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.
Mother of Exiles
Joseph Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is there a father of truth
Is there a shepherd to take us
Through the darkness of youth
Are there words that bring salvation
Is there a sky that never falls
Is there a voice, which moves love
Is there light that sings your heart song
Is there hearts in ghosts that haunt
Do shadows ever whisper
As they die from the weight of want
Rob from always on the run is so bad and copy paste is a sin
Did I ever really need you
Or was it an illusion born of time
Will you fade from my memory
Could I recover my lost mind
Is this road never ending
From this life and beyond
Are we always somewhere sending
The signal moving on
And if love itself can't save us
What use the cry of man
If love itself can't save us
What is the master plan
The sky is always falling
My will is dying here
The voices always calling
Behind the waves of need and fear
Give up now surrender
What are you and where
Who are you deceiving
When you pretend to care
A night owl and a carcass
A widow and a snake
A fire burning nothing
Except the will to need and take
A fire reaching higher
It may even lick the sun
God can feel its heat now
As all his humans run
From desire to desire
From need to bleeding need
With mouths still opened skyward
The mother still must feed
Is there a mother of exiles
Is there a father of truth
Will anyone find her way home
Or to the heart and soul of youth
The lyrics to Joseph Arthur's song "Mother of Exiles" reflect on the search for meaning and direction in life, and the role that love and faith may play in helping us find our way. The song begins with a series of questions: "Is there a mother of exiles / Is there a father of truth / Is there a shepherd to take us / Through the darkness of youth." These questions express a sense of uncertainty and searching, as the singer looks for guidance and hope in a world that can feel confusing and overwhelming.
The rest of the song continues to explore these themes, with the singer asking about salvation, love, and the nature of existence itself. The lyrics suggest that there may be no easy answers to these questions, but that the journey of seeking them out is still worthwhile. At times, the song takes on a more melancholy tone, as the singer acknowledges the difficulties and pain of life: "The sky is always falling / My will is dying here / The voices always calling / Behind the waves of need and fear."
Overall, "Mother of Exiles" is a poetic and introspective song, one that encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and the larger questions of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Is there a mother of exiles
Does a universal mother exist for all those who are exiled?
Is there a father of truth
Does a universal father exist for all those who seek truth?
Is there a shepherd to take us
Is there someone to guide us through the dark times of our youth?
Through the darkness of youth
Through the difficult times of our early years
Are there words that bring salvation
Are there specific phrases or sayings that can provide redemption?
Is there a sky that never falls
Is there an existence that will never crumble?
Is there a voice, which moves love
Is there a voice that possesses the power to move love?
That knows the hollow of your calls
That knows the emptiness of your cries for help
Is there light that sings your heart song
Is there a radiance that melody's the song of your heart?
Is there hearts in ghosts that haunt
Do the remnants of our hearts reside in ghosts that haunt us?
Do shadows ever whisper
Do dark reflections ever speak to us?
As they die from the weight of want
As they fade away from the burden of desire
Rob from always on the run is so bad and copy paste is a sin
This line is not relevant to the overall meaning of the song
Did I ever really need you
Did I truly depend on you?
Or was it an illusion born of time
Or was it a mirage that only existed because of time?
Will you fade from my memory
Will you slip away from my recollection?
Could I recover my lost mind
Is it possible for me to reclaim my sanity?
Is this road never ending
Does this path have no conclusion?
From this life and beyond
From this life and to the next
Are we always somewhere sending
Are we always transmitting ourselves somewhere?
The signal moving on
The indication always moving ahead
And if love itself can't save us
And if love alone cannot rescue us
What use the cry of man
What is the point of a human's lament?
What is the master plan
What is the ultimate strategy?
The sky is always falling
The sky is continually collapsing
My will is dying here
My determination is fading in this place
The voices always calling
The sounds always beckoning
Behind the waves of need and fear
Behind the tumultuous tides of necessity and fright
Give up now surrender
Abandon hope now and give in
What are you and where
Who and where are you?
Who are you deceiving
Who are you fooling?
When you pretend to care
When you act like you are concerned
A night owl and a carcass
An owl of the night and a dead animal
A widow and a snake
A woman who has lost her husband and a serpent
A fire burning nothing
A flame consuming nothing
Except the will to need and take
Except the impulse to want and to take
A fire reaching higher
A blaze ascending upwards
It may even lick the sun
It might even touch the sun
God can feel its heat now
God can sense its warmth now
As all his humans run
As all his people run away
From desire to desire
From want to want
From need to bleeding need
From requirement to desperate need
With mouths still opened skyward
With mouths agape and directed at the sky
The mother still must feed
The mother must still provide sustenance
Will anyone find her way home
Will anyone discover their path back to their original home?
Or to the heart and soul of youth
Or to their youthful heart and soul
Contributed by Liam I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.