“This is the record I’ve been wanted to make for years”, says Rosolino. “It’s a record that says something as a whole - an album in the old school sense - something that can be listened to from start to finish and takes you along for the ride, not just a bunch of non-related, radio-friendly songs.” Produced and mixed by Nashville local Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay) and mastered by Jacquire King (Tom Waits, No Doubt), “Wonderlust” marks the newest chapter in the rise of an authentic, wonderfully-gifted singer-songwriter.
Justin started playing guitar when he was six years old, which in a family like his, seemed the natural thing to do. His father sang and played guitar in the New York R&B circuit – places like the Apollo and the Cotton Club – and Justin began sitting in with the band by the time he was twelve.
His growth as a musician continued through his teens, and in 1991 he left New York for Charlottesville, Virginia, where he put down his electric guitar to front Southern Exposure, an acoustic duo that soon became a local mainstay. Within their first two years of performing, the folk/rock pair were jamming sell-out crowds into local venues and playing with prominent regional acts like SGGL and Jackopierce. They were later voted in as one of the top ten bands in the area, sharing the honor with groups like the Dave Matthews Band. It was at the University of Virginia that Justin began broadening his musical horizons, venturing beyond his folk/rock roots and joining an R&B/funk band, a gospel choir and nationally renowned collegiate chorus. Naturally, this expanded his understanding of music and his approach to the acoustic guitar, and he began digging into the more experimental styles of Michael Hedges, Paul Simon and Jimmy Page.
Moving south in early 1997, Justin quickly established himself in the Atlanta acoustic scene. Before he’d even found a place to live he’d already won his first songwriting/performance competition at the nationally-renowned venue Eddie’s Attic. Since then he’s performed in over 30 states as well as overseas, selling over 4,500 recordings along the way. Highlights have included performances with the likes of India.Arie, David Wilcox, Ellis Paul and Angie Aparo. Justin has also written TV commercial music for Ford, grown as an accomplished session guitarist in Nashville and Atlanta, gotten airplay on indie radio from Canada to the Czech Republic and everywhere in between, and even got to perform for President George W. Bush in the Spring of ’03.
“Wonderlust” is a must have for all music fans who are looking for something a little deeper. Take the reflective lyrics found in folk, add the passionate energy of rock and the textural depth of artful pop, and you’ve got the basic recipe for Justin’s music. At times reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith and Lenny Kravitz, “Wonderlust” travels through the whole range of human emotions.
www.justinrosolino.com
Come Sweet Day
Justin Rosolino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Til emancipation's bells will start to ring
'Cause the law they finally passed
Hallelujah, free at last
So tomorrow makes a man from what had once been property
[Chorus:]
So come, sweet day
For you alone I'll wait
I have heard that in the western world
There's a sense of time that some call cavalier
Well I guess the ease of pleasure
Makes it harder to remember
Just how it feels to see this world through hopeful tears
Hopeful tears
[Chorus:]
So come, sweet day
And free me with your ray
For you alone I'll wait
Come, sweet day
Come, sweet day
Come and free me with your ray
For you alone I'll wait
Tonight I'll scale the highest mountain
And when I get there, I'll climb the tallest tree
And when I get there, I'll raise my hands towards heaven
Until I feel the light of morning touch my fingertips
And set me free
[Chorus:]
Oh come, sweet day
Come and free me with your ray
For you alone I'll wait
Come, sweet day
Come, sweet day
Come and free me with your ray
For you alone
You alone, you alone
Come, sweet day
The song "Come Sweet Day" by Justin Rosolino is a poignant and powerful reflection on slavery and the hope for emancipation. The lyrics begin with a countdown - "11 hours and 13 minutes more" - until the bells of emancipation will ring. The passage of a law has finally granted freedom to those who were once considered property, and the chorus heralds the arrival of that day through the repetition of "come, sweet day" - a call to the light of freedom and the end of enslavement.
Within this context, Rosolino highlights the contrast between the Western world's cavalier attitude towards time and the hopeful tears shed by those who have been enslaved. While some may take their freedom for granted, the lyrics emphasize the profound value of liberation, both for those who have been enslaved and for society as a whole. The song also includes a powerful image of raising hands towards heaven, reaching for the light of hope and freedom, until the morning dawn sets the singer free.
Overall, "Come Sweet Day" is a moving and insightful tribute to the enduring legacy of slavery and the importance of fighting for emancipation and equality.
Line by Line Meaning
11 hours and 13 minutes more
It will take 11 hours and 13 minutes until freedom
'Til emancipation's bells will start to ring
The moment of freedom will come when the bells of emancipation ring
'Cause the law they finally passed
Freedom has been granted because a law was passed
Hallelujah, free at last
Freedom has been achieved and celebrated with a Hallelujah
So tomorrow makes a man from what had once been property
After freedom, a person who was formerly considered property will become a man
[Chorus:] So come, sweet day And free me with your ray For you alone I'll wait
The singer eagerly anticipates the day of freedom when it will arrive
I have heard that in the western world
The singer has heard that in the western world
There's a sense of time that some call cavalier
Some people consider Western attitudes towards time to be cavalier or careless
Well I guess the ease of pleasure
The artist speculates that Westerners prioritize pleasure over other things
Makes it harder to remember
The ease of pleasure makes it difficult for people to appreciate the struggle for freedom
Just how it feels to see this world through hopeful tears
People who have experienced oppression understand the world in a unique way, with hope tinted by sadness
[Chorus:] So come, sweet day And free me with your ray For you alone I'll wait Come, sweet day
The artist eagerly anticipates the day of freedom when it will arrive, and longs for it to come soon
Come, sweet day Come and free me with your ray For you alone I'll wait
The singer repeats their desire for freedom, expressing their willingness to wait as long as it takes
Tonight I'll scale the highest mountain
The singer plans to climb a mountain tonight
And when I get there, I'll climb the tallest tree
After climbing the mountain, the singer will climb the tallest tree they can find
And when I get there, I'll raise my hands towards heaven
At the top of the tree, the artist will raise their hands towards the sky
Until I feel the light of morning touch my fingertips
The artist will wait until morning arrives and the light of day touches their fingertips
And set me free
The singer hopes that the light of morning will bring freedom
[Chorus:] Oh come, sweet day Come and free me with your ray For you alone I'll wait Come, sweet day
The singer repeats their desire for freedom, expressing their willingness to wait as long as it takes
Come, sweet day Come and free me with your ray For you alone You alone, you alone
The artist emphasizes that their desire for freedom is solely for themselves, and for nobody else
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.