Joan Osborne (born Joan Elizabeth Osborne in Anchorage, Kentucky, on 8 July… Read Full Bio ↴Joan Osborne (born Joan Elizabeth Osborne in Anchorage, Kentucky, on 8 July 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best known for her recording of the Eric Bazilian-penned song "One of Us", from her debut album Relish (1995) - with the single and the album garnering a combined seven Grammy award nominations. Osborne was a member of Trigger Hippy from 2012 to 2018.

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.

Only You Know and I Know
Joan Osborne Lyrics

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Only you know and I know
All the loving we've got to show
So don't refuse to believe it
By reading too many meanings

'Cause you know that I mean what I say, so don't go
And never take me the wrong way
You know you can't go on getting your own way

'Cause if you do, it's gonna get you someday, yeah

We're both here to be pleasing
Oh no, not deceiving
But it's hard to believe in, aw, yeah
When you've been so mistreated

'Cause you know that I mean what I say, so don't go
And never take me the wrong way
You know you can't go on getting your own way
'Cause if you do, it's gonna get you someday

If I seem to mislead you
It's just my craziness coming through
But when it comes down to just two
Aw, I ain't no crazier than you

'Cause you know that I mean what I say, so don't go
And never take me the wrong way
You know you can't go on getting your own way
'Cause if you do, it's gonna get you someday

Only you know and I know
Only you know and I know

Only you know and I know, oh yeah
Only you know and I know, oh yeah, get up

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Joan Osborne's "Only You Know and I Know" speak of a deep appreciation for the love shared between two people. The song urges the listener to trust in the strength of their connection and not to overanalyze the small details or search for hidden meanings. The singer emphasizes her sincerity and asks her partner not to misinterpret her words or actions. The song acknowledges the difficulties that can arise in relationships, but ultimately reassures that both parties are there to please and not deceive each other.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Only you know and I know," suggesting that their love is something only they can truly understand on a deep level. The singer encourages her partner not to take advantage of their love or put their own desires before the other, as it will eventually lead to negative consequences. The bridge acknowledges that misunderstandings may occur, but declares that it's all part of the emotional roller coaster that comes with love. Ultimately, the song emphasizes the strength of their connection and encourages the listener to appreciate and cherish the love they share.

Line by Line Meaning

Only you know and I know
Only the two of us truly know the love we share

All the loving we've got to show
We have a lot of love to give each other

So don't refuse to believe it
Don't doubt our love for each other

By reading too many meanings
Don't over-analyze and misinterpret what we're saying to each other

'Cause you know that I mean what I say, so don't go
Believe that I'm sincere, don't walk away

And never take me the wrong way
Don't misunderstand me

You know you can't go on getting your own way
You can't always have things your way

'Cause if you do, it's gonna get you someday, yeah
It's not healthy to always control everything

We're both here to be pleasing
We're here to make each other happy

Oh no, not deceiving
We're not trying to trick or deceive each other

But it's hard to believe in, aw, yeah
It's sometimes difficult to trust after being hurt before