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.
How Sweet It Is
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To be loved by you
How sweet it is
To be loved by you
I needed the shelter of someone's arms
And there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs
With sweet love and devotion
Deeply touching my emotion
How sweet it is
To be loved by you, okay
How sweet it is
To be loved by you
I close my eyes at night
Wondering where would I be, without you in my life
Everything I did was such a bore
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
But you brighten up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet in so many ways
I just wanna stop and thank you baby
I just wanna stop and thank you baby
I just wanna stop and thank you baby
I just wanna stop, thank you baby, baby
Oh baby, oh baby
How sweet it is
You were better to me than I was for myself
For me, there's you and there ain't nobody
Nobody, nobody else
How sweet it is, oh God
To be loved by you
How sweet it is
To be loved by you
How sweet it is
To be loved by you
How sweet it is
To be loved
The lyrics to Joan Osborne’s “How Sweet it Is” express a deep gratitude for the love and companionship of another person. The repeated lines of “How sweet it is / To be loved by you” emphasize the joy and happiness that loving and being loved can bring. The singer acknowledges that they needed someone to lean on, someone to share their ups and downs with, and they found that in the song’s subject.
The lyrics also acknowledge the boost in the singer’s life that this love has given them. Before meeting this person, life seemed dull and repetitive, but now everything is brighter and more exciting. The love and devotion shown by this person has deeply touched the singer’s emotions and allowed them to feel safe and protected in their arms.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of overwhelming gratitude and appreciation for the power of love. The singer acknowledges their own shortcomings and recognizes that the love of another person has helped them become better, and has given them a sense of purpose and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
How sweet it is
Expressing the joy of being enamored
To be loved by you
To feel adulation from you
How sweet it is
Expressing the joy of being enamored
To be loved by you
To feel adulation from you
I needed the shelter of someone's arms
Requires the embrace of a person
And there you were
You provided the necessary shelter
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs
Requires someone to comprehend my varying moods
And there you were
You provided the necessary understanding
With sweet love and devotion
With affectionate emotions and dedication
Deeply touching my emotion
Intensely affecting my sentiments
How sweet it is
Expressing the joy of being enamored
To be loved by you, okay
To feel adulation from you, alright
How sweet it is
Expressing the joy of being enamored
To be loved by you
To feel adulation from you
I close my eyes at night
Before I sleep at night
Wondering where would I be, without you in my life
Thinking about where I'd be without you around
Everything I did was such a bore
My activities were tedious
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
Every place I'd been to was quite familiar
But you brighten up for me all of my days
But you light up my every day
With a love so sweet in so many ways
With an affection so endearing in many aspects
I just wanna stop and thank you baby
I just want to pause and express my gratitude
I just wanna stop and thank you baby
I just want to pause and express my gratitude
I just wanna stop and thank you baby
I just want to pause and express my gratitude
I just wanna stop, thank you baby, baby
I just want to pause and express my gratitude, darling
Oh baby, oh baby
Oh darling, oh darling
How sweet it is
Expressing the joy of being enamored
You were better to me than I was for myself
You were kinder to me than I was to myself
For me, there's you and there ain't nobody
For me, it is only you and no one else
Nobody, nobody else
No one, no one else
How sweet it is, oh God
Expressing the joy of being enamored, oh Lord
To be loved by you
To feel adulation from you
How sweet it is
Expressing the joy of being enamored
To be loved by you
To feel adulation from you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Edward Jr. Holland, Lamont Dozier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind