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.
Crazy Baby
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As you light your twenty seventh cigarette
Oh how long have you been sittin' in the darkness
You forget
Oh you know you're gettin' really hard to be with
And you're cryin' every time you turn around
And you wonder why you cannot pick your head up
Oh my crazy baby
Try to hold on tight
Oh my crazy baby
Don't put out the light
The light, the light, the light
And they look at you like they don't speak your language
And you're living at the bottom of a well
And you've swallowed all the awful bloody secrets
But you can't tell
Oh, you know you ought to get yourself together
But you cannot bear to walk outside your door
No, you cannot bear to look into the mirror
Anymore
Oh, my crazy baby
Try to hold on tight
Oh, my crazy baby
Don't put out the light
The light, the light, the light
And your hands are really shakin' somethin' awful
As your worries climb around inside your clothes
Oh, how long will you be sittin' in the darkness
Heaven knows
Oh, my crazy baby
Try to hold on tight
Oh, my crazy baby
Don't put out the light
The light, the light, the light
The light
The song "Crazy Baby" by Joan Osborne explores the thoughts and feelings of a person who is struggling with their inner demons. The opening lines suggest the character's anxiety and stress as they light their twenty-seventh cigarette. The character has lost track of how much time they've spent dwelling on their troubles as they sit in the darkness. They're lonely and desperate for someone to understand, but they feel misunderstood and isolated.
The chorus of the song, "Oh, my crazy baby, try to hold on tight, oh, my crazy baby, don't put out the light," is a plea for hope and resilience. The character is encouraged to keep holding on, even when things are tough, and not to give up. The light symbolizes hope, and the singer doesn't want the character to lose it.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of empathy for those who struggle with mental health issues. It encourages people to hold on through the tough times and not to lose hope.
Line by Line Meaning
And your hands are really shakin' somethin' awful
Your hands are trembling profusely with agitation and nervousness.
As you light your twenty seventh cigarette
As you ignite yet another cigarette, bringing the total to twenty-seven.
Oh how long have you been sittin' in the darkness
How long has it been since you've emerged from the darkness in which you've been engulfed?
You forget
The duration of your seclusion is so prolonged that it eludes your memory.
Oh you know you're gettin' really hard to be with
You're becoming more challenging to be around.
And you're cryin' every time you turn around
You're weeping whenever you shift your position.
And you wonder why you cannot pick your head up off the ground
You question why you're unable to lift your head and look up from the earth.
Off the ground
Away from the earth's surface.
Oh my crazy baby
Dear, oh dear, my emotionally impaired companion.
Try to hold on tight
Attempt to remain resolute and not falter.
Don't put out the light
Don't permit the light to be extinguished.
The light, the light, the light
The illumination from whichever source it derives.
And they look at you like they don't speak your language
The individuals with whom you interact gaze upon you as if they cannot comprehend your dialect.
And you're living at the bottom of a well
You're existing at the base of a hollowed-out shaft in the ground.
And you've swallowed all the awful bloody secrets
You've consumed and assimilated dreadful and sanguinary facts.
But you can't tell
You're unable to reveal or disclose them.
Oh, you know you ought to get yourself together
You're aware that you should compose yourself.
But you cannot bear to walk outside your door
You're incapable of tolerating the prospect of departing from your residence.
No, you cannot bear to look into the mirror
Furthermore, gazing upon your own reflection is something you're incapable of doing.
Anymore
Not since some time in the past.
And your hands are really shakin' somethin' awful
Again, your hands are trembling intensely due to anxiety.
As your worries climb around inside your clothes
Your constant apprehension is palpable as it hovers beneath your garments.
Oh, how long will you be sittin' in the darkness
It's unclear how much longer you'll remain in this state of darkness.
Heaven knows
Only a higher power is aware of the duration with any certainty.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOAN OSBORNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind