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.
Queen Of Brooklyn
Joseph Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waves of my ocean
Forget about love
It's too early for us
And it's so hard to trust
With a heart of dust
We don't ever want to fight
Break us down in the night
After we have shown each other
A fragile light
We don't ever want to fight
Powerful woman
Queen of Brooklyn
I know who you are we made it this far
And we both had to starve
To feel our hearts
We don't want to fight
From the feelings that break us
Down in the night
After we have shown each other
A fragile light
We don't ever want to fight
The lyrics of Joseph Arthur's song "Queen Of Brooklyn" depict a relationship between two people who have been struggling to trust and love again because of their past experiences. The song talks about how it's too early to think about love and trust when someone has a "heart of dust." The "waves of my ocean" represent the ups and downs of their relationship, but they have made it so far despite the struggles they have faced. The woman is portrayed as powerful, the queen of Brooklyn, for having gone through the hardships and still coming out stronger. Despite their troubles, they don't want to fight, and they want to keep their relationship going by showing each other the fragile light of love.
The lyrics highlight the importance of trust, love, and perseverance in a relationship. The waves of the ocean metaphorically represent the challenges or obstacles they have faced or will face, but the fact that they have both "starved to feel their hearts," suggests that they understand the value of overcoming hardships together. The lyrics reveal that it's never too late to trust and love again, even when the circumstances are challenging.
Line by Line Meaning
Beautiful Woman
The subject of admiration and affection
Waves of my ocean
A significant and integral part of the storyteller's life
Forget about love
The storyteller wishes to not let love influence their present situation
It's too early for us
Both individuals are not ready to pursue a romantic relationship
And it's so hard to trust
They do not trust each other yet
With a heart of dust
A sense of jadedness as a result of past heartbreak
We don't ever want to fight
Both individuals disagreeing is undesirable
From the feelings that
The root cause of their disagreements is related to emotions
Break us down in the night
Emotions run high during nighttime and cause conflict
After we have shown each other
Despite their disagreements, they still have respect for each other
A fragile light
A sense of hope for their relationship
Powerful woman
The subject of the song is strong and resilient
Queen of Brooklyn
The subject of the song is hailed as a queen
I know who you are we made it this far
The storyteller is aware of the other person's struggles and they have both reached a certain point of progress
And we both had to starve
Both individuals had to go through hardships and difficulties to reach this point in their lives
To feel our hearts
Although the journey was tough, they have finally found meaning and purpose in their lives
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOSEPH LYBURN ARTHUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind