[音樂]用靈魂唱歌的James Morrison

兩年前，一個洗車工人因為上班遲到十分鐘被炒魷魚，生活瞬間陷入困境。兩年後，全世界都會記得，這個秋天英國電台裡這首空降點播冠軍的好歌“You Give Me Something”，簡單而深刻的歌詞、沙啞且充滿靈魂的歌聲，尤其一聽難忘。讓眾人跌碎眼鏡的是，這個唱起歌如80歲黑人靈魂歌手般深刻的本尊竟然只有21歲！James Morrison詹姆斯墨里森的天才傳奇，簡直就是電影「心靈捕手」的真人版！


電影裡上演著出身貧民區的數學天才，無所事事和狐群狗黨閒混度日，對全世界都懷著警戒與不信任；現實生活中的詹姆斯也有著艱苦的童年，出生時曾感染百日咳而差點喪命，大難不死後也留下了他特殊的沙啞嗓音；父親在他4歲時棄家出走，負債累累的母親拼命工作撫養子女，因此他必須自己上下學、煮晚餐、燙衣服，為了躲債也得跟著不停搬家，養成他早熟獨立的個性，也讓他對生活有更深刻的感觸。

幸運的是，家中再窮唯一不缺的就是好音樂。曾在樂團擔任主唱的母親收藏了Pink Floyd、Van Morrison、Marvin Gaye、Stevie Wonder等專輯，啟發他對音樂的熱愛；13歲時舅舅教給他藍調吉他第一套和絃，直到如今他每天都會拿起吉他彈唱。做過旅館清潔工、又被洗車廠解僱後，詹姆斯義無反顧走上音樂之路，尋找pub演出機會，此時一位曾同台的吉他手邀他一起灌錄試唱帶，引起藝人經紀Spencer Wells好奇。試音時詹姆斯才開口唱了兩小節，就讓Spencer Wells驚豔不已，迅速將他引薦給英國大廠Polydor。

堅持不唱無法感動自己的歌，詹姆斯將生命經驗寫作一首首動人旋律。他甚至推辭了在好萊塢電影中擔任主角演出的機會；一張真誠寫實、交織人生悲喜的音樂結晶【Undiscovered】順利誕生。Q雜誌、衛報、Heat雜誌全數四星好評，首支感激女友一路相隨的抒情單曲“You Give Me Something”空降UK Top 5，在iTunes數位下載榜與電台播放榜雙雙奪冠，【Undiscovered】順勢空降英國金榜冠軍；取材自爵士樂巨擘Louis Armstrong傳世名曲的“Wonderful World”再登英國金榜Top 8。絕對白人的年輕外表下卻擁有媲美Otis Redding的滄桑靈魂嗓音，連創造「R&B」一名詞的傳奇製作人Jerry Wexler都讚譽有加！

「我不是靈魂歌手，我只是用靈魂唱歌。」

或許你還不了解詹姆斯，但聽他的歌你就會懂。

--
You want to stay with me in the morning
You only hold me when I sleep,
I was meant to tread the water
Now I've gotten in too deep,
For every piece of me that wants you
Another piece backs away.

'Cause you give me something
That makes me scared, alright,
This could be nothing
But I'm willing to give it a try,
Please give me something
'Cause someday I might know my heart.

You already waited up for hours
Just to spend a little time alone with me,
And I can say I've never bought you flowers
I can't work out what the mean,
I never thought that I'd love someone,
That was someone else's dream.

'Cause you give me something
That makes me scared, alright,
This could be nothing
But I'm willing to give it a try,
Please give me something,
'Cause someday I might call you from my heart,
But it might me a second too late,
And the words I could never say
Gonna come out anyway.

'Cause you give me something
That makes me scared, alright,
This could be nothing
But I'm willing to give it a try,
Please give me something,
'Cause you give me something
That makes me scared, alright,
This could be nothing
But I'm willing to give it a try,
Please give me something
'Cause someday I might know my heart.
Know my heart, know my heart, know my heart