All My Friends

reposting to make the verses easily to see in regards to the interpretation which I did verse by verse

(verse one)

Tell me, if I come do i ever get to go? Or will you just break down and cry God bless your soul When everbody sees we're growing cold But you don't know That lately, i've been unable to hold down all the air And i know i always swore i'd never swear But i'm growing so damn tired of getting old And getting cold, God bless my soul

(verse two chorus)

All my friends are telling me Everything that i could be And i just smile, but secretly I think i'm starting to believe I'm gonna make it out of here

(verse three)

Give me intoxication over sobriety Give me proof of everything that you believe I really don't appreciate you preaching to me Can't you see? Oh, you'll see that i'm more that just a waste of given space Or a rejection of your offer of some grace Cause i know that there's a time and there's a place for me And i can see

(verse four chorus)

That all my friends are telling me Everything that i should be So i just smile, but secretly I know i'm starting to believe I'm gonna make it out of here

(verse five)

Girl i swear to you i'll never let them tear my soul out Try as though they may they'll surely fail without a doubt Looking back we'll wonder what we were so sad about The best days of our lives pass by before we figure out

(verse six chorus)

That all my friends believe in me And everything i'm gonna be So we just smile, and we start to sing To anyone and everything We're gonna make it out We're gonna make it out We're gonna make it out Oh, we've gotta make it out of here

I worked on it and I truly believe it means something along these lines especially based on things I read and heard about him..let me know what you think

(verse 4 and 6 are repeats of verse 2 essentially)

Overall, I think it is about his personal struggles to be who he wants to be and do what he thinks he must as opposed to what others want for him It's not about death at all (except it is alluded to in some ways)

[verse one]

I think the first verse is to parents and other older relatives in his life, I suspect particularly his mom..like he needs more risk and excitement over the tried and true normal job they want for him--he's asking will the time EVER come I can leave or will you just cry (though he loves her ..his mom)..be can barely breathe for stagnating in his prison-like town...I understand we both have our points of view so don't be harsh on either of us ("god bless us both in our POV)...he may be even going so far as to say..you are dying (physically) but so am I (emotionally/mentally).

(chorus verse 2 (4 and 6)

His friends understand though and tell him he truly has it and genuine talent and he will really be big someday, and now he is beginning to believe it. that he'll get out of the town he hates that cramps and constrains him. He is, naturally, listening more to his friends as teens do and since they reinforce what he secretly hopes for and believes.

(verse 3)

he is saying That IF they are right, in their advice that he wait and (do the standard first--college, job, family) before making it it on his terms or if they are right in their advise that he can't make it on his term (too risky., dangerous, and scary from his folks pov, that he MUST see the proof of it or don't lecture him, that he know is his heart he will be MUCH more than they ever imagine for him..he know to his core that something awaits him out there..if he waits for his mom's hopes that he will outgrow this wonderlust and huge (maybe he will be dissapointed) dream wrapped in her fears and worries and desire to protect him, that he will be giving up what he knows in his soul and to the core of his being that he will be and must be. Essentially prove it or stop bugging me.

(verse five)

After the earlier verses he then turns from angst, anger, and sadness to tender concern and reassurance to his mom

I think maybe the next verse is to his mother now growing softer to her motherly concerns for him and worries if he strikes out and leaves the standard path for the cold world and seeking his dream and forortunes thst no he won't let it harm his soul and change who he is, they will try but he will be true to who he is and what he has learned. since his mom has suffered for several years with cancer, there is probably a lot of sadness and why us god but life is passing by while we do this and eventually we will see it is in vain to worry about tomorrow and let today seek by and lose its joys. We must carrry on to our paths and life despite death knocking at the door.

I had read somewhere someone thought the song was about death, but I think my interpretation may be closer to it..so many of his songs are deep ad difficult to understand and fascinating to try to figure out. Knowing his personal history somewhat helps a lot.

sorry posted twice and do not know how to delete one

if Josiah ever reads my interpretations and I am wrong, I hope he won't hold that against me..as I am a huge fan..in fact, he helped me today.

I had to lie perfectly still in a pet scan for 30 minutes to see if I have lung cancer or not..I am so scared when I woke up and then I got in the machine and I immediately started itching everywhere and it was hard to not move a muscle and time crawled by so uncomfortably I was so stressed out until I started singing his songs in my head and trying to remember the lyrics and it got me through this difficult half hour quicker. so thank you, Josiah, for your lovely songs and sharing your immense talent with us all.

reposting to make the verses easily to see in regards to the interpretation which I did verse by verse

(verse one)

Tell me, if I come do i ever get to go? Or will you just break down and cry God bless your soul When everbody sees we're growing cold But you don't know That lately, i've been unable to hold down all the air And i know i always swore i'd never swear But i'm growing so damn tired of getting old And getting cold, God bless my soul

(verse two chorus)

All my friends are telling me Everything that i could be And i just smile, but secretly I think i'm starting to believe I'm gonna make it out of here

(verse three)

Give me intoxication over sobriety Give me proof of everything that you believe I really don't appreciate you preaching to me Can't you see? Oh, you'll see that i'm more that just a waste of given space Or a rejection of your offer of some grace Cause i know that there's a time and there's a place for me And i can see

(verse four chorus)

That all my friends are telling me Everything that i should be So i just smile, but secretly I know i'm starting to believe I'm gonna make it out of here

(verse five)

Girl i swear to you i'll never let them tear my soul out Try as though they may they'll surely fail without a doubt Looking back we'll wonder what we were so sad about The best days of our lives pass by before we figure out

