At first glance Martyn Joseph is (just) another gifted singer songwriter. First impressions are there to mislead of course: Joseph's ambition is broader than entertainment, deeper than commerce. Some musicians want to move your feet, some just want to move you: Martyn Joseph wants to move heaven and earth. Somewhere back in the middle distance Martyn Joseph emerged from the pack and we began to notice. For a moment there he might have been a pop-star, certainly a protest-singer, a balladeer now and then, a Celtic rock star before they were in vogue, a folk troubadour and then, just, Martyn Joseph. Darkness on the edge of Cardiff. If he has a reputation onstage as a raconteur, extemporizing lyrics to fit every occasion, his songs have always been infected with a discreet but defiant god bothering, music more interested in the forgotten than the remembered, the way things might be than the way they have become. It is less the ghost of Tom Jones than a Holy Ghost music, an aching and a longing for another way, another place, where you can treasure the questions that have no answers. Depending on where he was at the time, some of these songs have had a fortune spent on colouring them in while others are the second-take line drawings from the home studio or Polaroid's snapped live in the back of beyond.
The consistency is the voice the place where he stands, from where he chooses to look at life. This is music that articulates a yearning for another world that is yet to be born, songs of sorrow acquainted with grief but, nevertheless, melodies carried in sunlight, thunder and rainbows from the same sky. And as his 'Best Of' collection illustrates, Joseph's work matures with age. If these songs are already word-perfect to fans, in the future they will be covered by Britain's two leading contemporary music magazines Q, and, MoJo, respectively, describe Martyn Joseph as having 'a depth, resonance and emotional punch, which belies comparisons', and as being 'an artist of enduring worth'. Meanwhile The Guardian was transfixed by this gifted and gracious Welshman's 'burnished voice' whilst Tom Robinson of BBC 6 Music and iconic songwriter himself, regards Martyn as one of Britain's 'most charismatic and electrifying performers'. The Boston Globe concluded that the man was a 'profound experience'. Such press plaudits, and there are many more to choose from, would make any publicist purr with pleasure, but for Martyn Joseph, he regards them in a detached, almost incidental kind of way. For Martyn, 'it's the song that matters'. Yet such is Martyn's stature as an acoustic artist of almost hypnotic ability that BBC Radio 2, Britain's most listened to radio network, featured Martyn in their peak-time series on Singer/Songwriters. To be awarded the garland of your own programme on the Sony 'Station Of The Year', and placed alongside the likes of Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson and Mary Chapin Carpenter really says it all about Martyn's abilities.
Martyn's 20 year career has embraced some notable achievements including 5 Top 50 UK chart positions, with such songs as 'Dolphins Make Me Cry', 'Working Mother' and 'Let's Talk About It In The Morning', and appearances and tours with, amongst others, Suzanne Vega, Marc Cohn, Joan Armatrading, Clannad, Chris De Burgh, Jools Holland, Art Garfunkel, and even, Celine Dion. However, for Martyn, these various accomplishments, satisfying though they are, count as just part of the process, the necessary presentation aspect. As he says, 'Really what I do is try and write songs that might make a difference'.
His touring work and appearances over the years, on both sides of the Atlantic, have helped to establish this gifted and gracious Welshman as one of the foremost singer/songwriters of his generation. As Janis Ian said of sharing a stage with Martyn 'I loved working with him. I loved listening to him, I'd love to work with him again, anytime, anyplace'. Martyn's particular strength is in the lyrical narrative of his songs, be they contemporary protests against injustice and inhumanity, a musical psalm to the fulfillment and fragilities of love, or a piercing précis of social history, 'it's the song that can soothe, explain, and even in a small way save us'. In this manner he carries on in the tradition of the six string balladeer as both catalyst and interpreter of our raddled and rewarding times, our personal and communal stories sung out loud in the spirit of Woody Guthrie, Ewan MacColl, Hank Williams and Bruce Springsteen. That tradition, and sound, that thankfully still emerges from The Hallowed Hobo's Hall of Fame.
Across a 10 year cycle of albums from the Sony days of 'Being There' to his recent two volume live compilation 'Don't Talk About Love, Martyn's song catalogue is an awesomely impressive archive of our times, our tribulations, our wonder and our wounds. Amongst the considerable collection of positive reviews of Martyn's recording and live work, the two regularly recurring words describing, in particular, his performances are 'passion' and 'humour'. One observer after seeing Martyn in concert likened the experience and content to 'the beautiful business of being alive with all its jokes, absurdity and sadness, seared by music for the heart and head'. When you encounter Martyn Joseph, you'll hear likewise...
Kiss the World Beautiful
Martyn Joseph Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to kiss the world fine
Shoulder to shoulder, cheek to cheek
That don't sound much like a crime
I have no name for this desire
I believe in light, but don't know what to write
With the darkness drawing near
I want to kiss the world beautiful
Lay down this life I think I would
Give up my shoes and all of my views
Don't know why just think I should
I want to kiss the world beautiful
Under the weight of all this earth
Sometimes it takes someone else's life
To make us see what we are worth
I want to kiss the world beautiful
Dream but never fall asleep
Go up to God and say, do you have plans today?
Are you walking down my street?
I want to kiss the world beautiful
And not forget from where we came
There are losers and winners, saints and sinners
I hope we all end up the same
I want to kiss the world beautiful
I want to kiss your lips tonight
Sometimes it's just more important to love
Than to always have it right
The song "Kiss the World Beautiful" by Martyn Joseph is a powerful and moving commentary on the nature of living a meaningful life. The song is filled with the desire of the singer to make the world a more beautiful place, and although he is not clear on exactly how to do that, he remains committed to the idea that it is both possible and necessary.
The central theme of the song is the idea that we all have the power to make positive change in the world, even if we don't know exactly how to do it. Whether it is through small acts of kindness, or through more monumental efforts to change the course of history, we all have the capacity to make the world a better place if we simply try.
Throughout the song, Joseph uses evocative language to paint a picture of a world that is waiting to be kissed beautiful. He talks about the need to show love and compassion to others, and to recognize the inherent value of each and every person. Ultimately, he leaves us with the message that sometimes it is more important to love than to always have it right.
Overall, "Kiss the World Beautiful" is a powerful and uplifting song that encourages us to strive for a better world, and to never give up on the idea that positive change is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to kiss the world beautiful
The singer has an intense desire to make the world a better place.
I want to kiss the world fine
The singer wants to make the world better in every possible way.
Shoulder to shoulder, cheek to cheek
The singer wants to be close enough to other people to make a difference.
That don't sound much like a crime
The singer doesn't think it's a bad thing to want to make the world better.
I have no name for this desire
The singer doesn't have a specific term for this feeling.
I believe in light, but don't know what to write
The singer wants to do good in the world, but doesn't know how to do it.
With the darkness drawing near
The singer feels like things are getting worse in the world and wants to make a difference before it's too late.
Lay down this life I think I would
The singer is willing to give up everything to make the world a better place.
Give up my shoes and all of my views
The singer is willing to sacrifice their possessions and opinions to achieve this goal.
Don't know why just think I should
The singer has an intense desire to do good in the world.
Under the weight of all this earth
The singer is feeling overwhelmed by the problems in the world.
Sometimes it takes someone else's life
Sometimes it takes the death of someone else to make us see the value of life.
To make us see what we are worth
This experience can help us realize how valuable and important our own lives are.
Dream but never fall asleep
The singer wants to keep dreaming and hoping for a better world, but not give up on making it happen.
Go up to God and say, do you have plans today?
The singer is asking for spiritual guidance in their mission to make the world better.
Are you walking down my street?
The singer wants to know if God is present in their daily life and mission.
And not forget from where we came
The singer wants to remember their roots and how they got to where they are.
There are losers and winners, saints and sinners
There are all types of people in the world, but everyone deserves to be loved and have a chance to make a difference.
I hope we all end up the same
The singer wants everyone to end up in the same place of love and acceptance, despite their differences.
I want to kiss your lips tonight
The singer wants to spread love and kindness to everyone around them.
Sometimes it's just more important to love
The singer believes that love is more important than always being right or having all the answers.
Contributed by Bailey H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.