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.
Buckets Of Rain
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Buckets of tears
Got all them buckets coming out of my ears
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand
I got all the love, honey baby
You can stand
I been meek
I seen pretty people disappear like smoke
Friends will arrive, friends will disappear
If you want me, honey baby
I'll be here
Like your smile
And your fingertips
Like the way that you move your lips
I like the cool way you look at me
Everything about you is bringing me
Misery
Little red wagon
Little red bike
I ain't no monkey but I know what I like
I like the way you love me strong and slow
I'm takin' you with me, honey baby
When I go
Life is sad
Life is a bust
All ya can do is do what you must
You do what you must do and ya do it well
I'll do it for you, honey baby
Can't you tell?
Buckets of rain
Buckets of tears
Got all them buckets coming out of my ears
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand
I got all the love, honey baby
You can stand
I got all the love, honey baby
You can stand
In Joan Osborne's song Buckets of Rain, the singer is overwhelmed by different emotions - love, tears, and moonbeams. The lyric "buckets of rain, buckets of tears" conveys the intense feeling of sadness and despair that the singer is experiencing. The repetition of the phrase "buckets of" creates an impression of an endless, uncontrollable flood of emotion that the singer cannot escape. Despite this, she has "all the love" in her hand, indicating that she has a reservoir of love and positive energy that sustains her.
The lyrics also contain elements of nostalgia and reflection, such as "I seen pretty people disappear like smoke" and "Life is sad, life is a bust / All ya can do is do what you must." The singer acknowledges that life is not always easy and that people come and go, but she chooses to focus on the love and positivity she has in her life. The line "I'm takin' you with me, honey baby / When I go" implies a commitment to her love and a desire to hold onto it even in the face of life's uncertainties. Overall, the song portrays the human experience as one of both hardship and joy, with the singer choosing to savor the latter despite the former.
Line by Line Meaning
Buckets of rain
There is an overwhelming amount of rain
Buckets of tears
There are also a lot of tears
Got all them buckets coming out of my ears
There are so many buckets of rain and tears that they are overflowing out of my ears
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand
In contrast to the buckets of rain and tears, I am holding something much more positive: buckets of moonbeams
I got all the love, honey baby, You can stand
Despite the sadness and negative emotions around me, I have an abundance of love to give
I been meek
I have been humble and submissive
And hard like an oak
But I am also strong like an oak tree, withstanding whatever life throws at me
I seen pretty people disappear like smoke
I have witnessed beautiful people leaving as if they were never there in the first place
Friends will arrive, friends will disappear
People come and go in life, including friends
If you want me, honey baby, I'll be here
Despite this impermanence, I am willing to be there for you if you need me
Like your smile
I appreciate and enjoy your smile
And your fingertips
I also appreciate the touch of your fingertips
Like the way that you move your lips
Your movements and speech are attractive to me
I like the cool way you look at me
Your gaze is also endearing to me
Everything about you is bringing me misery
Unfortunately, despite all these positive things, being around you is causing me pain and sadness
Little red wagon
I make a comparison to a child's wagon
Little red bike
I also mention a red bike
I ain't no monkey but I know what I like
I may not be a monkey, but I know my preferences and desires
I like the way you love me strong and slow
One of those desires is your strength and care in loving me
I'm takin' you with me, honey baby, When I go
I want to bring you with me wherever life takes me
Life is sad
Life can often be a source of sadness
Life is a bust
Life may feel like a failure or disappointment
All ya can do is do what you must
Despite this, we must continue to do what we need to do
You do what you must do and ya do it well
It is important to not only do what needs to be done, but to do it well
I'll do it for you, honey baby, Can't you tell?
I am willing to support you and do whatever it is you need me to do
I got all the love, honey baby, You can stand
Repeating the previous sentiment, I have an abundance of love to give, and you can handle it
Writer(s): Bob Dylan
Contributed by Evan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tom cline
Just as beautiful 2 1\2 years ago as she was damn near 30 years ago!!! Her voice is still AMAZING! Beautiful!
CYJ NG
She was approaching 55 at time of recording the cover. Yes, her voice is till amazing.
Robert Nicholls
There should be thousands of likes for this. Wonderful.
Bobbette Funk
Love her songs. Listening to her music always helps me through my darkest days.
mbutchard1959
An absolutely beautiful, perfect cover of one of the best's songs from a perfect album. Joan is perfection.
Roberto
This music is relaaaax, Joan Osborne is Number one đđđ
yesnoyesnomaybe
A lovely, lovely performance. Thank you for helping me make it through this otherwise dismal morning.
Olav Ormel
Great performance, great version of a lovely song from the master of songs, thanks a lot.
Javier martĂnez
MAGNIFICENT !!!!!
Javier martĂnez
¥Qué preciosa versión !! Wonderful cover THANKS, JOAN !! Tu voz y tu elegancia son insuperables !!!