(verse six chorus)

That all my friends believe in me And everything i'm gonna be So we just smile, and we start to sing To anyone and everything We're gonna make it out We're gonna make it out We're gonna make it out Oh, we've gotta make it out of here

I worked on it and I truly believe it means something along these lines especially based on things I read and heard about him..let me know what you think

(verse 4 and 6 are repeats of verse 2 essentially)

Overall, I think it is about his personal struggles to be who he wants to be and do what he thinks he must as opposed to what others want for him It's not about death at all (except it is alluded to in some ways)

[verse one]

I think the first verse is to parents and other older relatives in his life, I suspect particularly his mom..like he needs more risk and excitement over the tried and true normal job they want for him--he's asking will the time EVER come I can leave or will you just cry (though he loves her ..his mom)..be can barely breathe for stagnating in his prison-like town...I understand we both have our points of view so don't be harsh on either of us ("god bless us both in our POV)...he may be even going so far as to say..you are dying (physically) but so am I (emotionally/mentally).

(chorus verse 2 (4 and 6)

His friends understand though and tell him he truly has it and genuine talent and he will really be big someday, and now he is beginning to believe it. that he'll get out of the town he hates that cramps and constrains him. He is, naturally, listening more to his friends as teens do and since they reinforce what he secretly hopes for and believes.

(verse 3)

he is saying That IF they are right, in their advice that he wait and (do the standard first--college, job, family) before making it it on his terms or if they are right in their advise that he can't make it on his term (too risky., dangerous, and scary from his folks pov, that he MUST see the proof of it or don't lecture him, that he know is his heart he will be MUCH more than they ever imagine for him..he know to his core that something awaits him out there..if he waits for his mom's hopes that he will outgrow this wonderlust and huge (maybe he will be dissapointed) dream wrapped in her fears and worries and desire to protect him, that he will be giving up what he knows in his soul and to the core of his being that he will be and must be. Essentially prove it or stop bugging me.

(verse five)

After the earlier verses he then turns from angst, anger, and sadness to tender concern and reassurance to his mom

I think maybe the next verse is to his mother now growing softer to her motherly concerns for him and worries if he strikes out and leaves the standard path for the cold world and seeking his dream and forortunes thst no he won't let it harm his soul and change who he is, they will try but he will be true to who he is and what he has learned. since his mom has suffered for several years with cancer, there is probably a lot of sadness and why us god but life is passing by while we do this and eventually we will see it is in vain to worry about tomorrow and let today seek by and lose its joys. We must carrry on to our paths and life despite death knocking at the door.

I had read somewhere someone thought the song was about death, but I think my interpretation may be closer to it..so many of his songs are deep ad difficult to understand and fascinating to try to figure out. Knowing his personal history somewhat helps a lot.

Wow, thankgod someone put Josiah up on here! I was going to awhile ago, when I came across All My Friends, One Last Song, Bad News Baby, and Her on YouTube, but I didn't know if I should, and just never did. But thanks for someone finally putting him into this world.

Major fan... This song is so inspiring to me. It seems like maybe his American Idol experiences triggered this song. He finally realized that he just needs to get out there and go for it, and it doesn't matter who tells him he can't.

I nearly cried the first time I heard this song, especially in these parts:

"...I'm more than just a waste of given space" & "Girl I swear to you I'll never let them tear my soul out" & "That all my friends believe in me And everything I'm gonna be So we just smile, and we start to sing To anyone and everything"

Uh yeah pretty much the whole song.

Still make me cry sometimes... seems I have more in common with Josiah than you'd think... LOL totally kidding. (I think it's ridiculous how much crap he got for the crying, anyway... I mean, he's human! Some of us have a harder time holding tears in than others. [Me being one.])

Anyways... I'd always connected the song to getting out there, making a difference in the world, proving that even though he's just a kid living in his car he can matter. I really think the whole song is centered around becoming a singer and getting his music to the world. Getting out of his town where he's small and doesn't make a difference in the world, going to a place where he can change people's lives through music.

I can connect with the emotions in this song, and even (in the back of my mind) wonder if this'll someday be me.

calendar girl -- In response to your last post, I'll say I know how you feel (somewhat). I've often times had nothing more to get me through something than the music stored up in my head. Even though it seems it's the most powerful thing there is. I don't think I would make it through a school week without some song to sing in my head, and my zune to listen to on the bus in the morning. If I didn't know that I could come home every night and get a song in my head that would help me through the next day, I don't know if I'd have the strength to get on that bus every day.

Thank you, Josiah, and all musicians/singers everywhere.

--Peace.

There are some parts of the song that i don't really understand, but i can definatley feel the general emotions that he is trying to convey.

He is restless; living the average life of going to college, finding a stable career, getting married, having kids, ect. is not even an option for him. But since that is the excepted way to live in this society, he gets a hard time while trying to go against it. He wants to get out there and see what he can be, but he feels so many people trying to hold him back. He wants to be able to go out there and live his dream without feeling guilty for disobeying and abandoning his loved ones. But he is tried of wasting time; he wants to be able to look back on his life with no regrets. But others think that he will not make it or that he will sell out and change himself for the money.

I love Joisah more than myslef, but I even doubt how far he will make it. He is so different from everybody else, and America doesn't usually except new things. they want the pretty face with the catchy songs. But Josiah is so much more than that. His singing doesn't always sound so good, but he is pouring his heart and soul out and I firmly beleive that he is not in it for the money, that he genuinly wants to help people. I just hope that he never gives up his dream and that people will accept his raw emotion rather than getting intimidated by it and pushing it away.