Arriving at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, he had initial aspirations of being an art major, while also being a very capable golfer and a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
Kelley released his indie album Changing Faces in 2001, signing with Hollywood in 2002. Working with John Alagia as his producer, Kelley released For The Ride Home in 2003. He also made an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2003. The song "Everybody Wants You" was recommended to be written by a friend to not forget who he is, while "Amazing" was possibly his first critically acclaimed hit.
Josh Kelley's 2011 record, Georgia Clay, was his first Country album; his previous work was more pop. Speaking with Songfacts in a 2011 interview, Kelley explained that Gone Like That was the song that actually started his journey into Country music. He said: "I had written and presented it to my music publisher to pitch to other artists, but they liked my demo so much they encouraged me to cut it. It was the first song I wrote that gave me the confidence to pursue a career as a Country singer."
His musical guise can be recognized akin to Jack Johnson, John Mayer, or Ben Harper.
Kelley remains a supporter of Napster-like sharing peer to peer applications for independent artists who have a difficult time receiving an audience. In fact, Kelley was "found" after accidentally targeting Eric Clinger at Hollywood Records with private spam messages using the Napster program.
Almost Honest
Josh Kelley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll be resting on my mind
For the last time,
I would leave myself behind
In the evenings
Raise the glass and tell some lies
Make a pass, impress another girl
She's easy on the eyes
And so was I
My reflection
In the window when I ride
For Chicago
She is on the other side
Take a picture, Write a letter to my love
Well I was almost honest, I was almost honest
Been a long time
Since I lay with you in bed
Conversations full of words you never said
I got your message
But I didn't hear the ringing bell
I gave into the loneliness but I didn't give her nothing else
Which direction down this highway that I ride
To Atlanta, she is on the other side
Take a picture
Write a letter to my love
I was almost honest, well I was almost honest
My reflection
In the window when I ride
Could not save us but I swear to God I tried
Take a picture
Write a letter to my love
I was almost honest, I was almost honest cause I was almost honest
The lyrics of Josh Kelley's song Almost Honest describe the internal battle between wanting to be truthful and honest with his love, yet ultimately giving in to temptation and deceit. The song starts with the idea that the other person will always be in his mind and he's leaving himself behind, implying that he is not being true to who he is. The following verses describe his inability to resist the charm of another woman - someone who is easy on the eyes, and ultimately he admits that he was easy too. The next section serves as a reflection on his inability to communicate effectively with his love, they have conversations full of words she never said, indicating a lack of trust or communication. The ringing bell can be interpreted as her attempts to communicate her needs, which he did not pick up on, leading to a distance between them that he fills with a woman he casually met on the road.
The chorus repeats the idea that despite his best efforts to be honest, he was still almost honest. He rides down the highway reflecting on their relationship, attempting to save it, but realizing that it is too late. The last line, "I was almost honest cause I was almost honest," can be interpreted as an admission of guilt and a recognition that he was not true to his love and himself.
Line by Line Meaning
So in the meantime,You'll be resting on my mind
I will think about you while we're apart
For the last time, I would leave myself behind
Even though I want to stay true to myself, I will put that aside for you
In the evenings Raise the glass and tell some lies
I drink and pretend to be someone else to impress others
Make a pass, impress another girl She's easy on the eyes She was easy And so was I
I flirt with attractive women and sometimes cheat on you
My reflection In the window when I ride For Chicago She is on the other side
While I'm traveling to another city, I think of you
Take a picture, Write a letter to my love Well I was almost honest, I was almost honest
I try to express my love for you but I'm not completely truthful
Been a long time Since I lay with you in bed Conversations full of words you never said
It's been a while since we were intimate and our communication is lacking
I got your message But I didn't hear the ringing bell I gave into the loneliness but I didn't give her nothing else
I received your message but I didn't respond. I was lonely and cheated with someone but didn't do anything else
Which direction down this highway that I ride To Atlanta, she is on the other side
As I travel to another city, I think of another woman
Could not save us but I swear to God I tried
I did my best but couldn't save our relationship
I was almost honest, well I was almost honest
I wasn't completely honest with you, but I tried to be
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Y, JOE FIRSTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind