SOJA’s first album was recorded independently with renowned sound engineer Jim Fox. Jacob notes, “Jim told us that he would work with us and so we could afford to make our first record, and when we ran out of money he started making up ‘discounts.’ It was awesome. I asked him why a while back, and he said ‘I didn’t want to see a good thing stop.’ What was even crazier was at the time he wasn’t working with bands that were from the US, just Jamaican artists. Big ones like Black Uhuru, Israel Vibration, Burning Spear, Don Carlos, and Inner Circle. Jim worked with us independently and recorded, mixed, and mastered the whole thing. That is how it all started.” SOJA’s first album, “Soldiers of Jah Army EP” was released at the beginning of 2000.
In 2002, SOJA released their first full-length album, “Peace in a Time of War.” Though the band was young, the album had hits. “True Love,” “Rasta Courage,” and “Peace in a Time of War” were the first songs to bring the band strong attention nationally and internationally and cement them in the reggae world. Tours became larger, their fan base expanded rapidly and they grew up smart in the independent music industry. In 2006, the band released “Get Wiser,” their second full-length album. The album was a break through for the band, as they explored the duality in their music, combining beautiful, longing melodies with hard drum and bass, and layered with intricate lyrics. SOJA created their musical style with a new complexity and depth that they would carry with them to their future albums. Jacob shares, “When you listen to an artist you can either have a series of one liners, or you can tell a story with your music. We set out to tell a story, it’s like poetry – dancing around an entire theme, but never putting a period on anything. It is like the two sides of a coin, but you can see them at the same time.” “Get Wiser” debuted in the Top 10 Reggae Albums on iTunes and has remained in the top 100 since its release. Singles off the album including “Open My Eyes, “You Don’t Know Me,” and “Can’t Tell Me” remain in heavy rotation on college radio across the United States, and have also received major radio play internationally in places such as France, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Costa Rica, Mexico, Venezuela, Guam, and Tahiti. The success of “Get Wiser” took the band on three years of intense touring nationally, and internationally. In 2008 SOJA released their EP “Stars and Stripes.” They blended new sounds and new rhythms with their existing reggae sound, growing into what SOJA was becoming. The EP contained three new songs plus remixes and new versions of popular songs. In early 2009 the band released the documentary DVD “SOJA Live in Hawaii: A Marc Carlini Film,” showcasing the power and energy of their 2008 Hawaiian tour which included four islands, five cameras, four shows, and everything in between.
Now, SOJA is ready to unleash their third full-length album “Born in Babylon” - the culmination of all past efforts on their label DMV Records. Set to be released August 25, 2009 exclusively on iTunes, “Born in Babylon” focuses on telling the same roots story that reggae artists have been singing about for decades, but their way, from the flip perspective of kids who grew up not in poverty, but in a government saturated community in Arlington, Virginia, across Mason-Dixon Line from the White House. SOJA shares about their new album, “This is the album we’ve been wanting to make for ten years. At first we were hard-core old school, then we got new school and inventive. This is what we’ve learned from all that. ‘Born in Babylon’ is hard roots drum and bass, big wide guitar and vocal melodies, and two and three sided lyrics, with two and three sided messages.”
For the rest of 2009 and moving into 2010 – SOJA plans on touring the United States extensively while promoting “Born in Babylon” with mainstay horn players Hellman Escorcia (saxophone) and Rafael Rodriguez (trumpet). Currently, SOJA averages 150 shows a year and the group has toured every major city in the US and internationally throughout Canada, Puerto Rico (avg 2500), Brazil (avg 4000), Argentina, Uruguay, New Caledonia (16,000 in attendance) Palau, Saipan, Guam (avg 3500), Hawaii (avg 2,000 on each island), Sweden, Switzerland, France, Portugal (avg 2000) and Holland. The band has also shared the stage with notable artists such as Citizen Cope, Matisyahu, Ben Harper, Slightly Stoopid, Damian Marley, Govt Mule, Umphrees McGee, and Steel Pulse to name a few.
In addition to their new music and touring, the band remains committed to creating real music, music that cant be ignored. Jacob pauses, “Bob Marley’s fans all feel like when he is singing a song, it’s to them. You could be from anywhere, any situation, rich, poor – it doesn’t matter; the song is directed at them. He speaks to you, the love songs too. That is what we are after. Not one side of the story, the whole thing, both sides of the coin. Just listen to ‘Born in Babylon.’”
disambiguation:
If you're looking for a US act:
http://www.last.fm/music/Soldiers+of+Jah+Army
Over the years, the Washington, D.C. music scene has become best known for its hardcore (Minor Threat) and go-go (Trouble Funk) alumni, but as evidenced by the great Bad Brains, reggae has been represented as well. SOJA has risen to the forefront, picking up right where the Brains left off – creating their own blend of conscious roots music entwined with the traditional rhythms of reggae, it “comes across with passion and depth.” (Washington Post ’06)
That said, SOJA is not that easy to define. Although they are rooted in reggae, they are not limited to it; their fan-base reflects this with a very diverse population. The music includes and embraces all walks of life - it has no prejudice – it is for everyone. The band grew up listening to reggae, hip-hop, and rock. In their sound, reggae became the predominate influence because it is dedicated to a real message and promotes revolution.
