As an adolescent Foster worked as a funeral and wedding singer, and aspired to become an opera singer. After her studies she began to record demos of her own songs, resulting in the early recordings There Are Eyes Above (2000), an album of ukulele accompanied songs strongly influenced by Tin Pan Alley, and an album of children's songs, Little Life (2001).
For several years she worked as a singing teacher in Chicago, recording and performing with a variety of musical acts on the side including Born Heller, a project with free jazz-bassist Jason Ajemian, and The Children's Hour, a pop band formed with songwriter Andrew Bar. In 2004, joined by her occasional backing band The Supposed (Brian Goodman on guitar and Rusty Peterson on drums), she released an album of psychedelic rock called All the Leaves Are Gone which has drawn comparison to Patti Smith and Jefferson Airplane.
The songs on her first solo studio album Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You (2005, Locust Music) evoke American folk and blues forms of the early 20th century. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, released in 2006, features unorthodox interpretations of 19th century German Lieder. This Coming Gladness, was released in 2008 and featured the contributions of Victor Herrero on electric guitar and percussion by Alex Neilson. In early 2009 she released an album of 27 Emily Dickinson song settings entitled Graphic as a Star with UK label Fire Records. Thereafter began her work in rural Spain with her husband Victor Herrero collecting and arranging collections of folk songs resulting in the recordings Anda Jaleo (a resetting of Garcia Lorca´s piano/voice transcriptions of Spanish songs) and Perlas (a selection of Spanish songs made by Foster herself) respectively.
In 2012 she returned to Colorado to record a new solo album Blood Rushing which took inspiration from local themes from her childhood such as the western geography, native rhythms, and imagined mythology. The album was recorded in a Boulder yoga studio by the Andrija Tokic and featured the ensemble of Victor Herrero on classical and electric guitars, Paz Lenchantin on bass, Heather Trost on violin, and Ben Trimble on pueblo skin drums.
Foster released a new full-length album, I'm A Dreamer on November 12th, 2013.
Celebrant's Song
Josephine Foster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me an answer you are sure of!
Are you rich or are you rough?
Is your giving gift enough?
Are you blind to god above?
Ahlay-looyah
Ahlay-looyah
Ahlay-looyah
The lyrics of Josephine Foster's song Celebrant's Song present a series of rhetorical questions that the singer would like to know the answers to. The questions seem to inquire about what kind of person the subject of the song is - are they physically strong or emotionally loving? Are they affluent or humble? Are they more prone to aggression or peace? The repeated refrain of "Ahlay-looyah" at the end of each verse adds a layer of solemnity and ritual to the song, as if the singer is conducting an inquiry of sorts.
The song may be interpreted as a plea for honesty and transparency from the subject being addressed. The singer seems to be giving the person an opportunity to reveal their true identity, with the last line of each verse being an invitation to declare oneself. However, the use of evocative metaphors like "eagle or dove" or "blind to god above" suggests that the singer values more than just surface-level identity markers - qualities like faith, compassion, and self-awareness may also be important to the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you of muscle or of love?
Do your actions come from your physical strength or your compassion?
Give me an answer you are sure of!
Tell me confidently without hesitation or doubt.
Are you rich or are you rough?
Is your wealth defined by material possessions or by your character?
Is your giving gift enough?
Are your offerings and contributions substantial and satisfactory?
Are you an eagle or a dove?
Do you possess the qualities of a strong and powerful eagle or a peaceful and gentle dove?
Are you blind to god above?
Do you acknowledge and recognize a higher power or do you turn a blind eye to spirituality?
Ahlay-looyah
An expression of praise, gratitude, and celebration.
Ahlay-looyah
An expression of praise, gratitude, and celebration.
Ahlay-looyah
An expression of praise, gratitude, and celebration.
Contributed by Owen E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.