Blending elements of neo-soul, folk, old-time blues and pop, Justin has the guts of Ray LaMontagne and the soul of Lauryn Hill.
This guitar slinging aficionado has the street smarts of an urban swinger and the heart-bending soul of a gospel preacher, and is adept at blending a dark, bluesy Americana vibe with warm, acoustic soul where bits of old folk music and flamenco tunes swirl in and out of earshot.
During his short career, Justin has already snagged stage time with John Cale, Crowded House, Ziggy Marley, Sam Roberts, Jully Black and Xavier Rudd.
"In his debut album "Holly", Justin Nozuka has created eleven impressive pieces of thoughtful acoustic-soul. Filled with understated melodies, minimal production and an interesting, sometimes dark take on song-craft...4 Stars." -- BBC
"Superior acoustic soul. .4 Stars." -- Q Magazine, UK
"...Nozuka is producing material that is unlike any other singer songwriters - and consequently is beyond genre definition. Largely, it is one man and his faithful guitar - but with a voice like his, there really is no need for any other instrumentation. In truth it would only get in the way. 4 Stars." -- Belfast Daily Telegraph
"Nozuka seemed very modest, but there was absolutely no reason. He had every eye on him and it was nearly impossible to look away. Every song seemed to outdo the one before it, and when he quietly walked off, we were all aching for more." --Chartattack.com
Years Active: 2006 – present
I Don't Know
Justin Nozuka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm in trouble,
With so much worry on my mind,
And lost can't find the way to go,
I don't know, left or right or up or down,
In or out or do I turn around,
I don't know but this is killing me,
I feel like I'm going crazy,
This is not me ohh
I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, I don't know,
I may be here tomorrow,
Who knows, I don't know,
Cause I'm feeling so down down down down,
That I'm way under the ground, yeah yeah yeah
Said I'm feeling so down down down down,
That I'm way under the ground, that I'm way under the ground,
Let, Let that cloud of rain come over my head,
And poor all over me,
And purify my body spirit and mine,
I never meanted to turn out like this,
I'm a mess,
With no way out of this loneliness,
No way see, I walked through every single doorway,
No way, I drivin' down every single highway
No way, I swim through the oceans rivers lakes and vases
No way, Oh I tried his way and her way and my way,
There's still no way,
I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, I don't know,
I may be here tomorrow,
But who knows, See I don't know,
Cause I've been feeling so down, so down,
That I'm way under the ground, see, see I'm way under the ground,
Oh I'm feeling so down down down down,
I'm way under the ground, yeah, I'm way under the ground, Oh
So when the sun comes up, I still be down,
Because I still ain't got nobody here around,
To lift me off my hands and knees,
I'm begging mercy mercy mercy,
And when the moon comes up, I still be down,
Because I still ain't got nobody else around,
To lift me off my hands and knees,
I'm screaming mercy yeah mercy,
Oh I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, see I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know
I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, I don't know
The lyrics of "I Don't Know" by Justin Nozuka talk about being lost and not knowing what direction to take in life. The singer is in a place of confusion and worry, feeling like he is going crazy; he doesn't know which way to turn or what decision to make. He has tried different routes and approaches to find a way out of his loneliness, but so far, nothing has worked. He is feeling so down that he is way under the ground, wanting somebody to lift him off his hands and knees, begging for mercy.
The song portrays the struggles that we all face at some point in our lives, where we feel lost and unsure of where to go, and we try different ways to move forward, but nothing seems to work. The lyrics speak to the universal human experience of insecurity and vulnerability, where we are all looking for guidance and a way out of the darkness. The song's message is to hold on in these tough times, as tomorrow may bring a new opportunity or a ray of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
All the rhythm in my soul is gone,
I feel unmotivated and uninspired, as if something essential to my being has disappeared.
I'm in trouble,
I am facing challenges and difficult circumstances.
With so much worry on my mind,
I am anxious and troubled by many concerns and problems.
And lost can't find the way to go,
I am confused and directionless, unsure of how to move forward.
I don't know, left or right or up or down,
I am completely unsure of which path to take or what action to pursue.
In or out or do I turn around,
I am considering different options and unsure of what the best course of action is.
I don't know but this is killing me,
My uncertainty and lack of direction is causing me immense stress and anxiety.
Is this the way that it supposed to be,
I am questioning whether my current state of confusion and difficulty is simply a normal part of life or something to be remedied.
I feel like I'm going crazy,
My inability to make decisions or find direction is making me feel unstable and overwhelmed.
This is not me ohh
I feel like I have lost a part of myself in this state of confusion and uncertainty.
I may be here tomorrow,
I acknowledge that I may still be alive and present in this situation in the future.
But who knows, See I don't know,
Despite my acknowledgement that I may still be present in the future, I remain unsure of what that future may look like.
Cause I've been feeling so down, so down,
My emotional state has been low and disappointing.
That I'm way under the ground, see, see I'm way under the ground,
I feel as though I am deeply buried or immersed in my negative emotions and difficult circumstances.
Let, Let that cloud of rain come over my head,
I am calling for a cleansing and renewing force to wash over me and provide relief from my emotional distress.
And poor all over me,
I want this cleansing force to cover me completely and provide a sense of purification.
And purify my body spirit and mine,
I want this cleansing force to address all aspects of my being, physical, emotional, and mental.
I never meanted to turn out like this,
I did not intend for my life to reach this point of confusion and overwhelming emotions.
I'm a mess,
I feel like I am a complete disaster and unable to make progress or improvements.
With no way out of this loneliness,
I feel trapped in my emotions and unable to find a way to connect with others or find companionship.
No way see, I walked through every single doorway,
I have explored every option or possibility I can think of to improve my situation, but have not found a way out of my current state.
No way, I drivin' down every single highway
I have tried every path or avenue I can think of to find a way forward, but continue to feel stuck and directionless.
No way, I swim through the oceans rivers lakes and vases
I have searched extensively and thoroughly for any sign of hope or potential solution, but have not come across anything that seems viable.
No way, Oh I tried his way and her way and my way,
I have tried to follow the advice or guidance of others, as well as my own instincts or strategies, with no success.
There's still no way,
No matter what I try or how much effort I put into changing my situation, nothing seems to work.
When the sun comes up, I still be down,
Even with the start of a new day, I will continue to feel weighed down by my difficult circumstances and emotions.
Because I still ain't got nobody here around,
I feel alone and unsupported in my struggles, with no one to turn to for help or comfort.
To lift me off my hands and knees,
I need someone or something to help me rise up from my low emotional state and find a way to move forward.
I'm begging mercy mercy mercy,
I am desperately pleading for relief or help from anyone or anything that may be able to provide it.
And when the moon comes up, I still be down,
Even with the onset of nighttime and a new day soon to follow, I expect to continue feeling low and despondent.
I'm screaming mercy yeah mercy,
I am expressing my desperation for help or relief in the strongest way possible, hoping that someone or something will hear my pleas.
Contributed by Skyler I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TeaOnTue
All the rhythm in my soul is gone,
I'm in trouble,
With so much worry on my mind,
And lost can't find the way to go,
I don't know, left or right or up or down,
In or out or do I turn around,
I don't know but this is killing me,
Is this the way that it supposed to be,
I feel like I'm going crazy,
This is not me ohh
I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, I don't know,
I may be here tomorrow,
Who knows, I don't know,
Cause I'm feeling so down down down down,
That I'm way under the ground, yeah yeah yeah
Said I'm feeling so down down down down,
That I'm way under the ground, that I'm way under the ground,
Let, Let that cloud of rain come over my head,
And poor all over me,
And purify my body spirit and mine,
I never meanted to turn out like this,
I'm a mess,
With no way out of this loneliness,
No way see, I walked through every single doorway,
No way, I drivin' down every single highway
No way, I swim through the oceans rivers lakes and vases
No way, Oh I tried his way and her way and my way,
There's still no way,
I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, I don't know,
I may be here tomorrow,
But who knows, See I don't know,
Cause I've been feeling so down, so down,
That I'm way under the ground, see, see I'm way under the ground,
Oh I'm feeling so down down down down,
I'm way under the ground, yeah, I'm way under the ground, Oh
So when the sun comes up, I still be down,
Because I still ain't got nobody here around,
To lift me off my hands and knees,
I'm begging mercy mercy mercy,
And when the moon comes up, I still be down,
Because I still ain't got nobody else around,
To lift me off my hands and knees,
I'm screaming mercy yeah mercy,
Oh I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, see I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know
I may be here tomorrow,
But I don't know, I don't know
@3SG413
i absolutely adore Justin Nozuka!!! His music is beautiful!!!
@KindaNerdy22
Love him! One of the most under appreciated artist out there!
@yvonnewatts1878
I've loved this song since I first heard it back in 2009. My son was a sr in his and used to jam Justin ❤
@rareview362
Thank you for your music Justin. The music of my life
@mastermo29
i know, i met him too. hes amazing. and hes sooo nice. but to just see him perform in person, you'd be in awe....and he has such a sincere personality
@09tdubbs
luv da song luv da vid n LUV JUSTIN!!!! nice vid! 5 stars n favorited
@TheNeonbuffalo
mad this guy and john mayer are like my guitar hero's =D
@dannyfwk
Fast paced yet so in control nice cut
@Eritreangoddess
THAT INTRO! THAT RASPY VOICE!!!
@chelseybastos
Something about his soulful voice just makes me so happy