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.” ❖
Strong For Them
Soldiers of Jah Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna be strong for them
Strong for them, I will be strong for them
I'm gonna be -
All those soldiers who've gone off to war
Before they knew what they're fighting for.
All those soldiers who've gone off to fight
All those soldiers who feel alone
'cause they've just right now figured out what's really going on.
Just know that you and me we both want you home...
So send them home.
Now I'm gonna be strong for them, I will be strong for them
Strong for them, I will be strong for them
I'm gonna be -
All those people defending their homes
From these bombs, and these tanks, and these guns.
Seen their brother and sister shot down,
Seen their mother and their father...gone.
Seen their future go from bad to worse,
Seen their last resort become their first.
And we act like they don't hurt,
Like they don't hurt.
Well, I'm gonna be strong for them, I will be strong for them
Strong for them, I will be strong for them
I'm gonna be -
'cause it's so easy to see your own side,
And to tell yourself that you alone are right.
We all do it, all women and men -
Every king, every ruler, and our president.
Not on your house alone falls Jah rain.
Now live for yourself, and you're gonna live in vain,
But live for your brother and you're gonna live again...
I will be strong for them,
Everyone.
I will be strong for them,
Not just some.
The song "Strong For Them" by Soldiers of Jah Army speaks to the empathy and support that we should have for soldiers and civilians caught up in wars. The song acknowledges that many soldiers and civilians may not fully understand why they are fighting, and may feel alone and scared. The singer makes a pledge to be strong for them, to support them and bring them home, regardless of which side they fight for. The song further highlights the toll that war takes on individuals and their families, showing how people defending their homes and loved ones experience deep pain and loss, and how many of us fail to recognize or acknowledge their struggles. The singer urges us all to be strong for them, all people, not just some, to understand that we are all in this world together, and that only by supporting each other can we truly live in a way that honors the divine.
The lyrics of "Strong For Them" are both emotionally charged and thought-provoking. They point out the tragedy of war and the powerful urge to protect and support those who fight in it. The lyrics bring to light the struggles and the pain of the people in warzones, both soldiers and civilians. The song calls for empathy, compassion, and humanity in the face of conflict, embodying the message of Jah love.
Line by Line Meaning
Strong for them, I will be strong for them
I promise to become more resilient and sturdy for my fellow humans who are in need.
I'm gonna be strong for them
I'm determined to better myself to help others through difficult times.
All those soldiers who've gone off to war
Before they knew what they're fighting for.
Soldiers who left to fight without knowing what they were struggling for.
All those soldiers who've gone off to fight
Before they really understood why.
Soldiers who went to fight before they truly understood the reason behind it all.
All those soldiers who feel alone
'cause they've just right now figured out what's really going on.
Soldiers who now feel lonely and isolated because they finally get to know the truth.
Just know that you and me we both want you home...
So send them home.
We all hope and pray that you return home safely and soon, so we should bring them back home immediately.
All those people defending their homes
From these bombs, and these tanks, and these guns.
People who are bravely protecting their homes from bombs, tanks, and guns.
Seen their brother and sister shot down,
Seen their mother and their father...gone.
They've watched their brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers be shot and forever gone.
Seen their future go from bad to worse,
Seen their last resort become their first.
They seen their future prospects regress, and their worst option turned into the best.
And we act like they don't hurt,
Like they don't hurt.
As they suffer, we act like their pain doesn't matter, like they aren't getting hurt.
Well, I'm gonna be strong for them, I will be strong for them
I'm committed to being there for them, to build resilience and support them through their difficult times.
Everyone. I will be strong for them,
Not just some.
I will continue being strong for all humans equally who are suffering, not just a few favorites.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Schau
SOJA one of my favorite groups!!!! When my Mom died, my brother's ex fiance said this song helped her be strong for us!!! Powerful message!
raz ravid
bless!
Rodrigo Vargas B
Melhor do reggae internacional SOJA. Aqui é Brasil 🇧🇷
Regina Santos
E 2018 continuamos ai ate o fim obrigado soja . sempre vou amar vocês.
johnnybang916
Going threw chemo i tell myself everyday i will be strong for them (my family)
mystic man
Other alternative treatment to your particular cancer... I can give your conscience a rest by showing the discoveries I have made over the years of my cancer research....... ,🙏💛💛❤️
Johnny Bang
Tux Penguin thank you! #cancerfree
Johnny Bang
Mason Summers going on 2 years cancer free! #godisgood
Mason Summers
John stay up big homie @! Blessing from Texas
Tux Penguin
I pray for your healing in the Matchless name Of Jesus Christ my brother.