most recognized composers for film. His work in 2004 on The Village, with violin solos by Hilary Hahn, earned him an Oscar nomination. Since, he has composed for several major motion pictures, notably the score for Batman Begins which he co-wrote with Hans Zimmer. On October 14, 2005, it was officially announced that Howard would replace Howard Shore as composer for King Kong, due to "differing creative aspirations for the score" between Shore and director Peter Jackson. The resultant score earned Howard his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score.
Since then he has been nominated for Best Original Score for the legal thriller Michael Clayton in 2008 and the war film Defiance in 2009. Since then he has composed music for blockbuster franchises and solo films including I Am Legend,The Dark Knight with Hans Zimmer, all of The Hunger Games films and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He was nominated for another Academy Award nomination in 2021 for his work on News of the World
Blindsided
James Newton Howard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it' not like any other day,
'Cause I feel you more than ever now,
Throwing me off somehow,
Nothin' like a girl with an attitude,
But take it all away she don't know what to do,
Now I got you in my fantasy,
Over and over, humbling me,
You got a way,
Of finding me,
Do the math,
It's meant to be,
But how can this be good for me,
If you never know where or when,
[Chorus]
I got,
Blindsided,
So used to seeing things my own way,
And I liked it,
But that just don't mean anything,
Now I'm blindsided,
You rocked my world I never saw it coming,
Got nowhere to hide,
And it's not fair
Well here's that other side of me,
Where I sneak into your room and watch you sleep,
And you bring out the high school in me,
I can't pay attention,
Give me detention,
Living in the moment just kills the time,
I want to find you and make you mine,
It goes bum bum, bum bum
You got a way,
Of finding me,
Add it up,
Can't you see,
If this is your way of getting through to me,
You're tripping me up again
[Chorus: x2]
I don't know what's come over me,
'Cause I feel so differently,
You got a way,
Of finding me,
Do the math,
It's meant to be,
If this is your way of getting through to me,
Well you're tripping me out again
[Chorus]
There's no point in askin' why,
'Cause baby you're makin' me high,
Blindsided,
You rocked my world and I never saw it coming,
Got nowhere to hide,
And I like it
The lyrics to James Newton Howard's song Blindsided speak about being caught off guard by a romantic interest. The singer describes how walking down a familiar street suddenly feels different because they're preoccupied with thoughts of this person. They compare their attraction to the girl's attitude and confess to having fantasies about her. The song also features a more vulnerable side where the singer admits to watching the person they like while they sleep and feeling like a teenager again. The chorus repeats the title, 'blindsided', expressing surprise and frustration at being caught off guard by feelings that weren't expected. Despite the surprise and confusion, they "like it" and want to pursue the romantic interest.
The song is a common theme in pop culture where despite being caught off guard, people start to feel differently and get swayed by their emotions. The song captures the common experience of being caught off guard in love and the overwhelming sensation that comes with it. The feeling of being 'blindsided' is something most people can relate to, and the song speaks to those universal emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothin' like walkig down Avenue A,
Walking down Avenue A is usually an ordinary and unremarkable experience, but today is different.
But it' not like any other day,
Something unusual or extraordinary is happening.
'Cause I feel you more than ever now,
The presence and influence of someone special is more intense than it has ever been.
Throwing me off somehow,
This person's influence is causing confusion, distraction, or discomfort.
Nothin' like a girl with an attitude,
A girl who is confident, strong-willed, or assertive can be very attractive.
But take it all away she don't know what to do,
When that same girl is stripped of her attitude or confidence, she becomes vulnerable or uncertain.
Now I got you in my fantasy,
Imagining being with this person is consuming the singer's thoughts and desires.
Over and over, humbling me,
Thinking about this person is making the artist feel small or insignificant in comparison.
You got a way,
This person has a unique quality or talent.
Of finding me,
They are able to discover the artist's whereabouts or innermost thoughts and feelings.
Do the math,
Taking a logical approach, it is clear that this relationship is meant to be.
It's meant to be,
This relationship is predestined or fated to happen.
But how can this be good for me,
The singer wonders about whether this relationship will benefit them in the long run.
If you never know where or when,
This person's unpredictable or inconsistent behavior leaves the singer feeling uncertain and anxious.
I got,
The singer is experiencing a particular feeling or situation.
Blindsided,
They were caught off guard or surprised by something that happened.
So used to seeing things my own way,
The artist is accustomed to having control over their life and seeing things from their perspective.
And I liked it,
They enjoyed having things their way and being in control.
But that just don't mean anything,
Now that this person has entered their life, their old values and priorities no longer seem as important.
You rocked my world I never saw it coming,
The sudden impact of this person has changed the artist's perception of the world.
Got nowhere to hide,
The artist feels exposed and vulnerable, unable to escape their emotions.
And it's not fair
They feel as though they were unprepared or misled into this situation.
Well here's that other side of me,
The singer is revealing a new aspect of their personality or character.
Where I sneak into your room and watch you sleep,
The artist has developed an unhealthy obsession or infatuation with this person.
And you bring out the high school in me,
This person makes the singer feel young, immature, or inexperienced.
I can't pay attention,
Thinking about this person is distracting the singer from their responsibilities or obligations.
Give me detention,
The singer is willing to accept punishment or consequences for their behavior, as long as they can be near this person.
Living in the moment just kills the time,
The artist feels as though their life is going nowhere without this person, and time is passing too slowly.
I want to find you and make you mine,
The artist desires a deeper, more committed relationship with this person.
My heart's a boombox beating all over town,
The singer's heart is filled with love and passion for this person, and they feel as though everyone can see or hear it.
It goes bum bum, bum bum
The sound of the singer's heartbeat is loud, obvious, and rhythmic.
Add it up,
Using logic or calculation, it becomes clear that this relationship should happen.
Can't you see,
The artist is urging the other person to understand, accept or reciprocate their feelings.
If this is your way of getting through to me,
The artist suspects that this person is trying to communicate with them through indirect or unconventional means.
You're tripping me up again
This person's actions or words are causing the singer to become confused or disoriented.
I don't know what's come over me,
The artist is surprised and puzzled by their own feelings and behavior.
'Cause I feel so differently,
Their emotions have undergone a radical shift or transformation.
There's no point in askin' why,
The singer has accepted the situation without questioning it.
'Cause baby you're makin' me high,
This person's presence and influence is intoxicating or thrilling the singer.
Got nowhere to hide,
The artist feels exposed and vulnerable, unable to escape their emotions.
And I like it
Despite the dangers or risks, the artist is enjoying the experience and emotions of being with this person.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: ABRAHAM LOPEZ LABORIEL, JOHN SHANKS, LOPEZ LABORIEL ABRAHAM, LUCY WOODWARD, MICHAEL ELIZONDO, MIKE ELIZONDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind