They’ve raised the bar with Strength to Survive, their fourth full-length album, an intoxicating mix of hot-rod reggae grooves and urgent, zeitgeist-capturing themes. The album, produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer, O.A.R.), is the band’s first for ATO, the label co-founded by Dave Matthews.
Hemphill says the album was greatly inspired by Bob Marley’s Survival. “That’s the greatest reggae album ever made,” he says. “It has the best basslines and the best lyrics ever heard on one record. Marley wrote it after he went to Africa. I was 13 or 14 when I listened to it for the first time and it triggered all these long-forgotten memories of when I lived in Africa as a kid. My dad was an IMF res rep in Liberia in the late 80’s. I remember when the coup first started—- my family had to hide in these iron bathtubs for 3 days because the military was shooting at everything. I was 7 and that was one of my first memories. We made it out on the last flight. So Africa was always a big part of our lives—- it defined our family, in a way. Music came right after that, so, for me, music was always tied to Africa and music was always something powerful.”
Shortly after returning from Africa, Hemphill met Bobby Lee (bass) in the first grade in Virginia. The two instantly became best friends, finding common ground through their love of hip hop, rock and reggae which they performed together at their middle school talent shows. Throughout high school, they met Ryan Berty (drums), Kenneth Brownell (percussion) and Patrick O’Shea (keyboards) and together formed SOJA. The band gigged locally in the DC area while a couple of the guys finished school, all the while making plans to hit the road after graduation. They actually wound up owning the road.
Over the course of the past few years, SOJA has sold more than 200,000 albums, headlined large theaters in more than 20 countries around the world, generated over 40 million YouTube views, amassed nearly 2 million Facebook fans, and attracted an almost Grateful Dead-like international fanbase that grows with each tour, with caravans of diehards following them from city to city. Most impressive of all, they’ve accomplished all this on their own. This 8-piece band has spent the past year and a half grinding it out from venue to venue, playing more than 360 dates, including headlining sold-out tours of North and South America, as well as opening for O.A.R. and sharing stages with everyone from Dave Matthews Band to Matisyahu.
With Strength to Survive, the band makes an impassioned call for unity and change with universally relatable songs about faith, hope and love. “I could go on and on about the horrible damage we’ve done to the earth or the problems that arise when countries compete for money over an imaginary border, but the album has one central theme,” says Hemphill, “and that’s our hope for the world to be one family.”
It’s a concept best exemplified in the song “Everything Changes.” “People out there with no food at night,” sings Hemphill, “And we say we care, but we don’t, so we all lie/But what if there’s more to this, and one day we become what we do, not what we say/Maybe we need to want to fix it. Maybe stop talking, maybe start listening/ Maybe we need to look at this world less like a square and more like a circle.”
Among the album’s many highlights is the ethereal “Let You Go,” about the road not taken, “Mentality,” the disc’s hard-hitting opening track, and the one-two punch of “Be With Me Now” and “When We Were Younger,” the latter bringing together the macro and the micro with the simple yet resonant line, “All of my answers, now that I’m older, turn into questions.”
Hemphill says the band’s simple and honest approach to music is what’s enabled them to break through obstacles of language, distance and culture in amassing an international following. “What’s the alternative – pop music?” he laughs. “Pop music—especially American pop music, is about having money, sleeping with models, living in mansions, spending all of our time in clubs and generally being better than the rest of the world. It’s funny, ‘cuz everyone here is broke. We sing about different things—things that actually matter. I think our fans appreciate that.”
“When I look out in the audience and I see these kids with tears in their eyes, not because I’m singing a love song, but because I’m singing about how the world is dying and we’re the only ones who can stop it, that is huge. I live for that. We played a festival in Brazil in front of 80,000 people, and everybody was singing every word—in English. After one of the songs, I told them, ‘We’re on the road a lot, and people always ask me, “Don’t you ever get homesick? Don’t you miss your family?” I said, ‘It took me awhile to realize this, but this is my home, and you all are my family.’ The place just blew up. It was amazing. But it’s the truth—those are my people and I always want to do right by them. It’s is the only game in town for me.” ❖
Be Aware
Soldiers of Jah Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under any circumstance Jah message you have to hear.
No matter where you go, Jah is always there,
So in the face of evil InI have no fear.
Well city life is the shitty life for me
Too much confusion up in Falsen'dun, D.C.
People rushing with no place to go,
Even when I am driving in my car,
Or you don't get a chance to leave the city very far.
Keep focused on truth with meditation and prayer,
Jah will show you you can go anywhere...
So be aware, and your mind must be clear
Under any circumstance Jah message you have to hear.
No matter where you go, Jah is always there,
So in the face of evil InI have no fear.
Walking through the woods with your backpack full of gear
Is fine, but realize that you've got to be aware.
I know it's hard, and I'm glad to be there,
But I will see so much more if my mind stays clear.
Jah is speaking just listen to the birds,
'cause the plants and the animals are all messengers.
So seek, and you will find relation
'cause Jah earth and all in it, we are one creation.
So be aware, and your mind must be clear
Under any circumstance Jah message you have to hear.
No matter where you go, Jah is always there,
So in the face of evil InI have no fear.
Check it...
There were men who used to live that way,
They didn't need guns or knives to survive in those days...
Till Babylon came with their false reality -
The earth used to provide more than we could ever need.
Now it seems like we're going the wrong way,
"Forward ever, backwards never" as the wise man say.
Let us go back to the way they used to live,
So the earth can be around for our children's kids
To be aware, and your mind must be clear
Under any circumstance Jah message you have to hear.
No matter where go Jah is always there,
So in the face of evil InI have no fear.
The lyrics of Soldiers of Jah Army's song Be Aware focus on the importance of being aware and having a clear mind in order to receive Jah's message. The song encourages listeners to stay focused on the truth even in the face of confusion, rush and city life. The artist urges individuals to practice meditation and prayer to stay connected to Jah and seek Jah's message through nature's messengers: plants, animals, and birds. The song highlights the need to return to a simpler way of life, where Babylon's false reality does not cloud our connection with nature and our environment. The message is to stay aware, stay connected with Jah, stay in tune with nature, and not be influenced by the distractions of city life.
Line by Line Meaning
Be aware, and your mind must be clear
Stay conscious and focused to fully comprehend Jah's message
Under any circumstance Jah message you have to hear.
Regardless of the situation, be open to understanding Jah's guidance
No matter where you go, Jah is always there,
Jah's presence is constant, regardless of physical location
So in the face of evil InI have no fear.
With Jah's messages in mind, fear does not have control over InI
Well city life is the shitty life for me
Urban living with its chaotic nature is not preferable to InI
Too much confusion up in Falsen'dun, D.C.
The city life in Falsen'dun, D.C is too chaotic for InI
People rushing with no place to go,
The city crowds are busy moving, but not necessarily progressing
No direction - InI have to cool and take it slow.
InI must take the time to slow down and regain a sense of purpose
Even when I am driving in my car,
Even in transit, InI must maintain a clear mind to receive Jah's message
Or you don't get a chance to leave the city very far.
Leaving the city is not always possible, so InI must find other ways to connect with Jah
Keep focused on truth with meditation and prayer,
Meditation and prayer help InI stay connected to Jah's teachings
Jah will show you you can go anywhere...
With Jah's guidance, InI can navigate life's journey with confidence
Walking through the woods with your backpack full of gear
Hiking through nature is a fulfilling experience for InI
Is fine, but realize that you've got to be aware.
While hiking, InI must stay alert to their surroundings
I know it's hard, and I'm glad to be there,
Being present in nature is challenging but rewarding for InI
But I will see so much more if my mind stays clear.
InI will gain a deeper understanding of Jah's message if their mind is unclouded
Jah is speaking just listen to the birds,
Nature is one of Jah's mediums for communication
'cause the plants and the animals are all messengers.
All living beings are channels through which Jah communicates
So seek, and you will find relation
InI must explore the natural world to find meaning in their own existence
'cause Jah earth and all in it, we are one creation.
All living beings and nature are part of Jah's creation
There were men who used to live that way,
In the past, humans have lived in harmony with nature
They didn't need guns or knives to survive in those days...
In the past, humans did not rely on violence to sustain their way of life
Till Babylon came with their false reality -
Babylon (a metaphor for oppressive forces) brought about a distorted view of reality
The earth used to provide more than we could ever need.
Nature has always been abundant in resources
Now it seems like we're going the wrong way,
The current trajectory of human activity is unsustainable
"Forward ever, backwards never" as the wise man say.
InI must aspire for progress without forgetting the wisdom of the past
Let us go back to the way they used to live,
InI should look to the past for inspiration on sustainable living practices
So the earth can be around for our children's kids
InI must care for the environment to preserve it for future generations
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gilvan Da silva soares
Cara que legal...
Musica para meus ouvidos...
Sempre atento
NATAL-RN 🇧🇷
Vinicius Silva
Canta muito!
Eva Souto
Brutal melhor som da minha vida
pedras preciosas do Brasil
Voz poderosa
futeboldospampas
PORTO ALEGRE, BRASIL!!!! O MELHOR SHOW DE TODOS!!!
Dann Vibes
The best band in the world (Y) Peace from midlands UK
Aryadne Abranches
Iradooooo!!!
Artmonger
SOJA is the greatest band in da world.
Carlos Giffoni
Muita Massa ! Galerinha de Salvador / Bahia da um Joinha aê \õ/
Grateful Turtle
I love his kick in the after be aware hehe