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.” ❖
Devils
Soldiers of Jah Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Help turn night to day, help I.
Because when I'm down on my knees, I'm high.
And I been trying to find some peace, I try...
But I see innocence so far away.
And I see, we need so much work, but we play.
And You still let us live, and love us.
You put nothing on earth above us.
Those devils they pass against me, what can I say?
Always known where to find me-
'cause since the very first, I mean of my days,
Keep their lights on to blind me.
Oh it's bittersweet, follow me, how we're born
100 years pass by- your plan, Jah- we're gone.
We're tired while we're here, so we sleep.
We always take much more than we need.
We think more than we say, than we know, and...
Say more than we feel, than we show...
And You still let us live, and love us.
You put nothing on earth above us.
Devils they pass against me, what can I say?
Always known where to find me -
'cause since the very first, I mean of my days,
Keep their lights on to blind me.
Oh it feels so cold, sometimes.
Like when I start feeling old in my life...
But right then I remember why I'm here, why I'm free.
And it all comes rushing back to me, 'cause I breathe.
One day my speech will stop, A-Z.
And all my secrets unlock, and You'll see
My ten thousand transgressions and all
That I've ever done -
I'll be right here, waiting on You
Until that day I'm gone...
Till I'm gone, gone...
Till I'm gone, gone...
Till I'm gone, gone...
I'll be gone.
Till I'm gone, gone...
Till I'm gone, gone...
Till I'm gone, gone...
I'll be gone.
I'll be waiting down here...alone.
The devils they pass against me so what can I say say?
They always know where to find...me...
The song "Devils" by Soldiers of Jah Army is a poignant reflection on faith, life, and the constant battle between good and evil. The lyrics express a deep desire for guidance and illumination, particularly in the face of spiritual adversity. The opening lines, "Help me to see Your way and Your light. Help turn night to day, help I," set the tone for the rest of the song, conveying a sense of yearning and vulnerability.
Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges the challenges and temptations that confront them, symbolized by the "devils" that "pass against" them. Despite this, they remain steadfast in their faith, recognizing the importance of humility ("Because when I'm down on my knees, I'm high") and the need for constant improvement ("And I see, we need so much work, but we play"). Ultimately, the song is a powerful reminder of the enduring power of love and the redemptive potential of the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Help me to see Your way and Your light.
Asks for divine guidance to lead in the right direction
Help turn night to day, help I.
Asks for help to overcome hardships and problems
Because when I'm down on my knees, I'm high.
Praying brings a sense of elevation and peace
And I been trying to find some peace, I try...
Struggling to find internal peace amidst chaos
But I see innocence so far away.
The presence of evil overshadowing innocence
And I see, we need so much work, but we play.
We need to work harder to fix the world instead of neglecting it
And You still let us live, and love us.
Acknowledging the unconditional love of God
You put nothing on earth above us.
God values humanity above all else on Earth
Those devils they pass against me, what can I say?
Acknowledging the constant presence of evil in life
Always known where to find me-
Evil knows our weaknesses and how to exploit them
'cause since the very first, I mean of my days,
Evil has been present in our lives since the beginning
Keep their lights on to blind me.
Evil uses deception and distractions to blind us
Oh it's bittersweet, follow me, how we're born
Life is both good and bad, and we are all born vulnerable
100 years pass by- your plan, Jah- we're gone.
Life is short and part of a divine plan
We're tired while we're here, so we sleep.
Life's hardships can be tiring, sleep brings relief
We always take much more than we need.
Human greed and excessiveness
We think more than we say, than we know, and...
Reflecting on how humans are often complicated and secretive
Say more than we feel, than we show...
We often hide our true feelings and emotions
Oh it feels so cold, sometimes.
Life can be harsh and difficult
Like when I start feeling old in my life...
Feeling old and worn out, with little time left
But right then I remember why I'm here, why I'm free.
Remembering the purpose of life and freedom
And it all comes rushing back to me, 'cause I breathe.
Life is a gift to be cherished and appreciated
One day my speech will stop, A-Z.
One day everyone's life will come to an end
And all my secrets unlock, and You'll see
In the afterlife, everything will be exposed to God
My ten thousand transgressions and all
Acknowledging personal sins and faults
That I've ever done -
Everything we've done is accounted for
I'll be right here, waiting on You
Waiting for judgment day
Till I'm gone, gone...
Until the end of life
I'll be waiting down here...alone.
The inevitability of facing judgment alone
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind