In 2006, Arthur's song "In the Sun" was covered by Michael Stipe (of R.E.M.) and Coldplay singer Chris Martin. Released for a Hurricane Katrina Relief program, the EP includes six versions of the cover, one of which has Arthur himself singing with Stipe.
Arthur established his own record label, Lonely Astronaut Records, in 2006, and released two studio albums, Let's Just Be (2007) and Temporary People (2008) with backing band The Lonely Astronauts. Arthur subsequently returned to performing and recording as a solo artist, releasing The Graduation Ceremony in 2011 and the double album, Redemption City in 2012.
Arthur is also an acclaimed painter and designer. His artwork has graced the sleeves of his entire discography; the sleeve design for his 1999 album entitled Vacancy was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
Exhausted
Joseph Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been awake for what feels like a year
'Cause when I dream
My mind puts a face
To each one of my fears
I'm exhausted by my imagination
I close my eyes
It's your disguise
You put your heart and soul on a plate
I'm exhausted by my imagination
The walls are bleeding cause I'm hallucinating
Beneath the wheel I cannot slow it's rotation down
I got to get away from here
But there's nowhere I can go
Everyone I recognize looks at me like I am lost
Walking down these dire streets
I thought I heard you call my name
But it's only in my head
Or maybe it was just your ghost
Up in the sky
The clouds are dirty so soon it will rain
I lost my mind
After you told me that you went insane
I'm a victim of my imagination
These walls are talking but I'm hallucinating
Beneath the wheel that will not slow it's rotation down
Down
Down in my head (? )
I got to get away from here
But there's nowhere I can go
Everyone I recognize
Looks at me like I'm a ghost
Walking down these dying streets
I thought I heard you call my name
But it was only in my mind
You were never there at all
Joseph Arthur’s song Exhausted is a melancholic and introspective song that delves into the dark and hopeless emotions of the singer. It is a song about insomnia, hallucinations, and the weight of one’s imagination on their psyche.
The song opens with the line "I never sleep, I've been awake for what feels like a year." The singer has been unable to find rest, and when he dreamt, he was haunted by his fears, with each nightmare being personified by a face. The singer's lack of sleep exacerbates the situation, and he finds himself trapped in a cycle of fear and paranoia.
The singer’s hallucinations have become so vivid that he can see the pain on the face of the person he is imagining, and he is exhausted by his imagination. The pain he sees is your disguise; you put your heart and soul on a plate, suggesting that the singer is projecting his own pain onto someone else. His mind has created a wall of fear, and the fear he feels is palpable to him, and the wall seems to be bleeding. Despite his hallucinations, there is nowhere for him to escape, and everyone he recognizes looks at him like he is lost or like a ghost. The singer yearns to leave this place, but he is stuck in a loop of despair.
In conclusion, Joseph Arthur’s Exhausted is a song that explores the desperation and mental anguish of the singer. He is trapped in his own mind and has no respite from the demons that haunt him, and it takes a toll on him.
Line by Line Meaning
I never sleep
I don't get any rest
I been awake for what feels like a year
It seems like forever since I last slept
'Cause when I dream
During my dreams
My mind puts a face
I associate a face with each of my fears
To each one of my fears
I have a specific fear for each face that appears in my dreams
I'm exhausted by my imagination
My mind is constantly working and I'm tired because of it
I close my eyes
I try to sleep
But I could still see the pain on your face
I can't escape the pain I associate with your face
It's your disguise
You hide your true feelings
You put your heart and soul on a plate
You expose all of your emotions
The walls are bleeding cause I'm hallucinating
I'm so lost in my thoughts that I'm seeing things that aren't really there
Beneath the wheel I cannot slow it's rotation down
I feel like everything is moving too fast and I can't keep up
I got to get away from here
I need to escape this situation
But there's nowhere I can go
I can't find a way out
Everyone I recognize looks at me like I am lost
People that I know see me as being lost and confused
Walking down these dire streets
I'm walking down dark and dangerous streets
I thought I heard you call my name
I thought I heard you speaking to me
But it's only in my head
It's just my imagination
Or maybe it was just your ghost
It could have been your spirit
Up in the sky
In the clouds
The clouds are dirty so soon it will rain
The weather is about to change
I lost my mind
I've gone crazy
After you told me that you went insane
You admitting that you were crazy caused me to lose it too
I'm a victim of my imagination
My thoughts are controlling me
These walls are talking but I'm hallucinating
I'm hearing things that aren't there
Beneath the wheel that will not slow it's rotation down
I feel like I'm spinning out of control
Down
Sinking deeper into my thoughts
I got to get away from here
I need to escape
But there's nowhere I can go
I'm trapped
Everyone I recognize
People I know
Looks at me like I'm a ghost
They don't recognize me or they think I'm not really there
Walking down these dying streets
I'm walking down lifeless streets
I thought I heard you call my name
I thought you were trying to reach me
But it was only in my mind
It was just my thoughts playing tricks on me
You were never there at all
You were never really present in my life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: JOSEPH LYBURN ARTHUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind