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
ONCE UPON A TIME
Soja Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said that "this is a start" and she heard the same thing again
So I didn't say one word, but what she heard in her head
Is all that she wanted to hear, damn
I tried to tell her before, the words they come out too late
And then she went for the door, and I didn't stand in her way
And when she got to ? words that she said
"Call me, never let me go" and I said "I told you so"
There's no chance, no I will never ever change
Cause I'm still in love with yesterday
"Call me, never let me go" and I said "I told you so"
There's no chance, no I will never ever change
Cause I'm still in love with yesterday
It's the same old story, the story goes:
"Once upon a time, in a land far away
There was a princess alone, alone in need of king
And then he rides into town and she gets carried away"
Yeah, she got carried away
I think she wants to hear me say
"Call me, never let me go" and I said "I told you so"
There's no chance, no I will never ever change
Cause I'm still in love with yesterday
"Call me, never let me go" and I said "I told you so"
There's no chance, no I will never ever change
Cause I'm still in
Love love never let me
Go go you never let me
No no no no don't ever let me go
Not livin in yesterday
I find a confiable place to stay
I told her "let's take it slow", she heard "forever" instead
The lyrics to Soja's song, "Once Upon A Time," reveal the common miscommunications that occur in relationships. The singer, who wants to take things slow, inadvertently gives the wrong impression to his partner by saying, "this is a start." She, in turn, hears what she wants to hear, believing that "this is a start" means they will be together forever. The miscommunication ultimately leads to their parting ways, with the partner telling the singer to never call her again.
The lyrics show the singer's frustration with his partner's inability to hear what he's actually saying. He tries to explain that words cannot be taken back, but she isn't listening. The song then transitions to the retelling of a common fairy tale, in which a princess is searching for a king. She eventually meets him, and they fall in love. The story, however, ends in heartbreak, as the singer reveals that he is still hung up on the past.
The lyrics of "Once Upon A Time" showcase the human tendency to hear what we want to hear and ignore what we don't. In a relationship, miscommunications can lead to misunderstandings and heartbreak, as the song illustrates. The repetition of the phrase "Call me, never let me go," emphasizes the longing for a deeper connection and the hope that the relationship can be salvaged.
Line by Line Meaning
I told her "let's take it slow", she heard "forever" instead
I suggested that we start taking things slowly, but she interpreted it as a promise for a long-term commitment.
I said that "this is a start" and she heard the same thing again
I tried to convey that this was just the beginning of our relationship, but she believed it was similar to my previous commitment.
So I didn't say one word, but what she heard in her head
Is all that she wanted to hear, damn
I stayed quiet, but she imagined what she wanted to hear and convinced herself that it was what I meant.
I tried to tell her before, the words they come out too late
And then she went for the door, and I didn't stand in her way
And when she got to ? words that she said
"Dont ever call me no more" I think she really meant to say
I couldn't communicate effectively before, and now it's too late. She left, and I didn't stop her. When she said, "Don't ever call me again," I believe she meant that she wants me to pursue her more passionately.
"Call me, never let me go" and I said "I told you so"
There's no chance, no I will never ever change
Cause I'm still in love with yesterday
She desires me to chase her relentlessly, but I can't change who I am and still have feelings for my past.
It's the same old story, the story goes:
"Once upon a time, in a land far away
There was a princess alone, alone in need of king
And then he rides into town and she gets carried away"
Yeah, she got carried away
I think she wants to hear me say
This tale is a familiar one. The princess required a king, and he appeared, prompting her to fall head over heels. She felt swept up in the moment and longs to hear me pronounce my love for her.
"Call me, never let me go" and I said "I told you so"
There's no chance, no I will never ever change
Cause I'm still in love with yesterday
She wants me to call her frequently and never let her go, but I warned her I wouldn't change. My heart is still fixated on past memories.
Love love never let me
Go go you never let me
No no no no don't ever let me go
Not livin in yesterday
I find a confiable place to stay
I want to feel loved and wanted, please don't let me go. I don't want to dwell in the past, instead, I aim to find a dependable place to reside.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DWAYNE CHIN-QUEE, JACOB HEMPHILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamesphelps9573
There was a princess alone waiting for her king :) me and my fiancé are playing this at our wedding :)
@boxero415
love this song!!!
@ruepike6937
this song is everything & more
@boxero415
This song is dopeee
@dennisortiz-morales9214
My fucking Jam!
@TraPStarErA
She Left Forever Instead :/ Turned My Heart Up Side