John Reuben Zappin, was born in Columbus, Ohio. He is of Jewish heritage and according to his MySpace, his mother is the owner of a Christian Death Metal record label. Raised in Pataskala, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Reuben got his start in rapping in 1994 by taking the bus into the city to rap on open mic nights and participate in rap battles at the age of fifteen. Reuben later released Monuments, an independent EP, which caught the attention of Gotee Records. They took a chance, signing him to the label and releasing his first project, Are We There Yet?, in 2000. TobyMac, the founder of Gotee Records, provided vocals for the album's final track, "God is Love". Reuben's next release, Hindsight (2002), continues his use of a wide variety of musical genres and thoughtful, often funny lyrics. The album was praised as a "truly eclectic and creative hip-hop album that blends old-school sounds with progressive production." Once thought to be a Christian version of Eminem. Reuben's first two releases established him as an original, witty, sarcastic musician, as well as Gotee's top-selling solo rap artist.
Professional Rapper (2003) marked Reuben's debut as a self-producing artist. The album is noticeably different from his previous efforts, using more instruments and less DJ sampling for the tracks. Along with these differences, the album is noticeably darker in both lyrics and feel. It includes several somber tracks which allow a glimpse into Reuben's struggles and self-doubt. Adrienne Camp of The Benjamin Gate contributes vocals to two tracks on the album.
The following year Reuben released So In Hindsight the Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet (2004), an album of remixed versions of songs from his first three albums.
The Boy vs. The Cynic (2005) continued Reuben's trek from the non-serious songs which characterized his earlier work to music that's far more somber and meditative. Reportedly, when the time came for him to submit his work for the album, Reuben turned in enough tracks for two albums, one light hearted, the other more serious. Rather than releasing a two disc release, the label decided to splice them together into The Boy vs. The Cynic. Relient K's Matt Thiessen contributes to the album's second track, "Nuisance". Tim Skipper of the band House of Heroes appears on the track "So Glad". Most of Reuben's songs use "traditional" musical instruments, typically the guitar, though he experiments with many different instruments and musical styles.
Reuben is currently working on a reality show detailing his "rise" to stardom while poking fun at many of the conventions of reality television. The pilot of the show can be viewed on YouTube.
John released his fifth album, Word of Mouth, on February 6, 2007. Allmusic.com called Word of Mouth an "unqualified triumph" and said that "You won't find a truer, more honest, or more celebratory album this year."
Gotee Records released John Reuben's sixth studio album, "Sex, Drugs and Self-Control" on December 22nd, 2009. The first single, "Town Folk" was released on July 14th, 2009. The next Single, "Jamboree," was released August 18th, 2009. Followed by "Confident," which was released September 15th, 2009, "No be nah" was released October 14th, 2009.
According to an interview with TVU in January, John Reuben said that there are definitely more music videos planned to release in the coming months from his most recent CD.
(Via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Reuben)
Hindsight
John Reuben Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After another day of waking and hating the fact
That I'm still where I'm at, what's the point of all of this
'Cause I'm not seeming to find it
Is it meaningless? I search the reason behind it
Because these moments seem to drag on forever
And these years on end seem to have never been this
And I'm too weak to defend
Here it comes again all in my world
Again left with no direction, no beginning, no end
The days blend together and the weather never changes
Numb to the outcome but yet not quite painless
Aimless to whether or not I made a mistake
And if so, how far is too far? Before it's too late
Should I wait but then what would be too long
To reverse the effects if I was wrong
Hindsight is a beautiful thing
When you can look back
And see what patience
And time can bring
Is it a must that I'm here?
Is it a must that I stay in order to look forward?
Must I look away? We're moving towards a new day
Unsure of what tomorrow will bring our way
I'm not even quite sure of what this day holds
I say we travel the unknown and watch it unfold
Hold today close while still reaching for tomorrow
Through the test of time, I've seen joy overcome sorrow
So with every trial I endure with hopes
To mature into what I was created
For more than life itself, I want life itself
Press past the present until forever is felt
And take hold of the hidden mystery wide-eyed and open
I now see differently, if it's to be then give me the strength
To be content and find peace in knowing
One day it will all make sense
Hindsight is a beautiful thing
When you can look back
And see what patience
And time can bring
Learning to accept the unexpected
Because the unknown wasn't here for me to correct it
So I let it go and stopped trying to control the impossible
Simply put tossed in the shuffle
At a young age just like everyone else
So I don't feel sorry for you or for myself
Love is bigger than that
And I'm not below or above the way it moves
Even though the things it does to my train of thought
Can bring about doubt and uncertainty
Patience tends to not agree with my psyche
That's more than likely, just some pride in me
Fighting expectations of where I think my life should be
Selfishly I forget, so quickly let me never forget
Lord, break me in humility
Some sort of amazing grace on me
As I look back upon my life
And where You've taken me
Hindsight is a beautiful thing
When you can look back
And see what patience
And time can bring
Hear the call, peace fall from trial to triumph
I want your hand in it all
Allow me to know where to stand in it all
Life giver
The lyrics of John Reuben's "Hindsight" are a reflection of the frustration that comes from feeling stuck in life, and the search for purpose and meaning. The first stanza conveys a sense of hopelessness and despair as the singer questions the point of it all, emphasizing that the search for meaning can feel like a never-ending and futile task. This is further reinforced in the following stanzas with the use of repetition, highlighting the monotony and lack of direction in the singer's life.
As the song progresses, the singer begins to adopt a more hopeful outlook, accepting that the unknown and unexpected can't always be controlled. The focus shifts to finding patience and peace in the journey, even if the destination is still unclear. The lines "Learning to accept the unexpected / Because the unknown wasn't here for me to correct it" emphasize the importance of letting go of control and embracing the uncertainty, a reminder that sometimes the most important lessons come from unexpected outcomes.
The final stanza is a prayer for humility and grace, acknowledging that life's journey is not always easy and that faith can be tested along the way. However, the song ends on a hopeful note, emphasizing that hindsight can be a source of comfort, reminding us of how far we've come and how much we've grown in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
I screamed to God out of frustration
Expressing my frustration to God
After another day of waking and hating the fact
Disliking the current situation after a usual day
That I'm still where I'm at, what's the point of all of this
Questioning the purpose of my current state
'Cause I'm not seeming to find it
Feeling unsure about my purpose
Is it meaningless? I search the reason behind it
Questioning if there is significance to my current situation
Because these moments seem to drag on forever
Feeling like time is moving slowly
And these years on end seem to have never been this
Feeling like the situation has been going on for too long
Desperation has formed repetition within to insecure, to pretend
Feeling hopeless and pretending to be okay
And I'm too weak to defend
Feeling too vulnerable to stand up for myself
Here it comes again all in my world
Feeling like I am experiencing the same thing again
Again left with no direction, no beginning, no end
Feeling lost without any sense of where to go
The days blend together and the weather never changes
Feeling like everything is monotonous
Numb to the outcome but yet not quite painless
Feeling detached from the situation but still experiencing discomfort
Aimless to whether or not I made a mistake
Not sure if I made an error in judgement
And if so, how far is too far? Before it's too late
Worried that I may have gone too far and caused irreversible damage
Should I wait but then what would be too long
Considering waiting for a better situation, but unsure of how long to wait
To reverse the effects if I was wrong
Correcting the damage if I made an error in judgement
Hindsight is a beautiful thing
Looking back on the past fondly
When you can look back
Reflecting on the past
And see what patience
Realizing that patience is crucial
And time can bring
Recognizing the positive effects of time
Is it a must that I'm here?
Questioning if it is necessary to be in the current situation
Is it a must that I stay in order to look forward?
Asking if staying in the situation is necessary for future success
Must I look away? We're moving towards a new day
Questioning if I should look elsewhere and embracing change
Unsure of what tomorrow will bring our way
Feeling uncertain about the future
I'm not even quite sure of what this day holds
Not sure what the current day will bring
I say we travel the unknown and watch it unfold
Embracing change and taking the unknown path
Hold today close while still reaching for tomorrow
Appreciating the present moment while looking towards the future
Through the test of time, I've seen joy overcome sorrow
Recognizing that joy can overcome heartache with time
So with every trial I endure with hopes
Facing challenges with hopeful intentions
To mature into what I was created
Striving towards personal growth
For more than life itself, I want life itself
Desiring to live life to the fullest
Press past the present until forever is felt
Looking towards a future where everything falls into place
And take hold of the hidden mystery wide-eyed and open
Embracing the unknown with an open heart and mind
I now see differently, if it's to be then give me the strength
Changing my perspective and hoping for the strength to continue
To be content and find peace in knowing
Being satisfied and at peace with the current situation
One day it will all make sense
Believing that things will fall into place and make sense eventually
Learning to accept the unexpected
Accepting the unexpected events in life
Because the unknown wasn't here for me to correct it
Accepting that some things cannot be corrected
So I let it go and stopped trying to control the impossible
Letting go of things outside of my control
Simply put tossed in the shuffle
Feeling lost in the chaos
At a young age just like everyone else
Experiencing a common feeling of confusion at a young age
So I don't feel sorry for you or for myself
Not feeling sorry for myself or others in a challenging situation
Love is bigger than that
Believing in the power of love to overcome negative situations
And I'm not below or above the way it moves
Recognizing that I am not above or below others in terms of life situations
Even though the things it does to my train of thought
Recognizing that life situations can negatively impact my thoughts
Can bring about doubt and uncertainty
Feeling doubt and uncertainty in response to life situations
Patience tends to not agree with my psyche
Feeling like patience is not a strength of mine
That's more than likely, just some pride in me
Recognizing that a lack of patience may be due to pride
Fighting expectations of where I think my life should be
Struggling with my own expectations for my life
Selfishly I forget, so quickly let me never forget
Forgetting to be grateful and humble, and recognizing the importance of doing so
Lord, break me in humility
Asking for humility
Some sort of amazing grace on me
Hoping for grace to be shown in difficult situations
As I look back upon my life
Reflecting on past experiences
And where You've taken me
Recognizing the role of a higher power in my life experiences
Hear the call, peace fall from trial to triumph
Answering the call to face challenges with grace and triumph over difficult situations
I want your hand in it all
Wanting the support and guidance of a higher power
Allow me to know where to stand in it all
Asking for clarity in difficult situations
Life giver
Recognizing and praising a higher power as a giver of life
Hindsight is a beautiful thing
Reflecting on the past fondly
When you can look back
Reflecting on the past
And see what patience
Realizing that patience is crucial
And time can bring
Recognizing the positive effects of time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, MUSIC SERVICES, INC.
Written by: GRANT ELLIS HARRISON, JOHN REUBEN ZAPPIN, TODD V. COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind