She is the daughte… Read Full Bio ↴Alice Russell (b. 1975) is a British soul singer.
She is the daughter of an organist, and grew up in Framlingham in Suffolk. At the age of nine, following in her father's and sisters' musical footsteps, Russell began taking lessons on cello, and sang in choirs, before studying art and music in Brighton from 1994.
As well as the classical influences of her father, and formal music lessons, Russell listened to gospel music and soul artists such as Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin from an early age, which played a big part in the shaping of her style. Other artists such as Minnie Ripperton, Eva Cassidy, Chaka Khan, and Jill Scott are listed by Russell as influences.
She began making a name for herself in the early 2000s, contributing to recordings by Bah Samba, Quantic, TM Juke, Kushti and Nostalgia 77. Her work with Bah Samba sees Russell fusing Latin sounds with tinges of house, jazz and funk, whereas her material with the band Kushti involved a more laid back, hip-hop and soul inspired sound. Her debut album, Under the Munka Moon (2004), was an amalgamation of various singles, remixes, and collaborations.
It was followed by My Favourite Letters in 2005, her debut studio album, created in collaboration with co-writer, producer, and guitarist Alex Cowan (a.k.a. TM Juke). Her third release, Under the Munka Moon II (2006), compiled her most recent collaborations, remixes, and cover versions, including her popular interpretation of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. The Alice Russell – Live in Paris DVD also came out in 2006.
Russell and TM Juke have been touring together since 2006 in the U.K, Europe, Australia, the U.S., and other countries. In summer 2006, Grant Marshall (a.k.a. Daddy G of Massive Attack) asked Russell to play the main stage at The Big Chill music festival. Russell has also supported Lonnie Liston Smith, Femi Kuti and De La Soul, and has appeared on the bill with Amy Winehouse for the British showcase at the Midem Music Conference in Cannes 2007.
Got The Hunger
Alice Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somethings going wrong
Something feeling mighty bad
And its making us all feel so so sad
Because the people they open their mouths
And nothing but lies fall out
They keep on talking round and round
But this song has been, sung about, many times before
I got hunger, I got hunger
I got hunger, I got hunger
I got hunger, I got hunger
I got hunger
Somethings always telling me
I fall so hard I can hardly breathe
Citizens of the earth take flight
and Seen as one with all our might
So many rules and regulations
They're putting us in our place
They say it makes us comfortable
They say it keeps us safe!
But it only makes things scary, And fills us full of fear
I got hunger, I got hunger
I got hunger, I got hunger
I got hunger, I got hunger
I got hunger
(we got to work together)
What you gonna do? What you gonna do?
What you gonna do? What you gonna do?
What you gonna do? What you gonna do?
What you gonna do? What you gonna do?
Because people they open their mouths
And then nothing but lies spill out
Then they keep on, they keep on talking round and round
They are trying to pacify the crowd
So many rules and regulations
They're trying to put us in our place
They will make us feel so comfortable
And then they will say it keeps us safe
But it only makes things scary, And pours us full of fear
got to work together, we got to work together
got to work together, we got to work together
The lyrics to Alice Russell's song "Got The Hunger" speak to the frustration and dissatisfaction with society and its leaders. There is a sense that something is wrong, and it is making people feel sad. The people who are supposed to be in charge, those who "open their mouths," are not providing truthful or helpful guidance. Rather, they talk in circles to pacify the crowd. Russell suggests that this is not a new issue, as this song has been sung before.
The chorus of "I got hunger" is repeated throughout the song, representing a desire for change and a better future. Russell expresses that something is "always telling me" that there is more to life than what it seems, and that citizens should come together as one to achieve a better future. The rules and regulations put in place are not actually helpful, according to the lyrics; rather, they create fear and discomfort, making life scary. Russell urges people to work together to make things better.
Overall, the lyrics of "Got The Hunger" are a call to action, urging listeners to recognize the issues in the world and work together to create a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Somethings going on
Something is happening
Somethings going wrong
Something is going in the wrong direction
Something feeling mighty bad
Something is causing a lot of discomfort
And its making us all feel so so sad
This discomfort is making everyone unhappy
Because the people they open their mouths
When people speak up
And nothing but lies fall out
They reveal nothing but falsehoods
They keep on talking round and round
They continue to speak without making any real progress
Pacify the crowd
They try to calm people down
But this song has been, sung about, many times before
This situation has been discussed before
I got hunger, I got hunger
I have a strong desire
Somethings always telling me
I sense that something important is happening
I fall so hard I can hardly breathe
I feel overwhelmed
Citizens of the earth take flight
People all around the world are energized
and Seen as one with all our might
And they are united in purpose
So many rules and regulations
There are too many restrictions
They're putting us in our place
They are trying to control us
They say it makes us comfortable
They claim it's for our own good
They say it keeps us safe!
They argue that it is necessary for our safety
But it only makes things scary
But it actually makes us more afraid
And fills us full of fear
And it creates a lot of fear in us
What you gonna do? What you gonna do?
What are we going to do about it?
Because people they open their mouths
When people speak up
And then nothing but lies spill out
They reveal nothing but falsehoods
Then they keep on, they keep on talking round and round
They keep speaking without making any real progress
They are trying to pacify the crowd
They are trying to calm people down
So many rules and regulations
There are too many restrictions
They're trying to put us in our place
They are trying to control us
They will make us feel so comfortable
They will try to make us feel at ease
And then they will say it keeps us safe
And then they will argue that it is for our safety
But it only makes things scary
But it actually makes us more afraid
And pours us full of fear
And it creates a lot of fear in us
got to work together, we got to work together
We need to collaborate
got to work together, we got to work together
We need to collaborate
Contributed by Gianna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.