Her solo career began in earnest in 2002, when a demo version of the song "Finally Woken" was played on the LA radio station, KCRW. The track became one of the most listener-requested songs at the station, landing her in their top 5 played artists, and all prior to any record label being attached. As a result, she signed to Dave Matthews' ATO Records label.
Along with electronic producer Guy Sigsworth (Björk, Frou Frou), she wrote the song Nothing Fails, which was later reworked by Madonna and appeared on her 2003 album, American Life.
Jem released the moderately successful EP It All Starts Here in autumn 2003, followed by the debut album Finally Woken in March 2004. The first single They became her most successful single to date, peaking at #6 on UK Singles Charts.
Her second album Down to Earth was released on 16 September 2008, preceded by the single It's Amazing.
Jem's music featured on various movies (Closer, Eragon, Sex and the City, Monster-in-Law, The Prince and Me), trailers (Ultraviolet, Closer), ads (Lexus), and TV series (The OC, Six Feet Under, Gossip Girl, Smallville, 90210).
On Top of the World
Jem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Need to calm down, let go
Breath in peace
Worry and anxious feelings
Need to close your eyes, let go
Breathe and release
All of a sudden the people,
All fades away
You visit a place in a timeless
Dimension where all of your
Fears are at bay
You can fly away
Fly like a bird
Across the sky
Above the clouds so high
Moon and the stars
Light up the sky
Presence fights illusion
It's not all as serious as
Your mind
Wants you to think it is
Unsure of your future
Need to focus on,
What you want
And something will come
Your way
All of a sudden the negative
Voices and weaknesses
All fade away
You visit a place in a timeless
Dimension where all of your
Fears are at bay
You can fly away
Fly like a bird
Across the sky
Above the clouds so high
Moon and the stars
Light up the sky
Sun sets low across the bay
A beautiful light
Closes the day
You can visit anytime
It's always there
Just close your eyes
[repeat]
(You know, you know, you
Know, you know, you know
If you wanna be, home free,
Just breathe
You know, you know, you know,
You know, you know
If you wanna be, home free,
Just breathe
You know all you need, all you
Need, all you need, all you
Need, is to feel connected
You know all you need, all you
Need, all you need, all you
Need, is to be connected
Slow down, slow down,
What you rushing for)
Jem's "On Top of the World" is a song that encourages listeners to take a step back from their worries and anxieties and find inner peace. The lyrics express the idea that we are often caught up in our own minds, but we can find respite by focusing on our breath, relaxing, and letting go. By doing so, we can journey to a timeless dimension where our fears fade away and we are free to fly like a bird, high above the clouds. The song also suggests that we should let go of our negative thoughts and be open to whatever comes our way, reminding us that we are always connected to something greater than ourselves.
The verse "Presence fights illusion / It's not all as serious as / Your mind / Wants you to think it is" speaks to the idea that we often create our own problems by overthinking things and imagining the worst-case scenarios. The chorus reinforces the idea that we can escape these negative thought patterns by focusing on our breath and traveling to a place of calm and tranquility. The final verse encourages listeners to slow down and take their time, reminding them that there is no need to rush through life.
Line by Line Meaning
Too much information
There's too much going on right now
Need to calm down, let go
You need to relax and let go of your worries
Breath in peace
Take a deep breath and find peace within yourself
Worry and anxious feelings
You're feeling worried and anxious about the future
Need to close your eyes, let go
You need to close your eyes and let go of your fears
Breathe and release
Breathe out and release all your negative thoughts
All of a sudden the people,
Suddenly all the noise around you disappears
The talking, the telephone,
You can't hear anyone talking or any phones ringing
All fades away
Everything fades away and you're left with peace and quiet
You visit a place in a timeless
You're transported to a place that's outside of time
Dimension where all of your
Where all of your worst fears
Fears are at bay
Are no longer there to haunt you
You can fly away
You can fly away like a bird
Fly like a bird
And soar above your problems
Across the sky
And see the world from a different perspective
Above the clouds so high
And rise above the clouds to where it's peaceful
Moon and the stars
The moon and stars
Light up the sky
Will light up the sky and show you the way
Presence fights illusion
Your presence helps you see through illusion
It's not all as serious as
And reminds you that life isn't always as serious as it seems
Your mind
Your mind
Wants you to think it is
Wants to make everything seem more important than it actually is
Unsure of your future
You're not sure what the future holds for you
Need to focus on,
But you need to focus on what you want
What you want
And what you truly desire
And something will come
And something good will come your way
Your way
If you stay true to yourself and what you want
All of a sudden the negative
Suddenly all the negative thoughts and emotions
Voices and weaknesses
Disappear and leave you feeling stronger
Sun sets low across the bay
As the sun sets across the water
A beautiful light
A beautiful light fills the sky
Closes the day
And brings an end to the day
You can visit anytime
You can visit this peaceful place anytime you need to
It's always there
It will always be waiting for you
Just close your eyes
All you need to do is close your eyes and let go
You know, you know, you
You know what you need to do to feel at peace
Know, you know, you know
You just need to relax and breathe
If you wanna be, home free,
If you want to feel truly free and at home
Just breathe
All you need to do is breathe deeply and let go
You know all you need, all you
You know what you need to feel connected and at peace
Need, all you need, all you
Just breathe and let go
Need, all you need, is to feel connected
And you'll start to feel more connected to yourself and the world around you
You know all you need, all you
You know what you need to do to feel at peace and let go
Need, all you need, all you
Just breathe and let go
Need, is to be connected
And you'll start to feel more connected to your true self
Slow down, slow down,
It's time to slow down and take a break
What you rushing for
And stop rushing around all the time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEM GRIFFITHS, LESTER MENDEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind