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.” ❖
I Don't Know
Soldiers of Jah Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But she only tried to get near me
And never ever knowing about my inside
Having one that I hold is worth so much
More to me if it's both body and her mind
You think I'm alone when everyone is around,
You think I'm home but I'm really out
That you don't know me no more
You think I'm alone when everyone is around,
You think I'm home but I'm really out
Then you think I'm out when I'm really at home and it seems
That you don't know me no more
Girl you don't know me no more, this love is real to me
To make you happy and secure that's what's important to me
And anytime ya not around, I want you here with me,
'Cause girl, you really appeal to me
But I see a serious lack of communication,
Ask you for a meal, say you want to bring me chicken
Like you don't know that I'm a vegetarian
Is this a love or an infatuation 'cause
You think I'm alone when everyone is around,
You think I'm home but I'm really out
Then you think I'm out when I'm really at home and it seems
That you don't know me no more
You think I'm alone when everyone is around,
You think I'm home but I'm really out
Then you think I'm out when I'm really at home and it seems
That you don't know me no more
You don't know me no more no
You don't know me no more no
You don't know me no more no
You don't know
And now all I've learned is all I'm taking now with me,
Never will I wait for too long again
And you can take all our old roses with you
'Cause I've got new gardens I must grow, I must grow
Think I'm alone everyone is around
Think I'm home but I'm really out
Then you think I'm out when I'm really at home and it seems
That you don't know me no more
Think I'm alone when everyone is around,
You think I'm home but I'm really out
You think I'm out I'm oh it seems that you don't know me no more
And girl you can't hold me no more, 'cause I got places to go
And anywhere that I go I got people I know
I wanna see you everyday knocking at my door, but
First, I really gotta let you know that
This is a troubled world that we live on,
And the almighty creator put me on a mission,
So you can walk with me on this path through creation,
And we can help each other reveal our visions
Now it seems that you don't know me no more
Now it seems that you don't know me no more
Now it seems that you don't know me no more
Now it seems that you don't know me no more
Don't it seems that you don't know me no more
Oh it seems that you don't know me no more
Don't it seems that you don't know me no more yeah
Now you don't know me no more
You don't know me no more yeah
Now you don't know me no more yeah
Now you don't know me no more
The song "You and Me" by Soldiers of Jah Army describes a man's struggle to find a meaningful connection with his partner. He had someone by his side, but she never truly got to know him on a deeper level. He values a connection that involves both body and mind. The chorus repeats the phrase "You think I'm alone when everyone's around, you think I'm home but I'm really out." This line seems to convey a sense of loneliness even when surrounded by people. The singer wants his partner to know him truly, to be with him, and support him in his mission through creation. The song ends with a sense of growth and self-awareness. He's learned from previous relationships and wants to build new, better connections.
The song touches on themes of communication, authenticity, and loneliness. The chorus is catchy and memorable, and the lyrical content is easy to relate to. It speaks to a universal desire for close connections and the difficulties that can arise in achieving them. The song is an emotional one that showcases Soldiers of Jah Army's musical talents.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I had one by my side,
But she only tried to get near me.
And never ever knowing about my inside..
But one that I hold is worth so
Much more to me if it's both body and mind.
I was with someone who only wanted me for appearances and didn't care to truly know me. But I've found someone who values both my physical and emotional self.
You think I'm alone when everyone's around,
You think I'm home but I'm really out.
You think I'm out but I'm really at home and it seems
That you don't know me no more.
You assume you know where I am or how I'm feeling, but you don't truly understand me anymore.
Girl you don't know me no more, this love is real to me.
To make you happy and secure that's what's important to me.
And any tie you're not around, I want you here with me,
'cause girl, you really appeal to me...
But I see a serious lack of communication,
Ask you for a meal, say you want to bring me chicken -
Like you don't know that I'm a vegetarian.
Is this a love or an infatuation 'cause
I care about making you happy and being together, but I feel like you don't truly know me or understand my needs. It makes me question whether we truly love each other or it's just an infatuation.
All that I've learned is all I'm taking now with me,
Never will I wait for too long again.
You can take all old roses with you 'cause
I've got new gardens I must grow.
I've learned from my past mistakes and won't wait around for someone who doesn't truly value me. I'm moving on to new opportunities and growth.
And girl you can't hold me no more, 'cause I got places to go
And anywhere that I go I got people I know.
I wanna see you everyday knocking at my door, but
First, I really wanna let you know that...
I have to keep moving forward, and even though I want you in my life, you can't hold me back. But before anything else, I need you to understand this.
This is a troubled world that we live on,
And the almighty creator put me on a mission,
So you can walk with me on this path trough creation,
And we can help each other reveal our visions.
Our world is in a difficult place, and I feel like it's my mission to do something important. I want you by my side as we strive to make a difference and support each other's goals and visions.
Think I'm alone, everyone is around
Sometimes it can feel like no one truly understands me, even when surrounded by people.
You think I'm alone but everyone's around
You think I'm home when I'm really out
You think I'm out but I'm really at home and it seems
That you don't know me no more.
Reiteration of the earlier sentiment that even when surrounded by people, no one really knows the depth of my feelings and experiences.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jacob Charles Hemphill, Robert Lee Jefferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rickeykoga2312
I remember watching this video yeeeears ago and thinking it was good quality! Man how times have changed, but the vibes remain the same
@NV3814
I still get comments on my vids saying horrible quality but the video was posted 13yrs ago LOL
@fikzlabamba
brooo thats factssss, i been watching this video for a decade now
@Elijah_sk_
quality is not about HD or fps, it's about vibe <:3 timeless song
@djangi_unchained
"The almighty creator put me on a mission. So you can walk with me on this path trough creation, and we can help each other reveal our visions ..." The words in the lyrics remind me something I passed ... This song (both the lyrics and the music) is a MASTERPIECE ... BIG UP ..!!
@will93100
nothing better than waking up very early, see the sunrise, go to the beach and pay waves two meters tall, and in the evening see the sunset, light a joint and traveling all night.
@Izzy_loves20
Yeah you’re not cool bud
@rm5537
cant believe I've been listening to this band for 10 years. this song really takes me back :)
@aydenbreslerman4513
Robert Manning lol I remember seeing them in concert and six people there I love them they are really good guys and I'm so proud of them
@alvaroriveravelado5527
18 now