1) Josh White (born Jo… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Josh White.
1) Josh White (born Joshua Daniel White in Greenville, South Carolina, 11 February 1914 or 1915; died Manhasset, New York, 5 September 1969) was an American folk, blues, and gospel singer and guitarist.
White was amongst the first blues performers to attract a large white and middle-class African American following, transcending the typical barriers at the time associating blues with a rural and working-class African American audience, and performed in prestigious night clubs and theatres during the 1930s and 1940s. His best known song at the time was probably "Jelly, Jelly", He recorded in a wide variety of contexts, from recordings in which he was accompanied only by his own guitar playing to others in which he was backed by jazz groups and gospel vocal groups. He was prominently associated with the civil rights movement in the 1940s.
Some of his involvement in political causes in the 1940s resulted in him being blacklisted.Controversially, to escape the blacklist, he testified to the House Un-American Activities Committee regarding Communist influence in the entertainment industry and African-American community. He defended his testimony as a friendly witness to HUAC by claiming that the scope of his testimony was limited, that he did not state anything that was not already known, and that he was sincerely opposed to Communism. However, his testimony affected his posthumous reputation, which has only begun to recover in recent years.
From the mid-1950s until his death, he primarily performed at folk music venues and festivals. He was seen as an influence by Ray Charles, who similarly broke considerable barriers that had hampered blues musicians in the past.
On 26 June 1998, the United States Postal Service issued a 32-cent postage stamp honoring Josh White.
Josh White performed the version of "House of the Rising Sun" that influenced the famous version by The Animals. He also played a version of "In My Time of Dying" (also known as "Jesus Gunna Make Up My Dyin' Bed", which was covered by Led Zeppelin as In My Time of Dying.
Josh White's son, Josh White Jr., is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, educator, and social activist.
2) Josh White (born May 25, 1973) is a Christian musician who has been writing and releasing worship music for the Church for nearly a decade, under various different identities - Telecast, The Followers, & Pilgrim. His solo releases are stripped-down, raw-sounding folk worship music.
Awake
Josh White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arise from the dead
Christ will give us light
He will lift our heads
We turn to Him in song
Awaken the dawn
It's nearer than before
Salvation is Him
He's knocking at our door
We turn to Him in song
Awaken the dawn
God knows all we want to do is sing
Till there's nothing left to bring
To the seat of grace we climb
Step by step, through these difficult times
The opening lines of Josh White's song "Awake" call the listener to action - to snap out of a spiritual slumber and rise to new life. The reference to Christ's illumination and power to "lift our heads" suggests that the singer is addressing Christians who may have become disillusioned or lost in doubt. By turning to Christ in song, the singer takes agency in their spiritual journey, inspiring others to do the same by "awakening the dawn".
In the second verse, the urgency of the message intensifies, as the singer declares that salvation is nearer than ever before, and that Christ himself is knocking on the door of their hearts. The repetition of the chorus serves as both a rallying cry and a meditative mantra. The final verse, however, switches to a more personal tone, acknowledging that the struggles of faith are ongoing but that by continually seeking God's grace, we can find the strength to keep climbing, even when it feels like there's nothing left to give.
Overall, "Awake" is a call to worship, a message of hope and perseverance, and a declaration of the power of Christ to transform our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Awake from your sleep
Rise up and be aware of your surroundings and the things happening around you
Arise from the dead
Get up from your laziness and start doing something productive with your life
Christ will give us light
With His presence, Jesus will help us see the right path and guide us through life
He will lift our heads
Jesus will give us hope and the courage to overcome our struggles
We turn to Him in song
We praise and worship Jesus with our music as a sign of our faith and gratitude
Awaken the dawn
We glorify God and welcome a new day filled with His grace and blessings
It's nearer than before
The coming of the Lord is imminent and we must be prepared for His arrival
Salvation is Him
Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and eternal life with God
He's knocking at our door
Jesus is always available to those who seek Him and is constantly calling us to come to Him
God knows all we want to do is sing
Our desire to praise and worship God through music is a pure and genuine expression of our faith
Till there's nothing left to bring
We will continue to worship God with all that we have until we have nothing else to give
To the seat of grace we climb
We approach God's throne of mercy and seek His forgiveness and love
Step by step, through these difficult times
We rely on God's guidance and strength to overcome the challenges that we face in life
Contributed by Jayce W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@shannonswenderman9205
🥰 this one is making my favorites list !!!
@BrianBull
The last part I tear up sometimes
@livefree316
Love your vision. it's been in my spirit to do like a Jesus fast you know with the holy spirit moves we just get out there and with worship the Bible people bringing their guitars and bongos and just getting out there and just having a revival in Jesus Christ name
@shannonswenderman9205
Yousavedbro Heaven Bound ❤️
@livefree316
❤️➕🙏🔥