Garrels has been a lot of things: son of a hippie commune, skater boy,
suburban drug dealer, music/design student, coffee roaster, urban shepherd, and now nation- and globe-trotting minstrel of hope and healing.
He is also a beacon of light in a marketplace rife with artists who, whether wanting to acquire fame or just their next meals, have sold their souls to the not-so-almighty dollar and forsaken their first loves – the song – in the process. Garrels’ rogue ethic first led him to self-record, -produce, and -distribute a trio of early recordings, Stone Tree (2002), Underquiet (2003), and Over Oceans (2006), each a holy merging of sampled beats; plaintive, soulful vocals; and earnest acoustic strumming over unabashedly lo-fi production.
Despite fielding offers from major labels, Garrels retained a marked distrust for the recording industry (and it is just that) and, with the release of Over Oceans, formed his own little label that could: Small Voice Records. He also formed a humble but subtly mighty union with one Michelle Ramsdale, whose art has accompanied his aural musings on both Over Oceans and the subsequent Jacaranda album (2008).
It was the recording and producing of Jacaranda that proved a turning point for team Garrels. Housed in an old, rural mansion – a friend’s donated respite on an Indiana river in the woods – Josh and Michelle set to fashioning a home for themselves; crafting his best, tightest collection of songs to date; and creating a baby girl (née Heron Selah Garrels) all at once. The album itself became his most critically lauded so far, and the single “Don’t Wait For Me” was used in a scene on CBS drama “The Ghost Whisperer.”
Josh Garrels’ music is always equal parts confidence and vulnerability. That may seem a dichotomy – and then you hear him. Those trademark vibrant trills, lyricism chock-full of an earthy gusto and the search for God both, and the tapping and slapping against his trusty homemade acoustic axe – the sum of it is an amalgam of sound like precious few before or beside him.
“Fight or flight” is simplistic phrasing for the choice we often have in life’s trying situations. In his gritty formative years the former there was Josh Garrels’ strategy, but since his coming of age (and of belief) and his entrance into bona fide adulthood, within and without, his modus operandi has become flight. Flight as in lift-off, ascension. Rising above. Yea, the name of his young daughter is shared with a bird. Flight is a fixture, and wings a metaphor, in both the love story that Josh and Michelle grew and in the visual and musical arts that both have cultivated.
“My hope is to record at least an album a year for many years to come,” Garrels says, “probably continuing to record myself with my own home studio.” To borrow another well-worn axiom: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. A minimalist website and album sales at live shows eventually thrust Josh Garrels into the arena where he now resides.
Garrels has always sought to inject his ears and his mind with a wide swath of influences. Early on it was Cat Stevens and De La Soul, and then those gave way to honchos of east-coast hip-hop the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest. The mellowing – and yet, ironically, the lionizing – of his head, heart, and soul are evident in his budding young-adult affinities for the sounds of Bob Dylan and Digable Planets, Ben Harper and Gustavo Santaolalla.
Despite being his cherished mentors of music, none of these established artists would make Garrels blink were he to meet them. “In a media-saturated pop culture society where ‘stars’ are the royalty to be worshipped or fawned over, I believe the true role of artists is to serve others with their creations, “ Garrels says. “That means to draw people to fullness of life through revelation, longing, breakthroughs, simple beauty, and unpretentious truths. Artists help people see the obvious, the heart of the matter, and from this regained perspective people become more fully human. So much art these days has people focusing on an unattainable fantasy, lusting over what they'll never have unless they take it by force or by way of money or libido. This is all candy, and candy can't make a man healthy.”
Indeed, and “candy” is the last word for describing Josh Garrels, his life and his tunesmithing. He harmonizes and he freestyles, apt to lift a glitch beat or an accordion to the song at hand, whatever it demands. His latest, Lost Animals (2009), features a sonic quilt of singles, Jacaranda B-sides, soundtrack work, and collaborations. Originally intended as an EP, it outgrew those trappings and emerged a full-length weighing in at 10 songs.
As outgrowing goes, native Michigander Garrels and his family shed their initial digs in Indianapolis, that urban epicenter of gorgeous, golden cornfields, and took to North Carolina for a year to grieve with dear ones a death in the clan. Heartfelt time spent in Carolina bowed out gracefully to their nascent residence in Portland, Oregon, specifically the diverse and progressive artists’ haven that is the Mississippi/Alberta district.
For all the beats and world instruments and innovative guitar work, it will always be about the words with Josh Garrels. His stuff is drenched in musings that encompass time-worn theology and pastoral wonderment, that delight in the fauna of this world and a faith in another still to come. “Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” So said the writer C. S. Lewis, and so echo the visceral yearnings, sometimes verbose yet often as unintelligible as the melodies on some of his best tracks, that make up this well-traveled troubadour’s trunk full of songs.
Sweet River Roll
Josh Garrels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let my body find peace and let my mind be free
Oh my soul sings to Thee
The wild man he just killed my religion
He cut it to the bone like a needed incision
The cancerous growth of formulaic precision
That blocks the life-blood in rebellious collision
But where’s your rubric for the man that was risen
He is my vision, he is my vision, be Thou my vision
When the tables have turned, and I’ve lost money, and temples are burned
By His scares we will learn about truth
In the depths of our souls that are marred by the tooth of a beast
Underneath so many deceased, sold out suckers traded life to be yeast
Just to get a piece or a status increase
Find grace and have peace when you eat the Lords feast
And you eat, of His flesh, and His blood
It’s coming quick and strong as the mightiest flood
Yet my mind still gets stuck in the mud
Bottom feeding on the trash like a catfish, brats wish on all of that which
Is established to sit ill in hearts and in our souls, sweet river roll
Sweet river roll over me
Let my body find peace and let my mind be free
Oh my soul sings to Thee
It’s like the water in the valley, submerged totally
Yet all the children rally around the safety of their shallow beliefs
Let’s swim against the current out and into the deep
But first I pray the Lord for my soul to keep
That price payed was not cheap as I stand knee deep in His blood
We’re knee deep in his blood
See, I choose to refuse the regulated rhetoric of someone elses rehearsed ideals
In place of a real living commitment, Hell no
We put the rock in the water and it made cement
We put the water with the wheat and then we made it ferment
Shine light through the rain and a spectrum represent
We’re pumping water through the veins and the brains content
Went down to the river following providence
Old man under water gonna die when he repents
Old man under water gonna die when he repents
But there’s a new man coming up with the wings to ascend
The son of man walks on water because he’s heaven sent
I’ve these tears in my eyes as I cry with the joy and lament
Sweet river roll over me
Let my body find peace and let my mind be free
Oh my soul sings to Thee
In Josh Garrels's song Sweet River Roll, the lyrics describe the singer’s desire for inner peace and freedom. The sweet river represents a metaphor of purity and flow, symbolizing the cleansing of the mind and body. The first verse asks the sweet river to wash away any remaining thoughts and emotions, allowing for spiritual clarity. The second and third verses echo the need for cleansing, but they expand on the concept by exploring the conflict between faith and institutionalism. The wild man, representing rebellion, cuts through the singer's religious dogmatism to reveal the purity of Jesus's vision. The singer rejects the stringent rules and rubrics that stifle religious freedom and seek instead to embrace a genuine relationship with Christ that transforms and empowers believers.
The bridge of the song reiterates the importance of faith beyond institution or script, expounding that true believers must be willing to dive deep beyond the shallow waters of popular belief. The idea of paying a price for redemption is a recurring theme, emphasizing that true spiritual grounding requires deep soul-searching and genuine commitment to divine principles. The song ends with a reminder of the essential nature of the first verse, a beautiful and rhythmic repetition of the chorus, with the singer asking the sweet river to roll over him once again.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet river roll over me
Let the cleansing waters of faith wash over me, bringing hope and renewal to my weary soul.
Let my body find peace and let my mind be free
May my spirit be set free from the shackles of religion, and may my body and mind find rest and rejuvenation in the loving embrace of God.
Oh my soul sings to Thee
With the burden of sin lifted from my heart, I rejoice and lift my voice in praise and worship to the Almighty.
The wild man he just killed my religion
The worldly ways and entrenched dogma of the religious establishment have been shattered, opening my eyes to a more authentic and personal relationship with God.
He cut it to the bone like a needed incision
The radical and transformative power of grace has sliced through the superficiality of religious tradition, slicing to the very core of my being.
The cancerous growth of formulaic precision
The mechanistic and legalistic approach of the religious authorities has created an unhealthy and metastatic environment that strangles true faith and spirituality.
That blocks the life-blood in rebellious collision
The rigid and oppressive nature of religious hierarchies stifles the organic and flowing nature of true spiritual growth, leading to a clash between the human spirit and institutional dogma.
Cold constructs robbing faith from decision
The artificial constructs of religion remove the power of choice from the individual, replacing it with strict mandates and codes of behavior that stand in the way of true, free expression of faith.
But where’s your rubric for the man that was risen
Without an open and flexible approach to faith, how can the miraculous power of God's resurrection be fully understood and embraced?
