In 1989, Nicole sang back-ups on The The's 'Mind Bomb' tour. Back in NYC later the same year, she joined Repercussions, an uptown-based soul-hip-hop live ensemble, releasing the club hit "Promise" on Mo Wax in 1992 and subsequently collaborating with Curtis Mayfield on "Let's Do It Again". After two albums as Repercussions and one as Crown of Brahma, Nicole returned to London in 1998 to record the track "Swords" with Leftfield.
1999 sees Nicole recording with Jimi Tenor and Maurice Fulton in Barcelona and developing a solo project with producer/composer Dougie Bowne. Mostly collaborating with her husband Jimi Tenor, she released the albums "Soul Makeover" (2000) and "Be It" (2004). In 2005 and 2006, she has worked with The Soul Investigators (recording as Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators), and some more solo work too.
Still Got a Way to Fall
Nicole Willis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Isn′t that the same thing as moving to the cracks
Slippin' out of the over spill
Pushing up against our will
To the very extremes
Living beyond our means
And indulging in the popular dreams
That the supersized lives will make us believe
′Cause we are all in this together
And the ones that fall down
Will grapple at the hems of those still standing
Avalanche of the men and woman
Buried beneath the frozen sea of pain
Who's to gain
Nobody gonna save you
Predators luring to harassing you
On the phone until your message box is full
Full to the brim
How can we begin? — again
It's a strain to maintain this kind of life we live in
Eat not what not and not to be seen
Attacking the very beaned with starvation
Emulation of the mythical streams of consciousness
And we still got a way to fall
Before you′re forgiven
And we still got a way to fall
Before you′re forgiven
Defenselessness
We figh' you figh′
You die brother
Couch bred overfed
Not a job of real love
Blink to the ring
Of the motorways raging
Nobody's engaging the children in another way
You′ve gotta pay collage funds and when it's done
Forever you′ll be payin'
Interest not in our interest
It's anyone′s guess where we′ll end up
It's really enough brother, believe me
It′s really enough brother, believe me
And we still got a way to fall
Before you're forgiven
And we still got a way to fall
Before you′re forgiven
And we still got a way to fall
Before you're forgiven
And we still got a way to fall
Before you′re forgiven
In Nicole Willis's song "Still Got a Way to Fall," the lyrics describe the struggle of living in a society where people push themselves to the extreme to achieve their dreams. The metaphor of a "chain gang" refers to those who are trapped in the cycle of trying to attain the popular ideals of a "supersized life." The lyrics suggest that despite being in this together, those who fall down are left to grapple for help from those still standing, resulting in an avalanche of people buried beneath the frozen sea of pain, and nobody truly gains from this way of living.
The song further highlights the issue of defenselessness, where individuals feel the need to fight and fend for themselves in a society that focuses on personal success rather than community engagement. This atmosphere of individualism leaves behind those who are not privileged enough to have access to the same opportunities, trapping them in a cycle of poverty and desperation. The lyrics suggest that forgiveness is a distant goal, and there is still a long way to go before society can truly come together and address these issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Chain gang
We are all bound together by societal constraints
Isn't that the same thing as moving to the cracks
Our attempts to escape those constraints are futile
Slippin' out of the over spill
Trying to leave behind our current situation
Pushing up against our will
Our desires are at odds with what is expected of us
To the very extremes
We are willing to go to great lengths to achieve our goals
Living beyond our means
We are trying to have more than we can afford
And indulging in the popular dreams
We are chasing after societal ideals and expectations
That the supersized lives will make us believe
We are being sold a false idea of what success and happiness look like
'Cause we are all in this together
Our individual actions have an impact on society as a whole
And the ones that fall down
Those who struggle are not alone
Will grapple at the hems of those still standing
They will try to hold on to those who are doing better
Avalanche of the men and woman
There are many who are struggling
Buried beneath the frozen sea of pain
Their struggles are a heavy burden to bear
Who's to gain
There is no clear winner in this situation
Nobody gonna save you
We are responsible for our own well-being
Predators luring to harassing you
There are those who will take advantage of the vulnerable
On the phone until your message box is full
They will not leave you alone
Full to the brim
Your life is overflowing with problems
How can we begin? - again
We need to start over, but it's not clear where to begin
It's a strain to maintain this kind of life we live in
Our current lifestyle is unsustainable and exhausting
Eat not what not and not to be seen
We are told to consume less and hide our struggles
Attacking the very beaned with starvation
We are causing harm to ourselves through malnutrition
Emulation of the mythical streams of consciousness
We are trying to meet impossible ideals of enlightenment and self-awareness
And we still got a way to fall
Before you're forgiven
We have a long road ahead of us before we can make amends for our mistakes
Defenselessness
We are vulnerable to outside forces
We figh' you figh'
You die brother
There is a constant struggle and competition between individuals
Couch bred overfed
We are sedentary and overeating
Not a job of real love
Our work is not fulfilling or meaningful
Blink to the ring
Of the motorways raging
We are caught up in the chaos of modern life
Nobody's engaging the children in another way
We are failing to provide a better future for the next generation
You've gotta pay collage funds and when it's done
Forever you'll be payin'
The cost of education is a lifelong burden
Interest not in our interest
Those in power are not acting in our best interests
It's anyone's guess where we'll end up
The future is uncertain and unclear
It's really enough brother, believe me
We have had enough and need a change
Writer(s): Nicole Daniele Willis, Lassi Osmo Tapio Lehto, Petri Juhani Toikkanen
Contributed by Eli Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.