It's been a while, but we are back with UPstar. Music's "Wise Words" feature, where an artist picks one of their songs and we get to hear the inspiration behind some lines as well as how the song came to be. Brittany Moore breaks down some of the lyrics to her hit song "Jesus and Janis". Written by Brittany, Aaron Clafton and SJ McDonald, "Jesus and Janis" took on a life of its own; going viral on Tik Tok to being noticed by Bobby Bones and later performing this masterpiece on his show. Brittany's latest single, which was released on April 16th, 2021, has racked up over 60,000 streams on Spotify. I love this song - a catchy melody, fresh lyrics and the majestic voice behind it. Brittany Moore knows how to get the people dancing!
My momma tried to keep me in the choir Said I was bound for the brimstone and fire Sometimes you gotta take the heat Sometimes you gotta run
"I love this lyric for a couple reasons. Although I was actually raised by my grandma (momma flowed better), this lyric is so true to me. I grew up in the church choir and was consistently encouraged to pursue a career in Christian music. It was a struggle to find balance for me, knowing my heart was in country music but my surroundings wanted me to go in a different direction. I also thought this set up “...sometimes you gotta take the heat” was a perfect play on words after referring to the “brimstone and fire” line. It’s the whole “do what you gotta do” mentality which really just opens it up for the chorus." - BM
Won't forget where I'm from But I loved where I landed Somewhere between Jesus and Janis
"I came into the write with the hook “somewhere between Jesus and Janis” because this was truly my story. These words encompassed my desire to play country music. Ultimately, this hook line was the overall idea that my life and my story have traces of Jesus and Janis mixed together in different ways to make me the person I am today. I also love this hook because I feel it’s been super relatable to other people in their lives. I think we’ve all got our own mixes of Jesus and Janis in us." - BM
I can roll with the outcasts Get along with the Baptist debutantes Know every word in the Hymnal But get high when I'm playing my own songs
"Verse 2 is one of my favorite sections in J&J because it really hammers down the idea that I’m a little mix of everything. I really do feel like this song shines a light to the melting pot of who I am as a person. I was raised in a Baptist home and did feel like I got along with most everyone. Although I have an appreciation for the music every Sunday, nothing gets me like playing the songs that I’ve written. I’m also a junkie for throwing in words or phrases that you don’t hear all too often in songs. I was pretty excited when we decided to land on “debutantes” making the cut for that particular line." - BM
When my time comes And I end up in heaven I know where I'll be standing Between Jesus and Janis
"This bridge really seals the deal for me as the overall message of this song. Whether it’s about the music we play or the lives we live, I find comfort knowing and believing that we’ll be together someday. I also love how seamlessly this bridge flows back into the chorus and brings closure with the final hook being “yea, I’ll be right in between Jesus and Janis.” - BM