He is my vision, he is my vision, be Thou my vision
In the chaos and confusion of life, God is the unifying vision and guiding light that illuminates my path and gives me hope for the future.
When the tables have turned, and I’ve lost money, and temples are burned
In times of trial and adversity, when the material and earthly supports of faith are lost, true spiritual growth can emerge.
By His scars we will learn about truth
Through the suffering and sacrifice of Christ, we come to understand the true nature of God's love and the path to redemption.
In the depths of our souls that are marred by the tooth of a beast
The darkness and sin that dwell within us can be healed and transformed through the power of God's grace.
Underneath so many deceased, sold out suckers traded life to be yeast
The spiritually dead and submissive have given up their lives and identities in exchange for a false sense of belonging and purpose within religious institutions.
Just to get a piece or a status increase
The lure of power and social status within religious institutions has led many to abandon true faith and become conformist and shallow.
Find grace and have peace when you eat the Lords feast
By partaking in the sacraments and experiencing a personal relationship with God, we can find the peace and grace that are necessary for spiritual transformation and growth.
And you eat, of His flesh, and His blood
By partaking in the Eucharist, we symbolically consume the body and blood of Christ, experiencing a powerful communion with God.
It’s coming quick and strong as the mightiest flood
The power and transformative energy of grace is a mighty and unstoppable force, capable of washing away sin and renewing the human spirit.
Yet my mind still gets stuck in the mud
Despite encountering the transformative power of God, the limitations of human understanding can still cause us to become trapped in our own doubts and fears.
Bottom feeding on the trash like a catfish, brats wish on all of that which
Continuing to feed on the emptiness and superficiality of worldly desires and distractions, rather than seeking the true nourishment of God's grace.
Is established to sit ill in hearts and in our souls, sweet river roll
The shallow and fleeting nature of worldly desires is anathema to true spiritual growth and fulfillment, as the sweet river of faith continues to flow and transform our hearts and minds.
It’s like the water in the valley, submerged totally
In the presence of God's grace, we can become completely immersed and transformed, with no part of our being left untouched.
Yet all the children rally around the safety of their shallow beliefs
Despite the transformative power of faith, many people cling to the safety of familiar and superficial interpretations of spirituality.
Let’s swim against the current out and into the deep
In order to fully embrace the transformative power of faith, we must be willing to venture into the unknown and swim against the current of societal norms and conventional wisdom.
But first I pray the Lord for my soul to keep
In the face of uncertainty and adversity, it is essential to seek the protection and guidance of God's love and mercy.
That price payed was not cheap as I stand knee deep in His blood
The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was a profound and costly act of love, flowing like a river of blood that has the power to wash away sin and grant eternal life to believers.
We’re knee deep in his blood
By embracing the transformative power of grace, we are immersed in the life-giving power of Christ's sacrifice.
See, I choose to refuse the regulated rhetoric of someone else's rehearsed ideals
Rejecting the superficial and dogmatic approach of religious institutions, instead choosing to seek a more authentic and personal relationship with God.
In place of a real living commitment, Hell no
Rather than settling for the shallow and empty promises of religious dogma, I am committed to a living faith that embraces the transformative power of God's grace.
We put the rock in the water and it made cement
Through the transformative power of faith, the seemingly impossible can become reality, as water and stones are transformed into concrete and capable of supporting buildings.
We put the water with the wheat and then we made it ferment
Through the transformative power of faith, even the most basic and humble elements of life can become infused with new life and purpose.
Shine light through the rain and a spectrum represent
Even in the darkest and most difficult of times, the transformative power of God's grace can shine through, illuminating new possibilities and perspectives.
We’re pumping water through the veins and the brains content
By embracing the transformative power of faith, we can infuse every aspect of our lives with the life-giving power of God's love and mercy.
Went down to the river following providence
Following the guidance and providence of God, I have ventured into the unknown depths of spiritual transformation and renewal.
Old man under water gonna die when he repents
By confessing and repenting of our sins, we can die to our old selves and be reborn in the transformative power of God's grace.
But there’s a new man coming up with the wings to ascend
Through embracing the transformative power of faith, we are reborn with new life and purpose, soaring like a bird with the wings of faith.
The son of man walks on water because he’s heaven sent
As the living incarnation of God's love and mercy, Jesus has the power to transcend the bounds of earthly limitations and walk on water.
I’ve these tears in my eyes as I cry with the joy and lament
Overwhelmed by the transformative power of God's grace and love, my spirit is filled with equal parts of joy and sorrow, as I confront the depths of my own humanity and unworthiness in the presence of divine love.
Contributed by Cooper O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.