It was after relocating to New York City in the early '90s (to study at N.Y.U.'s film school) that Osborne began to take a singing career seriously after singing Billie Holiday's classic "God Bless the Child" at a local bar's "open mic night." In addition to Holiday, Osborne looked to such legendary vocalists as Etta James and Ray Charles as role models, as the up-and-coming singer decided not to cater to major record companies and formed her own label, Womanly Hips, which resulted in such releases as 1992's in-concert Soul Show, among others. But eventually, Osborne decided to sign on with a major label, Mercury, which in turn issued the singer's next release, 'Relish,' in March 1995. The album eventually racked up sales of three million copies and proved to have a long life, as almost a year after its initial release the track "One of Us" became a massive MTV and radio smash, camping out at the number-one spot on the U.S. singles chart for 2 weeks. Other tracks ("Right Hand Man" and "St. Teresa") failed to match the success of Osborne's first hit, but the singer still managed to connect with a large and appreciative audience, especially while touring as part of the 1997 edition of Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair tour. Osborne received numerous Grammy nominations in both 1996 and 1997.
Producing a worthy followup to Relish proved to be a time-consuming challenge for Osborne. Mercury tried to buy her some time by issuing a compilation release, 'Early Recordings' (which collected the early releases 'Live at Delta '88' and 'Blue Million Miles'). In the meantime, Osborne focused on supporting a few groups/causes she felt strongly about, such as Rock the Vote and Planned Parenthood (eventually being named an honorary member of Planned Parenthood's Board of Advocates), besides covering "I'm Just a Bill" as a duet with Isaac Hayes on the 1998 'Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote' benefit album. Osborne also studied briefly with the late Qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and performed alongside such notables as Stevie Wonder, Melissa Etheridge, Taj Mahal, Luciano Pavarotti, Spearhead, Bob Dylan, and the Chieftains.
September 2000 finally saw the release of Osborne's second all-new studio album, titled 'Righteous Love'; but it failed to match its predecessor's commercial success and sank from sight shortly after its release. In 2002, Osborne bounced back with 'How Sweet It Is,' a collection of covers that leaned heavily on classic soul and R&B tunes from the 1960s and '70s. A career retrospective, 'One of Us,' came out in 2005.
Osborne played a prominent role in the 2002 film "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," performing with the legendary Motown house band the Funk Brothers in a concert performance segment, and appearing with several members of the group in an interview segment. She and her band accompanied the Dixie Chicks for a national tour in the summer of 2003, during which time she also joined veteran San Francisco jam-rockers the Dead as a vocalist, and released her fourth album, titled 'How Sweet It Is,' a collection of classic rock and soul covers.
During 2005 and 2006, she performed on numerous occasions with Phil Lesh and Friends. In February 2007, she appeared at the Grand Ole Opry.
In November 2006, Osborne released 'Pretty Little Stranger,' her self-described "Nashville album."
In May 2007, Osborne issued 'Breakfast in Bed,' a return to the soul music that she had covered on 'How Sweet It Is'. 'Breakfast in Bed' also featured the two songs ("Heatwave" and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted") that she had covered for the film Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
She sings lead vocals on the cover of "Spoonful" on Vivian Campbell's solo album 'Two Sides Of If'.' Osborne also provided some vocals for "Wayfaring Stranger" on Spearhead's 1997 album 'Chocolate Supa Highway.' Joan is featured on The Holmes Brothers 2007 collection 'State of Grace' performing "Those Memories of You," an old Allan O'Bryant and Bill Monroe bluegrass tune.
Her album Bring It On Home was released on March 27, 2012. It is a collection of vintage blues and soul covers, and it received a 2013 Grammy Awards nomination for Best Blues Album.
Osborne was a member of Trigger Hippy from 2012 to 2018.
Osborne released the original album Love and Hate in 2014, and in 2017 the album Songs of Bob Dylan. A new album of original songs, Trouble and Strife, is due in September 2020.
Angels We Have Heard On High
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweetly singing ore the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
See him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
The lyrics of Joan Osborne's "Angels We Have Heard on High" celebrate the traditional story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. The joyful chorus of "Gloria in excelsis Deo" translates to "Glory to God in the highest," as the angels announce the good news of the newborn King's arrival. The first verse describes the appearance of the angels, hearing their sweet singing across the open plains, with the mountains echoing in reply in celebration of the baby's birth. The second verse calls for listeners to come to Bethlehem and see the infant Christ, who the angels are singing about. This verse evokes a sense of invitation to experience the awe and wonder of this miraculous event. The final verse describes the humble setting of the manger, where the baby lies surrounded by the praises of the angelic choir. Mary and Joseph add to the scene as they tend to their newborn child while all hearts are lifted in love.
Overall, the lyrics project the joy of the angels as they celebrate the birth of the long-awaited Savior. Through this song, listeners can imagine the grandeur of the celestial event and connect to the sense of deep significance behind the occasion.
Line by Line Meaning
Angels we have heard on high
We have heard angels singing joyously over the fields
Sweetly singing ore the plains
Their songs are melodious and harmonious, their musical notes resonating over the flatlands of the countryside
And the mountains in reply
Even the towering peaks echo back the angels' jubilant songs
Echoing their joyous strains
The mountains reverberate with the angels' happy melodies
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest
Come to Bethlehem and see
Let us journey to Bethlehem and witness the sight ourselves
Christ whose birth the angels sing
The one whom the angels are singing about is Christ, who has just been born
Come adore on bended knee
Let us kneel in reverence and worship this newborn King
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Christ is not only a newborn King, but also the Lord of all
See him in a manger laid
We can observe him lying inside a manger - a feeding trough for animals
Whom the choirs of angels praise
He is the one whom the angelic choirs admire and exalt
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
Mary and Joseph, please help and support each other during this momentous time
While our hearts in love we raise
As we hold overflowing love in our hearts, let us also lift them up
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest
Contributed by Liliana D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.