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.
The Weight
Joan Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just need a place where I can lay my head
Hey mister can you tell me where a girl might find a bed?
He just grinned, shook my hand, 'no' was all he said
[Chorus:]
Take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free
and put the load right on me
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, 'Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown'
She said, 'I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around'
[Chorus]
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day
'Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?'
He said, 'Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?'
[Chorus]
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
He said, 'I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog'
I said, 'Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man'
He said, 'That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can'
[Chorus]
Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
The Weight by Joan Osborne is a cover of The Band's original song. The song speaks about a traveler who, feeling worn down, arrives in Nazareth and looks for a place to rest. However, the people she encounters provide her with more than just a bed to sleep in. The first person she meets refuses to help her, but a stranger she meets after that offers to help 'take the weight' off her. The singer meets more people in her journey, such as Carmen and the devil, Moses, Luke, and Chester. Each person has their own problem that they want the singer to solve or help with. However, the singer ultimately just wants to rest at Fanny's place and leave her regards to everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Pulled into Nazareth, feeling 'bout half past dead
Feeling completely exhausted, I arrived in Nazareth.
Just need a place where I can lay my head
I need a place to rest and sleep.
Hey mister can you tell me where a girl might find a bed?
I asked a man for a suggestion on where a girl like me can stay for the night.
He just grinned, shook my hand, 'no' was all he said
Instead of helping me, he declined and didn't offer any assistance.
Take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny
and put the load right on me
Take a break from your burdens, and let me carry them for you. I'm willing to help.
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
I searched for a place to go and rest, away from everything.
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
As I was wandering, I saw Carmen walking alongside the Devil. It was an eerie sight.
She said, 'I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around'
Carmen couldn't stay, but her friend was willing to keep me company.
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day
'Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?'
He said, 'Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?'
Miss Moses had nothing to say and couldn't offer any help. 'Luke' explained that he's waiting for his judgment day. When asked about Anna Lee, Luke requested that I stay and accompany her on his behalf.
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
He said, 'I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog'
I said, 'Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man'
He said, 'That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can'
Chester approached me in the fog and offered to help fix my baggage rack, in exchange for taking care of his dog Jack. However, I expressed that I'm not one for violence, but Chester assured me that it's alright, as long as I feed his dog when possible.
Catch a cannonball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
It's time to leave, to catch a train and head down the rails. My overloaded bag is pulling me down, and I need to go back to Miss Fanny, who sent me here to deliver her regards.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind