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.
Running Out of Time
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you see me rising since your disappearance safe to say
That I've regained myself
Sleeping like a baby still I wonder maybe
If we'll ever
Meet up somewhere else
I'm bouncing you a message
Off the night sky
How you walk around with all that
Contempt inside you I'm
Amazed that you can stand up right
Turned up the volume when you heard me saying to you how
Does somebody switch from love to hate
I'm bouncing you a message
Off the night sky
You'll get it in a while
[Chorus]
I know you feel it
It's right behind you
It's getting closer
You said yourself
You're running out of time
If I ever sit to write the story
I'll say something nice
About you when you're dead
Moving like the ocean
Safe inside the notion that I can
Read if layin' in my bed
I'm bouncing you a message
Off the night sky
You'll get it in a while
[Chorus]
Yes it's complicated if the feelings faded
Still it's better
To have no regrets
When you think about me if you think
About me please
Remember that I've done my best
Can you see me rising since your
Disappearance, safe to say
That I've regained myself
Crawling like a baby
Still I wonder maybe if we'll ever
Meet up somewhere else cause
[Chorus]
In "Running Out Of Time," Joan Osborne seems to be addressing someone who has left her life, most likely a former romantic partner. She acknowledges that she has moved on and "regained" herself since their departure, but still wonders if they will ever meet again. She expresses curiosity about how someone can walk around with so much "contempt" inside of them and marvels that they can still "stand up right". She bounces messages off the night sky, indicating that she is trying to communicate with this person, but they seem distant and unresponsive.
The chorus reveals that this person is "running out of time," which could refer to a number of things. Perhaps they are running out of time to repair their relationship, or maybe they are facing some kind of personal deadline or crisis. The lyrics suggest that Osborne has tried to reach out to this person and make amends, but they have not been receptive. Despite this, she still thinks kindly of them and would "say something nice" if she ever wrote their story.
Overall, "Running Out Of Time" seems to be about the challenges of letting go of someone you once cared about deeply, even if they are no longer a part of your life. Osborne's lyrics are a mix of frustration, confusion, and compassion, highlighting the complex emotions that can arise when relationships end.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you see me rising since your disappearance safe to say
That I've regained myself
I have grown and improved since you left, and I feel like I have found myself again.
Sleeping like a baby still I wonder maybe
If we'll ever
Meet up somewhere else
Although I am at peace, I still wonder if we will ever cross paths again.
I'm bouncing you a message
Off the night sky
You'll get it in a while
I am communicating my thoughts and feelings to you through the universe, and I hope you receive them eventually.
How you walk around with all that
Contempt inside you I'm
Amazed that you can stand up right
I am surprised you can function with so much anger and bitterness inside of you.
Turned up the volume when you heard me saying to you how
Does somebody switch from love to hate
I emphasized my question of how someone can go from loving to hating another person.
I know you feel it
It's right behind you
It's getting closer
You said yourself
You're running out of time
You can sense the consequences of your actions closing in on you, and you have admitted that time is running out.
Moving like the ocean
Safe inside the notion that I can
Read if layin' in my bed
Just like the ocean, my emotions ebb and flow, but I am secure in knowing that I can understand them while lying in bed.
Yes it's complicated if the feelings faded
Still it's better
To have no regrets
Although our relationship has become complex and our feelings have changed, it is important to have no regrets about our time together.
Crawling like a baby
Still I wonder maybe if we'll ever
Meet up somewhere else cause
Although I have made progress, I still feel vulnerable, and I wonder if we will ever have another chance encounter.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Joan Osborne, Louis Perez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind