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.
Break Up To Make Up
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me why I, never seem to make you happy
Though heaven knows I try
What does it take, to please you
Tell me just how, I can satisfy you baby
You're drivin' me wild
Break up to make up
First you love me, then you hate me
That's a game for fools
Break up to make up
That's all we do
First you love me, then you hate me
That's a game for fools
When I come home, from workin'
You're on the phone
Talkin' 'bout how bad I treat you
Now tell me I'm wrong
You say it's me, who argues
I say it's you
We have got to get together
Or baby we're through
Break up to make up
That's all we do
First you love me, then you hate me
That's a game for fools
Break up to make up
That's all we do
First you love me, then you hate me
That's a game for fools
Break up to make up
That's all we do
First you love me, then you hate me
That's a game for fools
Break up to make up
That's all we do
First you love me, then you hate me
That's a game for fools
Break up to make up
That's all we do
First you love me, then you hate me
That's a game for fools
The lyrical content of Joan Osborne's "Break Up to Make Up" is an exploration of the complex nature of a tumultuous, on-and-off again romantic relationship. The singer is feeling confused and frustrated by her partner's constant changes in behavior and emotions. The chorus, "break up to make up, that's all we do," represents the cycle of fighting, breaking up, and making up that the couple seems to be trapped in. The singer acknowledges that this pattern is foolish, but seems unable to break free from it.
Throughout the verses, the singer pleads with her partner to communicate with her and explain what she can do to make things better between them. However, their communication seems to be breaking down, with the partner on the phone when the singer returns home from work, complaining about how she's being treated. The singer doesn't agree with her partner's accusations, and the disagreement ultimately becomes an argument.
The lyrics provide a powerful commentary on the challenges of sustaining a healthy relationship when communication breaks down and the same patterns of behavior are repeated over and over. As the chorus repeats, it becomes clear that the singer is realizing that the relationship may be doomed if they cannot break out of the cycle of breaking up and making up.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me what's wrong, with you
Joan Osborne is asking her partner what's going on with them, possibly trying to get to the root of their relationship problems
Tell me why I, never seem to make you happy
Despite her efforts, her partner is never satisfied with her and she wants to know why
Though heaven knows I try
Even though she's putting in effort to make things work, it's not enough
What does it take, to please you
Joan Osborne wants to know what she needs to do to make things work between them
Tell me just how, I can satisfy you baby
She's specifically asking her partner what she can do to make them happy
You're drivin' me wild
Their behavior is driving Joan Osborne crazy, and it's clear that things are not working out
When I come home, from workin'
Joan Osborne is describing a typical day in her life
You're on the phone
Her partner is always on the phone when she gets home
Talkin' 'bout how bad I treat you
Her partner is complaining about how poorly they're treated
Now tell me I'm wrong
Joan Osborne is denying that they're being treated badly, and wants to know what's really going on
You say it's me, who argues
Her partner is saying that Joan Osborne is the one causing problems in their relationship
I say it's you
Joan Osborne disagrees and believes that her partner is the one causing problems
We have got to get together
Joan Osborne believes that they need to come together and figure things out
Or baby we're through
If they can't work things out, it's likely the relationship won't last
Break up to make up
Joan Osborne is acknowledging that their relationship is a cycle of fights and reconciliations
That's all we do
Their relationship is stuck in this pattern and can't seem to get out of it
First you love me, then you hate me
Joan Osborne's partner's feelings towards her are constantly shifting
That's a game for fools
Joan Osborne recognizes that this cycle isn't healthy and that they need to break free from it
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNETH GAMBLE, KENNY GAMBLE, LINDA CREED, LINDA DIANE CREED, THOM BELL, THOMAS RANDOLPH BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind