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.
Rodeo
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, when you comin' home?
I can't stand it so alone
Rodeo
They all say they're proud of you
Though you're still the boy I knew
What has fightin' done to you?
I been dreamin', boy, since you been gone
'Bout a cowboy risin' with the dawn
It's just a dream but it keeps me hangin' on
Oh rodeo, you been gone too long
A hee
Yippee a yay, yippee a yo
A hee
Yippee a yay, yippee a yo
Up all night, I'll be here
Dancin' with my darkest fear
Whisperin' your home is here
Rodeo
Call me home, call me home
Baby, when you comin' home?
I can't stand it so alone
Rodeo
I been dreamin', boy, since you been gone
'Bout a soldier risin' with the dawn
It's just a dream but it keeps me hangin' on
Oh rodeo, you been gone too long
A hee
Yippee a yay, yippee a yo
A hee
Yippee a yay, yippee a yo
Rodeo, oh, rodeo
Oh, rodeo, oh
When you coming home?
When you coming home?
When you coming home?
My rodeo
The lyrics of the song "Rodeo" by Joan Osborne depict the longing of a woman for her lover, who is a rodeo rider or a soldier. The song starts with the woman calling out to her lover, asking him when he is coming home because she cannot bear the loneliness anymore. The chorus of the song, "Yippee a yay, yippee a yo," is reminiscent of the traditional cowboy songs, adding to the Western vibe of the song.
The second verse of the song mentions how people praise the lover for his deeds, but the woman wonders what fighting has done to him. She has been dreaming of her boy since he has been gone, and her dream is about a cowboy or a soldier rising with the dawn. Her dream keeps her hanging on, hoping for his return.
The third verse has a darker undertone, where the woman waits for her lover alone in the night, fighting her fears and whispering that his home is with her. The repetition of the chorus at the end of the song reaffirms her longing and desire for his return.
Overall, the song portrays the complexity of relationships that face challenges because of external circumstances. It highlights the hope and longing that keeps the lovers connected while facing difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
Call me home, call me home
Joan wants her partner to come back home.
Baby, when you comin' home?
Joan is expressing her longing for her partner to come back home.
I can't stand it so alone
Joan is feeling lonely in her partner's absence.
Rodeo
The song is titled 'Rodeo,' which is indicative of Joan's partner's profession or maybe used as a metaphor.
They all say they're proud of you
Other people admire or respect Joan's partner's profession or maybe his accomplishments.
Though you're still the boy I knew
Joan's partner has changed due to their profession/their experiences working in the rodeo.
What has fightin' done to you?
Joan is worried about the impact Joan's experiences fighting in rodeo had on him.
I been dreamin', boy, since you been gone
Joan dreams about her partner, who is probably away doing his rodeo work.
'Bout a cowboy risin' with the dawn
Joan is picturing her partner to go out and return like a cowboy would do at dawn.
It's just a dream but it keeps me hangin' on
Joan's dream about her partner keeps her hopeful and optimistic about their situation.
Oh rodeo, you been gone too long
Joan's partner has been away longer than Joan would like, but the repetition of 'rodeo' probably enforces the message of his profession being the cause of his absence.
A hee Yippee a yay, yippee a yo
This is perhaps an expression of the joy and excitement Joan would feel if her Rodeo comes home to her.
Up all night, I'll be here
Joan will stay up all night waiting for her partner, and she'll be there situated at home while he might be on the road.
Dancin' with my darkest fear
Waiting up for her partner in isolation could be Joan's darkest or deepest fear.
Whisperin' your home is here
Even though Joan is feeling lonely and isolated, she reminds herself this is her home, and her partner should return to be with her.
Rodeo
The song's title 'Rodeo' repeats to emphasize the separation between Joan and her partner because of his profession.
Oh, rodeo, oh
This line repeats the song's name 'Rodeo' with an expression of longing or perhaps sadness.
When you coming home?
Joan again asks when her partner is coming home to her.
My rodeo
Joan refers to her partner as 'my rodeo,' indicating his connection to his profession and that she accepts his profession's part in their relationship.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ERIC M BAZILIAN, RICHARD CHERTOFF, DAVID FORMAN, ROBERT EDWARD HYMAN, JOAN OSBORNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind