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
By My Side
Soja Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the more that I press her is the more she slips away.
Act like I don't need her but...Yo, you're necessary...
Like ten days from now I won't see your face when I sleep.
Act like I can hear, but Jah knows I'm deaf.
Act like I can see but now, yo, from me sight has left.
Act like I don't know but, I know these things...
Each morning, on each night
when I need you by my side
on each morning and on each night
when I need you
Like I don't care but each and every time
your face comes across it never ever leaves my mind.
Oh, like I don't know but...I know your thing
like I don't feel it, but I'm gonna feel it every evening now on -
Each morning, on each night
when I need you by my side
on each morning and on each night
when I need you
I act like I left her, but the truth is I beg her, beg her to stay...
And the more that I press her, means all the more that she slips away.
Act like I don't need her, but I'm here to tell you that you're necessary.
Like ten days from now I won't see your face when I'm on -
Each morning, on each night
when I need you by my side
on each morning and on each night
when I need you by my side.
- On each morning and on each night when I need you so desperately
The lyrics to Soja's song "By My Side" speak about a man's struggle to admit that he needs his partner. He acts nonchalant and distant, pretending like he can live without her, but in reality, he can't bear the thought of being without her. He realizes that no matter how much he may push her away, she is necessary for his wellbeing. The more he tries to act like he doesn't need her, the more she slips away. He acknowledges that he may act like he doesn't care, but her presence always lingers in his mind. He also admits that even though he may act like he is unaffected, eventually, he will feel the impact of her absence every day.
The song is about the fear of vulnerability and the struggle to communicate one's true feelings. It highlights the importance of being honest with oneself and one's partner. The man in the song realizes that pretending to not need his partner is not the answer, but admitting that he needs her is the first step in keeping her by his side.
Line by Line Meaning
I act like I left her, but I really beg her to stay.
I pretend that I left her, but in reality, I plead with her to stay.
And the more that I press her is the more she slips away.
The more I try to hold onto her, the more she distances herself from me.
Act like I don't need her but...Yo, you're necessary...
I act as if I don't need her, but the truth is that she is important to me.
Like ten days from now I won't see your face when I sleep.
I know that in ten days, I won't have her by my side when I go to sleep.
Act like I can hear, but Jah knows I'm deaf.
I act like I can hear, but in reality, I cannot.
Act like I can see but now, yo, from me sight has left.
I act like I can see, but I have lost my ability to.
Act like I don't know but, I know these things...
I pretend that I don't know, but the truth is that I am aware.
Act like I don't feel it but I'm gonna feel it, every morning now on
I act like I don't feel it, but I will feel the pain every morning from now on.
Each morning, on each night when I need you by my side
Every morning and every night, when I long for her presence.
on each morning and on each night when I need you
When I am desperately seeking her comfort, day and night.
Like I don't care but each and every time your face comes across it never ever leaves my mind.
I act like I don't care, but her face remains etched in my memory every time I think of her.
Oh, like I don't know but...I know your thing
I pretend that I am not aware, but I know all about her.
like I don't feel it, but I'm gonna feel it every evening now on -
I act as though I don't feel anything, but the pain will hit me every evening from now on.
Each morning, on each night when I need you by my side
Every morning and every night, when I long for her presence.
on each morning and on each night when I need you by my side.
When I am desperately seeking her comfort, day and night.
I act like I left her, but the truth is I beg her, beg her to stay...
Although I pretend that I left her, the reality is that I beg her to stay.
And the more that I press her, means all the more that she slips away.
My attempts to hold onto her only push her further away.
Act like I don't need her, but I'm here to tell you that you're necessary.
Despite my façade, I acknowledge that I need her by my side.
Like ten days from now I won't see your face when I'm on -
I know that in ten days, I won't have her by my side when I'm going through...
Each morning, on each night when I need you by my side
Every morning and every night, when I long for her presence.
on each morning and on each night when I need you by my side.
When I am desperately seeking her comfort, day and night.
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tara Mashay
on Here I Am
This guy is in love with a girl and tries pushing her away. They both care a lot about each other, for her own well being he tries to ignore her. But due to his life style of traveling she knows when he's around (tour dates posted online,etc) "she sees on her screen I am so here I am, here I am" he can't keep from seeing her because deep down they both want to be there so here he is. Neither of them care if they date other people normally because they both know they can't be together (maybe distance? Or he cares more about his passion for music?) "She don't call me one and only no she just calls me when she gets lonely" she gets lonely when she's not getting attention from other people where she is so she calls him to feel better because she's lonely and be gives in a lot to talk to her because he enjoys it. "I'm just a passing plan" sometimes he's able to stay away because he doesn't want her to be dependent on him when she's lonely. She knows he's always come back.