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.
Light Of This World
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
I'll be, I'll be a light of this world
Ooh...
sometimes I feel this earth is not my home
And everything I know is an illusion
So many dreams have been broken and it seems
So much time is wasted in confusion
But I don't know if pain makes me stronger
But if you're beside me tonight
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this world
Ooh...
Some that I love I will never see again
Never see again in this world
The one I was I will never be again
No use to pretend that I'm the same girl
But I won't wait for you to believe me
And if time will give me today
I won't wait for heaven to receive me
I will pray, I will say
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'll be, I'll be a light of this world
Ooh...
The lyrics of Joan Osborne's song "Light Of This World" are a beautiful reminder of the power of perseverance and the human spirit. The song starts with Joan singing "Just as long as I'm in this world, I'll be a light of this world." This line is a powerful statement about humanity's ability to contribute to the world by being a positive force, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem in the grand scheme of things.
Joan continues with the verse "sometimes I feel this earth is not my home, and everything I know is an illusion." This line speaks to the universal human feeling of being lost and searching for a higher purpose or meaning in life. The singer also mentions the pain of loss and the confusion that comes with it.
However, the chorus of the song reassures us that there is always hope and that we can make a difference, as long as we are alive. The song's bridge brings up the idea of not waiting for others to understand or believe us and taking control of our own lives. Joan Osborne ends the song on a hopeful note, promising to be a light in this world, no matter what.
In summary, "Light Of This World" is a message of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we can find strength and light within ourselves to keep going.
Line by Line Meaning
Just as long as I'm in this world
As long as I'm alive, I will make a difference
I'll be, I'll be a light of this
I'll be a beacon of hope, shining in this world
sometimes I feel this earth is not my home
Sometimes I feel like I don't belong here
And everything I know is an illusion
And everything I believe may not be true
So many dreams have been broken and it seems
Many people's dreams have been shattered and it appears
So much time is wasted in confusion
So much time is being spent without direction
But I don't know if pain makes me stronger
I am unsure if pain helps me grow
But if you're beside me tonight
But if you're here with me now
Some that I love I will never see again
Some people I care about I will never see again
Never see again in this world
I won't see them in this life
The one I was I will never be again
I have changed and won't be the same person again
No use to pretend that I'm the same girl
I can't pretend to be who I was
But I won't wait for you to believe me
But I won't wait for others to understand my intentions
And if time will give me today
If I have the present moment
I won't wait for heaven to receive me
I won't wait for my life to end to make a difference
I will pray, I will say
I will hope and I will speak up
Contributed by Hannah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.