Joshua James is an American singer-songwriter currently based out of Americ… Read Full Bio ↴Joshua James is an American singer-songwriter currently based out of American Fork, Utah and Lincoln, Nebraska.

On his second album, Build Me This, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed The Sun is Always Brighter, produced by industry veteran Shannon Edgar, James expands his musical palette to foreboding doom-laden hard rock. Progressing from folkish harmonies, to country twang, world beats and southern home rock while further exploring themes of spiritual searching and heartbreaking loss. Possessing a whispery and intimate vocal style that works its way into the ear peacefully and directly, Joshua James is pitched midway between seminal influences like Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

“I find solace and beauty in darkness and depression,” admits James, who grew up in his native Lincoln, Nebraska, skateboarding and sneaking listens to music his parents banned, like classic rockers Jim Morrison and The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, “But there are contrasts to everything. You have to combine the sweet and salty, the ugly and beautiful. Music is very therapeutic for me. It’s all about making a connection with humanity, with the audience, in ways that I normally wouldn’t be able to.”

Over the past three years, James has been doing just that. His debut was the #1 Folk Album on iTunes, and “FM Radio,” a song about a childhood friend coping with the death of his father, amassed more than 150,000 downloads as part of an iTunes promotion. In addition to performances at Sundance, SXSW and CMJ, James has toured with John Mayer, David Gray and Ani DiFranco, winning legions of fans along the way. His new album, Build Me This, has already attracted major–label interest. “I feel strongly about the things I sing about,” nods Joshua. “I want people to know how I feel, which sounds kind of dumb, because who cares how I feel? If someone feels similarly, though, that’s what I’m looking for. That’s the most important thing. If
you can relate to what I’m going through, then I’ve achieved my goal.”

The album title, Build Me This, refers to his dream of salvation. “It’s my way of asking God to show himself,” declares James. “To prove he exists. Do something. Give me a sign. It’s a call to whatever or whoever is out there. I don’t want him to strike me down or paralyze me, just give me something to believe.”

Aside from the spiritual, Build Me This is also about the difficulties of everyday relationships, the inadvertent hurt we cause to those we love. “Magazine” deals with the pain of separation (“Go take your bags to New York City, call me when your plane arrives/I’ll feed the children, wash the dishes, I’ll keep the house lookin’ nice/Well don’t you worry, everything’s gonna be all right.”), while “In the Middle” laments a shattered romance (“You’ve tried so hard to forget me/You burnt the letters I’d made/Though my memory has been dyin’/I hope the feeling still remains”).

On the stage, though, is where Joshua James’ music comes alive and reveals its true intent, which is about drawing people into his insular universe, a sense of mystic that only the truly great ones can communicate.

“Perhaps the darkness comes out a little more often that I’d like,” he offers “but that’s just where I gravitate to when I’m writing. I don’t usually try to tackle specific subjects; it’s usually about what I’m feeling at the time. Things start to come out, then they form a story and a reason, and that’s how things evolve. I’m influenced by everything… by life, by love, by hate, by music.”

Geese
Joshua James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All the leaves turn green in the summer

All the roses bloom in May

All the geese fly home for the winter

High above our earth now paved.

All the stars gleam for the night time

And the moon reflects its adjacent sun

Its so hard to find real answers

When no real side has won.

Well the grass covers up my body

And the river taught me to hear

Well trees have served as my refuge

And the dark it taught me to fear

All the men that live to burn

All the arms that love to hurt

All the hearts that have turned their worst..

We're so cold.

All the leaves soon loose their color

And the roses begin to fade

Crying loud I hear our mother

For just a few of those geese that were saved.

Well the grass covers up my body

And the river taught me to hear

Well trees have served as my refuge

And the dark it taught me to fear

All the men that live to burn

All the arms that love to hurt

All the hearts that have turned their worst..

We're so cold.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Joshua James's song "Geese" are both haunting and poignant. The first verse sets the scene of nature's cycle, where all the leaves turn green in the summer and roses bloom in May. However, this is contrasted with the image of geese flying home for the winter, high above our earth now paved, creating a sense of human intervention and destruction. The second verse continues with the theme of nature, with the stars gleaming for the night time and the moon reflecting its adjacent sun. However, the tone changes as James laments how difficult it is to find real answers when no real side has won, suggesting the complexity and confusion of life.

The third verse shifts to a more personal tone, with James using nature as a metaphor for his experiences. He mentions how the grass covers up his body and the river taught him to hear, implying a close connection to the natural world. He continues by saying trees have served as his refuge, suggesting a desire for safety and security, while the dark taught him to fear, highlighting the darker aspects of life. The final section of the song brings these themes together with the repeated line "All the men that live to burn, all the arms that love to hurt, all the hearts that have turned their worst.. We're so cold". This encapsulates the devastation of human destruction and the emotional numbness that comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

All the leaves turn green in the summer
In the warmth of summer, the previously bare trees are now covered in green leaves.

All the roses bloom in May
May is the month when the previously seedling roses produce beautiful flowers.

All the geese fly home for the winter High above our earth now paved.
The geese travel back to where they consider home in the winter, and they are now flying over a world much different than before.

All the stars gleam for the night time And the moon reflects its adjacent sun Its so hard to find real answers When no real side has won.
The stars and the moon light up the night sky, but this beauty is in contrast to the difficulties and confusion of finding answers to life's questions when there's no clear winner or right side.

Well the grass covers up my body And the river taught me to hear Well trees have served as my refuge And the dark it taught me to fear
The natural world of grass, river, trees, and dark have all taught the artist various lessons, some comforting and some worrisome.

All the men that live to burn All the arms that love to hurt All the hearts that have turned their worst.. We're so cold.
The coldness of human nature is expressed through those who enjoy causing pain and those whose hearts have been hardened by negative experiences.

All the leaves soon loose their color And the roses begin to fade Crying loud I hear our mother For just a few of those geese that were saved.
Nature changes as the seasons progress, and the sorrowful sound of the earth (represented as a mother) can be heard mourning the loss of some geese that couldn't be saved.

Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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