The group, which includes a pair of lead singers who also pull double duty - Jacob Hemphill (guitar) and Bob Jefferson (bass) – as well as Patrick O’Shea on keyboard, percussionist Ken Brownell, and drummer Ryan Berty, originally came together in 1997. Since 2000, the quintet has issued three full length albums and one EP – their latest, ‘Get Wiser,’ is their third for the group’s own label, Innerloop.
Hemphill explains the meaning of the album’s title. “The new album is called ‘Get Wiser’ – that’s the idea. We as a society tend to have blinders on. We are trying to uplift peoples’ consciousness by breaking down what makes us blind. To do this, we got to bring back truth. People get wiser.”
“Every song is different of course.” Hemphill continues, “I found music to be a way to express myself - through my life I’ve never been able to express myself well in conversations, but I can do it through music. It’s like my way to talk.”
Ever the road warriors (SOJA averages 150 gigs per year), the group will be supporting their latest release with a healthy amount of live dates this year on the “Get Wiser Tour”. With such a list of accumulated live dates, a specific high point is hard to pin down, but Brownell remembers a particular performance. “One of the shows that remains in the front of my mind was playing in Guam for the first time for nearly 6,000 fans. That was an amazing experience.”
With SOJA calling their own shots, ‘Get Wiser’ proves that the band’s message and music will only continue to grow stronger with each successive release. In support of their latest album, “Get Wiser”, SOJA is embarking on a journey around the world.
The Band
Jacob Hemphill - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Bob Jefferson - Lead Vocals, Bass
Ken Brownell - Percussion
Ryan Berty - Drums
Patrick O’Shea- Keyboards
I Don't Wanna Wait
SOJA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't wanna wait wait
I don't wanna wait
I don't wanna wait
They say "way back when
Knew how" but there's nothing
Do your right and not your
Wrong, when wrong is easy, and
Right is hard, and
We've all got our weaknesses
And only you know what yours is
But your "tomorrows" are all
That seem to escape from
Your lips
But I don't wanna wait today
For something, that might never
Ever show it's face again
A promise that I've heard too
Much already, to me,
It seems ridiculous to trust
In all of your games you play.
It's 1 life, 1 world, 1 chance
And I don't wanna wait
I don't wanna wait
I don't wanna wait
No I don't know I don't wanna wait
Moving forward to right now
A government that let us down
A racist leader no one trusted
An army that's bigger than us and
A poverty on a global scale
A fragile world with
Fragile air and fragile water
I'm sure they'll put off
Till tomorrow
But I don't wanna wait today
For something, that might never
Ever show it's face again
A promise that I've heard too
Much already, to me,
It seems ridiculous to trust
In all of your games you play.
It's 1 life, 1 world, 1 chance
And I don't wanna wait wait
I don't wanna wait wait
I don't wanna wait for you and your games now
No I don't know oh I just can't wait
I just can't
I'm skipping forward to the
Ending, to that point all too
Impending, to that moment
That all this stops, that one day
When that bottom drops
And we remember our voices,
Had our chance, yeah we
Had our choices, but
Time is luxury we as a
People we might not no longer afford
So I don't wanna wait today
For something, that might never
Ever show it's face again
A promise that I've heard too
Much already, to me,
It seems ridiculous to trust
In all of your games you play.
It's 1 life, 1 world, 1 chance
And I don't wanna wait wait
There's not enough tome so I don't want to wait wait
You know I've got a lot on my mind
So I can't wait wait
I could reach the end of the line
So I don't wanna wait wait
Oh I'm not fine
Someone to wait, someone to wait, someone to wait, someone to
It's nor for me, it's not for me, it's not for me
I can't wait, don't wanna wait, don't wanna
It's not for no one no, its not for me now
Don't wanna wait, don't wanna wait, don't wanna,
don't wanna wait, don't wanna wait, it's not for me,
And I know I can't wait,
I'm sick of all your games and I realize now
That I don't wanna wait
In the song, "I Don't Wanna Wait," SOJA delivers a powerful message about seizing the present moment and not waiting for tomorrow. The lyrics highlight the dangers of procrastination and the need to take action before it's too late. The first chorus emphasizes that people know the difference between right and wrong, but often choose the easier path instead of doing what's right. The second verse addresses global concerns such as government corruption, inequality, and environmental degradation that may be too significant to ignore. The lyrics suggest that waiting for someone else to address these issues might mean waiting indefinitely, and in the end, it will be too late.
SOJA delivers the song with a reggae beat and passionate vocals, making it impossible not to feel the weight of the message. The song’s melody and beat are essential, and the lyrics tell the story of a narrator who has been compromised by broken promises, forces outside of their control, and the fear of waiting too long to speak up. Its structure, lyricism, and delivery make "I Don't Wanna Wait" an evergreen classic with a timeless message of seizing the day and not letting opportunities slip away.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna wait
The singer is expressing their impatience and unwillingness to wait.
They say "way back when
Knew how" but there's nothing
Telling you now just to
Do your right and not your
Wrong, when wrong is easy, and
Right is hard, and
We've all got our weaknesses
And only you know what yours is
But your "tomorrows" are all
That seem to escape from
Your lips
The singer is acknowledging the difficulty in doing what is right and resisting the temptation to do what is wrong. They remind the listener that everyone has their own weaknesses and they alone know what they are. The singer observes that many people talk about making changes, but tomorrow seems to always be the day they choose to act.
Moving forward to right now
A government that let us down
A racist leader no one trusted
An army that's bigger than us and
A poverty on a global scale
A fragile world with
Fragile air and fragile water
I'm sure they'll put off
Till tomorrow
The singer is providing context and emphasizing the urgency of the situation. They list a series of societal and global problems that need immediate attention, but are being ignored or postponed.
I'm skipping forward to the
Ending, to that point all too
Impending, to that moment
That all this stops, that one day
When that bottom drops
And we remember our voices,
Had our chance, yeah we
Had our choices, but
Time is luxury we as a
People we might not no longer afford
The artist is envisioning a potential future where things have reached a catastrophic point, and people realize that they had the power to make a change, but failed to act. The artist suggests that people can no longer afford to waste time and must act now to avoid such an outcome.
There's not enough tome so I don't want to wait wait
You know I've got a lot on my mind
So I can't wait wait
I could reach the end of the line
So I don't wanna wait wait
Oh I'm not fine
Someone to wait, someone to wait, someone to wait, someone to
It's nor for me, it's not for me, it's not for me
I can't wait, don't wanna wait, don't wanna
It's not for no one no, its not for me now
Don't wanna wait, don't wanna wait, don't wanna,
don't wanna wait, don't wanna wait, it's not for me,
And I know I can't wait,
I'm sick of all your games and I realize now
That I don't wanna wait
The artist reiterates that they do not want to wait any longer, but this time, they mention that they have personal reasons for their impatience. They suggest that waiting could have negative consequences and it may not be worth the risk. The artist is also indicating that they are tired of those in power playing games and manipulating the situation for their benefit. They realize that they must take action and cannot wait any longer.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacob Charles Hemphill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@199transporter
I don't wanna wait
I don't wanna wait wait
I don't wanna wait yeah
I don't wanna wait
They say way back when knew how
But there's nothing telling you now
Just to do your right and not your wrong
When wrong is easy and right is hard
And we've all got our weaknesses
And only you know what yours is
But your tomorrows all that seems to escape from your lips
But I don't wanna wait, today
For something that might never ever show it's face
I can't
I promise that I've heard to much already
To me it seems ridiculous to trust in all of your games, you play
There's one night, one world, one chance.
And I don't wanna wait
I don't wanna wait.
Moving forward to right now
A government that let you down
A racist leader no one trusted
An army that's bigger than us
And a poverty on a global scale
A fragile world with fragile air and
Fragile water I'm sure they'll put off til tomorrow
But I don't wanna wait, today
For something that might never ever show it's face
I can't
I promise that I've heard to much already
To me it seems ridiculous to trust in all of your games, your play
There's one night, one world, one chance.
And I don't wanna wait
I don't wanna wait
I don't wanna wait for you and your games now
No, I don't no whoa no, I just can't wait
I just can't
I'm skipping forward to the ending
To that point or two impeding to that moment
That all that stops that one day when that bottom drops
And we remember our voices had a chance
Yea we had our choice but time is a luxury
We as a people we might no longer afford
But I don't wanna wait, today
For something that might never ever show it's face
I can't - I promise that I've heard to much already
To me it seems ridiculous to trust in all of your games, your play
There's one night, one world, one chance
And I don't wanna wait... I don't wanna wait
There's not enough of time so I don't wanna wait
You know I've got a lot on my mind so I can't wait
Have to reach the end of the line so I don't wanna wait
No I'm not fine don't wanna wait, it's not for me
@sergiosouza9628
2023! Someone else?
@bonelbongan
❤
@user-oo2be1ek9w
Meeeeee 2023
@user-rd2iq7vy3n
From ThaiLanD ....Always Waiting With.........
.
^^"
@alejandroelegino
Eyy
@Rayhanzzzhh
Me. From 🇮🇩🤟
@ualasoliveira3325
São 04:44 da manhã estou aqui deitado com minha namorada esta grávida ouvindo esse som som e passando a mão na barriga dela pensando na chegada do meu filho e agradecendo a Deus por esse momento 🙌🏾🙌🏾
@viniciusaraujo2844
Felicidades 🥳
@ualasoliveira3325
@@viniciusaraujo2844 obrigado
@tallysom713
@@ualasoliveira3325 como está seu filho agora?