As a child, Charlene practiced instruments such as clarinet, saxophone, classical piano, and violin. She started playing electrical guitar at the age of 14.
Kaye graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English, in 2009.
Charlene Kaye has achieved success largely via the internet (Kaye is also known to be good friends with people such as Team Starkid and "Glee" star Darren Criss). She opened, and played guitar in the backing band, for Team Starkid on their national tour in November 2011.
Charlene has also done collaborations with Darren Criss, including the songs "Skin and Bones" and "Dress and Tie". The song "Dress and Tie" was also featured in a promo for the NBC series "Chuck".
Charlene is very involved with her fans, and she is near constantly travelling and touring. In the summer of 2011 she launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the album "Animal Love", setting a goal of $20.000, however enthusiastic fans made the net of $33.535.
A number of singles from the album were released, before the official release on May 1st, 2012.
For more:
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Amber Light
Charlene Kaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope you find
What it is you're after
And as for me
I will be
Dreaming still of clocks all growing like fruit on my fingers' branches
And I'm thinking of things I will need in the past
It's no use to regret
And yet
The future sure didn't look like this when we first met
I'll tell you what
Time is not:
An arrow moving forward
No, I wade in seas
Of memories
I turn each moment slowly round beneath the amber light
Til I can't see what it was to start with, or which version is right
In the maze that is my mind
(i'm not so good at goodbyes)
Deep summer grass
Your hair is tousled like a windblown pirate flag
A swirl of color, smoke and ash
Our time's been had
The clocks are sinking to the bottom of the bank
But i'm always looking back
Charlene Kaye's song "Amber Light" is a reflective and introspective piece about moving on from a past love while attempting to come to terms with the memories and moments of the past. The opening lines "I'll tell you what, I hope you find what it is you're after" express a sense of finality and resignation as the singer wishes her former lover well on their journey. However, the second stanza delves deeper into the complexities of the singer's own mind, contemplating the strange and surreal imagery of clocks growing like fruit on their fingers, and thinking of things they will need in the past. This contradiction drives home the sentiment that moving on is not a linear process, and that ruminating on the past can often be a fruitless endeavor.
The chorus switches between two distinct moods, with the lines "I'll tell you what, time is not an arrow moving forward" expressing a sense of being stuck in the past, while the following line "No, I wade in seas of memories" encourages a deeper exploration of past experiences. The haunting image of turning each moment slowly round beneath the amber light is both beautiful and poignant, with the metaphor of the maze that is the singer's mind hinting at the struggle to find a way out of the past.
The final stanza is melancholic, with the singer painting a vivid picture of a past love in the "deep summer grass" with "hair tousled like a windblown pirate flag". While acknowledging that "our time's been had" and "the clocks are sinking to the bottom of the bank", the singer is always "looking back", unable to fully let go of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell you what
I want to express something important
I hope you find
I wish you success in your endeavors
What it is you're after
What you truly desire
And as for me
Regarding myself
I will be
I will exist in this state
Dreaming still of clocks all growing like fruit on my fingers' branches
Imagining my future as a manifestation of my thoughts
And I'm thinking of things I will need in the past
Reflecting on the choices that led me to where I am now
Tell me, where's the use in that?
Questioning the value of dwelling on past decisions
It's no use to regret
Feeling remorseful is unproductive
And yet
Despite this
The future sure didn't look like this when we first met
The current situation differs greatly from what was anticipated
I'll tell you what
Again, I want to express something important
Time is not: An arrow moving forward
Perceiving time as a linear progression is flawed
No, I wade in seas Of memories
I am enveloped in past experiences
I turn each moment slowly round beneath the amber light
Analyzing events with warmth and tenderness
Til I can't see what it was to start with, or which version is right
Until the original event is obscured and there are several viable interpretations
In the maze that is my mind
My thoughts are complex and intricate
(i'm not so good at goodbyes)
I struggle with farewells
Deep summer grass Your hair is tousled like a windblown pirate flag
The environment is chaotic and tranquil
A swirl of color, smoke and ash
Vivid and fleeting imagery
Our time's been had
Our time together has ended
The clocks are sinking to the bottom of the bank
Time is elusive and unreliable
But i'm always looking back
I continue to dwell on the past
Contributed by Zachary L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
selena_is_art
I have been looking for this song on here! Thank you so much! It calms me down when I’m having a bad day. Thank you ❤️
kenna elise
Thank you for posting this, I've been looking for it online everywhere! It always calms me down and I've only been able to listen to it on my portable cd player for years lol