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.
Everybody Wants You
Josh Kelley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know you've been good
Did you loose your mind
Like I knew you would
Did you sing you song
Did you sing it so loud
Did you sing it so everyone
Did you loose yourself
Did you loose your health
Did you put my memories
On the shelf
Did you loose your place
Did you loose your grace
Just so everyone could see
Your singing face
It's like everybody loves you
And everybody wants you...lately
It's like everybody needs you
And everybody sees you...today
You've been sad
You're misunderstood
Did you find your kind
Like I knew you would
Did you feel your song
Did you feel it so real
Did you feel it so everyone
Could see your grand appeal
Fate will only show
For the time we loathe
Time will say...keep the fire alive
That leads the way...to our today
These lyrics from Josh Kelley's song "Everybody Wants You" can be interpreted as describing someone who has experienced success and fame, perhaps in the music industry, but has gone through a period of struggle or confusion. The opening lines suggest that this person has behaved in ways that are both good and bad, and that they may have lost their sense of self or control at some point. The lines "Did you sing your song / Did you sing it so loud / Did you sing it so everyone / Could hear you in the crowd" suggest that this person is a performer who has been trying to stand out and be noticed among others.
The chorus of the song reinforces the idea that this person is now a highly desirable figure - "It's like everybody loves you / And everybody wants you...lately / It's like everybody needs you / And everybody sees you...today." However, the following verses suggest that this success may have come at a cost. The second verse includes the lines "You've been sad / You're misunderstood / Did you find your kind / Like I knew you would." This could be interpreted as the person feeling isolated and yearning for connection despite their fame. The lines "Fate will only show / For the time we loathe / Time will say...keep the fire alive / That leads the way...to our today" suggest that there is a hope for the future, but that it will require effort and perseverance to maintain their current level of success.
Overall, these lyrics suggest a complex mix of emotions and experiences common to many people who achieve success in the public eye. While the person described here is highly desired and admired, they also face challenges and must work hard to maintain their position.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been bad
You've been misbehaving
You know you've been good
You're aware that you've been well-behaved
Did you loose your mind
Did you go crazy
Like I knew you would
As I expected
Did you sing you song
Did you express yourself through music
Did you sing it so loud
Did you sing it with a lot of volume
Did you sing it so everyone
Did you sing it in a way that others
Coud hear you in the crowd
Could hear you clearly among a group of people
Did you loose yourself
Did you become unrecognizable
Did you loose your health
Did you sacrifice your well-being
Did you put my memories
Did you disregard our shared experiences
On the shelf
As if they were unimportant
Did you loose your place
Did you forget where you belong
Did you loose your grace
Did you lose your elegance or composure
Just so everyone could see
For the purpose of gaining attention and admiration from others
Your singing face
The expression you make when singing
It's like everybody loves you
It seems as though everyone adores you
And everybody wants you...lately
In recent times, it appears that many people desire to be with you
It's like everybody needs you
It seems as though everyone depends on you
And everybody sees you...today
Currently, it feels like everyone is aware of you
You've been sad
You've been unhappy
You're misunderstood
People do not comprehend you correctly
Did you find your kind
Did you discover those who are similar to you
Like I knew you would
As I expected
Did you feel your song
Did you experience great emotion while singing
Did you feel it so real
Did you feel it to be very authentic
Did you feel it so everyone
Did you feel it in a manner that others
Could see your grand appeal
Could view your appeal in a grandiose way
Fate will only show
The future will reveal
For the time we loathe
During the period where we strongly dislike something
Time will say...keep the fire alive
As time passes, it will encourage us to maintain our passion
That leads the way...to our today
That guides us to our present moment
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ASHLEY GORLEY, CHARLES KELLEY, CHUCK WICKS, DAVE HAYWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind