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.
Meet You In The Middle
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Most every night
I'll meet you in the middle some day
The heartaches thrive
But the love survives
I'll meet you in the middle some day
People are known to be reckless
But honey I believe we've been careless
Cause the damage just can't be denied
Oh, before we start
We're miles apart
And there's a million reasons why
But I wake to find
You're still on my mind
It's stronger as the years go by
I'd like to sit down with you darlin'
Show you everything in my heart
But emotions run high when I see your face
I just don't know where to start
Oh, I'll meet you in the middle some day
Oh, I'll meet you in the middle some day
Mm, if all for this
Just one more kiss
I'd travel any distance to find
Your eyes of coal
Your secret soul
I swear that I could read your mind
Honey you can call me crazy
To think that our affection could last
But I see us throw it all together
After all the storms have passed
Oh, though we may fight
Most every night
I'll meet you in the middle some day
The heartaches thrive
But the love survives
I'll meet you in the middle some day
Oh, I'll meet you in the middle some day
Oh, I'll meet you in the middle some day
Some day
In Joan Osborne's "Meet You In The Middle," the lyrics center around the idea of a tumultuous relationship, where two people who fight constantly try to meet in the middle, where they can compromise and find common ground, in spite of all the heartache and damage that has been done. The lyrics suggests that despite the emotional turmoil and distance between them, they are still drawn to each other over time, holding onto their love for one another. However, they don't quite know how to bridge the gap that has formed between them.
The opening lines paint a picture of conflict, with the couple fighting "most every night." Even though the heartaches might be thriving, the love somehow manages to survive. She makes a promise to meet in the middle some day, to find a compromise, a meeting place between their differences. She acknowledges that people can be reckless with their words and pride, and that she may have been careless, but still wants to work things out.
She desires to sit down with her partner and pour her heart out, but finds it hard to do so. The emotions run high whenever she sees his face, and she doesn't know where to start. The lyrics suggest that if they meet in the middle, they might have a chance of reconciliation despite the long distance between them. The final lines suggest that the love between the couple is strong enough to endure, as she promises to meet him in the middle someday.
Line by Line Meaning
Though we may fight
Even though we argue
Most every night
Almost every evening
I'll meet you in the middle some day
I'll compromise with you eventually
The heartaches thrive
The pain persists
But the love survives
But our love endures
People are known to be reckless
It's common for people to act carelessly
To never let go of their pride
To refuse to give up their ego
But honey I believe we've been careless
But I think we've been neglectful
Cause the damage just can't be denied
Because we can't ignore the harm that's been done
Oh, before we start
Before we begin
We're miles apart
We're emotionally distant
And there's a million reasons why
And there are countless explanations
But I wake to find
Yet, I wake up each day
You're still on my mind
Thinking of you still occupies my thoughts
It's stronger as the years go by
My feelings have intensified over time
I'd like to sit down with you darlin'
I'd love to have a conversation with you, dear
Show you everything in my heart
Reveal all my emotions to you
But emotions run high when I see your face
But my feelings become overwhelming when I see you
I just don't know where to start
I'm unsure of how to begin
Mm, if all for this
If it means everything
Just one more kiss
If it's just one last smooch
I'd travel any distance to find
I'd go anywhere to locate it
Your eyes of coal
Your dark eyes
Your secret soul
Your innermost being
I swear that I could read your mind
I'm convinced I can comprehend your thoughts
Honey you can call me crazy
You can call me insane
To think that our affection could last
For believing our love could endure
But I see us throw it all together
But I envision us sticking it out
After all the storms have passed
After all the difficulties have ended
Oh, I'll meet you in the middle some day
I'll compromise with you eventually
Some day
One day
Contributed by Sarah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.