James es también conocida por sus numerosas colaboraciones con el colectivo de Jazz Postmodern Jukebox.
Primeros años y educación
James nació como Morgan Grunerud en Boise, Idaho , hija de educadores y actores Allen Grunerud y Shellie Harwood. La familia se mudó con frecuencia cuando James era una niña, al pasar de Idaho a Utah , Tennessee , y finalmente, Modesto , California, donde pasó sus años de escuela secundaria. James fue inspirada por sus padres para entrar en las artes escénicas, y se unió a un coro en la escuela. Su abuela también le compró una máquina de karaoke y estuvo de acuerdo en pagar por las clases de canto hasta que James fue a la universidad.
James asistió a la escuela secundaria a Peter Johansen High School en Modesto. Se graduó en 1999 y fue aceptada rápidamente a The Juilliard School en Nueva York a los 18 años. Allí estudió ópera y, finalmente, obtuvo su Licenciatura en Música Vocal en 2003. En la universidad, James también tomó una clase magistral dirigida por la veterana de Broadway Barbara Cook .
Carrera
Después de la universidad, James inicialmente luchó para encontrar trabajo. No hizo su debut de Broadway hasta 2010 en la producción musical The Addams Family, protagonizando por Nathan Lane y Bebe Neuwirth. En 2011, James apareció en Wonderland de Frank Wildhorn y el resurgimiento de Broadway de Godspell. James sprained se lesionó su tobillo en un ensayo para Godspell en octubre de 2011 y era incapaz de actuar durante preestrenos. Se Recuperó y, por noviembre de 2011, actuaba en el musical en el Círculo en el Teatro Cuadrado. En 2013, James actuó en la función de Teena Marie en Motown: El Musical. Se quedó con el reparto hasta que diciembre de 2013, lo dejó para perseguir una visita de rendimiento vocal.
Durante su tiempo en Broadway, ella también brillo como solista, con una banda de respaldo a menudo compuesta de Chris Fenwick, Mate Fieldes, Damien Bassman, entre otros. Ha cantado en numerosos clubes de Nueva York, incluyendo (Le) Poisson Colorete, 54 Below, Rockwood Music Hall, y Birdland. Su primer álbum solista, Morgan James Live: Una Celebración de Nina Simone, fue grabado en club de jazz de la Nueva York, Dizzy, y es una colección de covers de Nina Simone. Fue lanzado vía Epic Records en diciembre de 2012.
Su segundo álbum como solista (y primer álbum de estudio), Hunter, fue grabado en 2014 y lanzado por Epic Records en junio de 2014. El álbum, de 11 pistas, fue producido por Doug Wamble y su primer álbum completamente solista.
Desde 2014, James colabora con Postmodern Jukebox, grabando varios covers en su canal de YouTube.
If You Only Knew
Morgan James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One thing I'm used to
Take out dinners
Something we shared
Goodbye comfort
That I'm so used to
Tuesday mornings
All that we shared
The way you comfort me
The way I let you have it all
If you only knew
The ways you rescue me
Wouldn't have let me fall
If I had only known the way you'd turn on me
I'd still be standing tall
Forget those glances
That I've grown used to
The smell of coffee
Details we shared
All that I wanted was you
You alone
Now all I wish is I'd never known
Laughter, dinners
Morning glances
If you only knew the way you conquer me
The way I let you have it all
If you only knew the ways you rescue me
You wouldn't have let me fall
If I had only known the way you'd turn on me
Maybe I would understand
The song "If You Only Knew" by Morgan James is a ballad about the end of a relationship and the longing for a time when things were simpler. The verses describe the little things that were shared between the couple, like laughter, take-out dinners, and morning glances. The chorus then turns to the way the other person made the singer feel - comforted, rescued, and ultimately let down. The final verse ends with the regret that comes from realizing that the happy memories are now tainted by the knowledge of how things ended.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the complexity of romantic relationships and the way that they can be both wonderful and heartbreaking. While the memories of good times may still be cherished, they are also colored by the knowledge that the other person was not who they seemed to be. The lyrics are heartfelt and vulnerable, as the singer expresses her disappointment and regret at being deceived by someone she loved.
Line by Line Meaning
There goes laughter
The sound of joy and happiness is leaving
One thing I'm used to
I have become accustomed to a certain lifestyle
Take out dinners
Eating food from restaurants instead of cooking at home
Something we shared
This was an activity done with someone else
Goodbye comfort
Comfort is no longer present
That I'm so used to
I have become accustomed to a certain lifestyle
Tuesday mornings
A specific time of the week
All that we shared
The experiences that we had together
If you only knew
If you had knowledge of my feelings
The way you comfort me
The way that you soothe me during tough times
The way I let you have it all
I allowed you to take control of everything
If you only knew
If you had knowledge of my feelings
The ways you rescue me
The ways that you save me from trouble
Wouldn't have let me fall
You would have protected me from failure
If I had only known the way you'd turn on me
If I had known you would betray me
I'd still be standing tall
I would still be resilient against your behavior
Forget those glances
Forget the way you used to look at me
That I've grown used to
I have become accustomed to a certain behavior
The smell of coffee
The aroma of a specific beverage
Details we shared
The specific experiences that we had together
All that I wanted was you
You were the only thing that mattered to me
You alone
I only wanted you
Now all I wish is I'd never known
Now I regret ever meeting you
Laughter, dinners
Happy experiences shared with you
Morning glances
The way you looked at me during a specific time of day
If you only knew the way you conquer me
If you only knew the way you had control over me
The way I let you have it all
I allowed you to take control of everything
If you only knew the ways you rescue me
If you had knowledge of the ways you save me from trouble
You wouldn't have let me fall
You would have protected me from failure
If I had only known the way you'd turn on me
If I had known you would betray me
Maybe I would understand
Perhaps I would comprehend why you hurt me
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.