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.”
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Joshua James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Thine own from that Satan's tyranny;
From depths of Hell thy people He will save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel;
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come Thou King of David, come,
And open wide your heavenly home.
Make safe the way that leads us on high,
And close the path of misery, by and by.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel;
Shall come to thee O, Israel;
Shall come to thee O, Israel.
The lyrics of Joshua James's rendition of the hymn "O Come O Come Emmanuel" are about the yearning for the arrival of Jesus Christ. The song's first stanza is a plea for the coming of Emmanuel to save the captive nation of Israel. The second stanza is a plea to the "Rod of Jesse," which is a messianic reference to the lineage of Jesus Christ. This stanza calls for the release of Christians from Satan's grasp and the conquering of the grave. The third and final stanza is a plea to the "King of David" to have his residence opened to humanity and the way to life everlasting made clear.
Line by Line Meaning
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
Please come to us, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
Free your people, Israel, who are held captive by their troubles,
That mourns in lonely exile here
They are sad and lonely in their exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Until the Son of God appears to help them.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Celebrate! Celebrate!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Emmanuel will come to you, Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Please come, Rod of Jesse, and free your people
Thine own from that Satan's tyranny;
Free them from Satan's control
From depths of Hell thy people He will save,
He will save the people from the depths of Hell
And give them victory over the grave.
And help them overcome death itself.
O come, O come Thou King of David, come,
Please come, King of David,
And open wide your heavenly home.
Open up your heavenly home to your people
Make safe the way that leads us on high,
Make sure the path that leads to heaven is safe for us to follow.
And close the path of misery, by and by.
And decrease the suffering that we experience.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Celebrate! Celebrate!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Emmanuel will come to you, Israel.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Celebrate! Celebrate!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel;
Emmanuel will come to you, Israel;
Shall come to thee O, Israel;
He will come to you, Israel;
Shall come to thee O, Israel.
He will come to you, Israel.
Contributed by Bailey D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@LateMorningLullaby
Thanks so much for sharing this! This is one of my favorite Christmas time songs and this is my new favorite version. :)
@dbf421
Finally, an artist that captures the solemn and yet hopeful emotions of the moment in time this song represents. Great young artist with a captivating sound. Definitely the best version of this song I've heard.... :)
@Seawolf1307
OMG, this is amazing!
@0jacie0
iv'e never heard this version, and i love this guys voice :] thanksssss
@pigamous3
No, thank YOU for being a Joshua James fan! Make sure to introduce his music to as many people as you possibly can! And get them all to buy his albums! ;) Peaceful hearts & pleasant journeys.
@ManOfTheWhirled
This is a great song and I've listened to about 30 different artists/singers versions of it.... Your version is absoluitely, the best male-singer-version I've heard....Enya's, is the best female version.... Peace.
@moonlightontheriver
all praise to the King of Dawid, Immanuel !!!!!!
@moonlightontheriver
O come Immanuel of Nazareth, the King of kings !! Amen.
@50million123
Agree with the others. Great interpretation. The raspy notes adds a great solemnity to the song.
@Awesomeperson2067
ah i love this song. hes great. :)