Raised in Connecticut, Pureka is said to have begun writing songs at the age of eight; by 16 they were playing the guitar. Following performances at local coffee houses and open mics, they began opening shows for such artists as Erin McKeown and Pamela Means while completing a degree in biology at Wesleyan University. After graduating, they worked in a microbiology research lab at Smith College in Northampton, eventually leaving to focus on their music full-time. In June 2001, they recorded a self-titled seven-song EP in preparation for a three-month nationwide tour with lesbian folk poet Alix Olson.
In 2004, Pureka released Driving North, their first full-length album, earning rave reviews from fans and fellow artists alike. In 2006, they released Dryland, and toured the US a second time as a headlining act. In May 2007, Pureka was a member of the month-long New American Songwriter Tour in New York City, Philadelphia, and Massachusetts. The tour also featured Krystle Warren, Jesse Harris and Ryan Scott. In July 2007, Pureka's song, "Swann Song" won 1st Place in the Acoustic competition on the independent music site OurStage.com.
In October 2007, Pureka was nominated for 2007's Outstanding Folk Act by the Boston Music Awards. They were also awarded an ASCAPLUS award in the summer of 2007.
Pureka is the founder of their label, Sad Rabbit Music. As well as their own releases, they have lent their vocals and guitar playing to several tracks by artists like Olson and Arjuna Greist; a notable track is "Checking My Pulse" with Olson, which went on to become a relative hit for Olson.
Pureka identifies as genderqueer and cultivates an androgynous appearance. They have received positive reviews in the long-running radical feminist publication off our backs and other magazines. Pureka's music does not deal explicitly with LGBT issues, focusing instead on emotional interactions between individuals.
On January 20, 2009, Pureka released a fourth album, an EP entitled Chimera. In April 2010, Pureka released their fifth album, How I Learned To See In The Dark
www.chrispureka.com
Momentary Thief
Chris Pureka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just caught you on a good day...
We were laughing in the back
Of an old city taxi,
With no mention of my borrowed time,
Just the glow of the whiskey
And the holiday lights.
Because we're just going to call it a day...
So you can run out in the front yard
And wave goodbye to the plane...
But I remember the corner,
The bar and the moment
That I came un-tethered and fell,
Into that scene from my favorite movie,
Yeah you know the one...
Well, I'll tell you what,
I'll save you the trouble of running away.
Yeah I'll tell you what,
I'll save you the trouble of running away,
Yeah I'm already gone out the door
And I stole this moment for me,
This moment for me....
Well you're no kind of contrast
To all my somber ways,
We may as well have a picnic darlin'
Out in the driving, pouring rain,
But I'll just carry on,
Pretend that's just how I'm inclined.
So you better grab a hold of something,
Steady, steady, 'cause I'm cutting the line...
But I remember your shoulder,
Your breath and the moment,
That I came un-tethered and danced,
Into that dream, the one where you kiss me
And then the camera flashed...
Well, I'll tell you what,
I'll save you the trouble of running away.
Yeah I'll tell you what,
I'll save you the trouble of running away,
Yeah I'm already gone out the door
And I stole this moment for me,
This moment for me, this moment for me,
Indelible and bright....
In "Momentary Thief", Chris Pureka is describing a temporary moment of happiness that she experienced with someone she never fully won over. She reflects on a time when they were riding in the back of an old city taxi, laughing and enjoying each other's company, without any mention of the limited time they had together. As they part ways, she recalls the location where she first fell for this person and had a fleeting moment of feeling unbounded. She affirms that she's already gone and taken this moment for herself, making it indelible and bright.
Through her lyrics, Pureka also portrays a touch of sadness and resignation. She knows that this relationship was short-lived, and there's no need to give it a name or pretend it's anything more than what it was. She feels like this person isn't a contrast to her somber ways and is almost like a temporary distraction from her ordinary life, but nonetheless, she treasures the memory of their time together. The line "I've already gone and stolen this moment for me" suggests that she's been hurt before, and perhaps this is her way of protecting herself from getting hurt again. Overall, "Momentary Thief" is a bittersweet song about a fleeting connection that meant something to Pureka, even if it didn't last.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I never won you over,
I didn't manage to win your love.
I just caught you on a good day...
You were in a good mood when we met.
We were laughing in the back
We were having fun while traveling in the back seat.
Of an old city taxi,
We were riding in a vintage city cab.
With no mention of my borrowed time,
I didn't bring up the fact that I had limited time.
Just the glow of the whiskey
We were enjoying the warmth of the whiskey.
And the holiday lights.
We were surrounded by festive lights.
Well there's no need to name this,
We don't need to label this situation.
Because we're just going to call it a day...
Let's just end things for the day and move on.
So you can run out in the front yard
You can go out to the front yard.
And wave goodbye to the plane...
And say goodbye to the plane as it takes off.
But I remember the corner,
I have a vivid memory of the street corner.
The bar and the moment
I recall being at the bar and the moment when it happened.
That I came un-tethered and fell,
That I felt unburdened and fell into the moment.
Into that scene from my favorite movie,
It felt like I was in a scene from my favorite movie.
Yeah you know the one...
I think you know which movie I'm talking about.
Well, I'll tell you what,
Let me tell you something.
I'll save you the trouble of running away.
I'll spare you the trouble of having to run away.
Yeah I'm already gone out the door
I've already left through the door.
And I stole this moment for me,
I took this moment just for myself.
This moment for me....
This moment is mine to keep.
Well you're no kind of contrast
You're not quite the opposite of me.
To all my somber ways,
You don't complement my serious personality.
We may as well have a picnic darlin',
We might as well make the best of the situation and have a picnic, my dear.
Out in the driving, pouring rain,
Even if it's raining heavily outside.
But I'll just carry on,
But I'll just keep going.
Pretend that's just how I'm inclined.
And pretend that it's part of my natural behavior.
So you better grab a hold of something,
You should hold onto something tight.
Steady, steady, 'cause I'm cutting the line...
Be careful, I'm disconnecting or withdrawing from this situation.
But I remember your shoulder,
I recall leaning on your shoulder.
Your breath and the moment,
I remember feeling your breath and the moment when it happened.
That I came un-tethered and danced,
That I felt free and danced away.
Into that dream, the one where you kiss me
I felt like I was in a dream where you kissed me.
And then the camera flashed...
And then something unexpected happened.
Well, I'll tell you what,
Let me tell you something.
I'll save you the trouble of running away.
You don't have to run away because of me.
Yeah I'm already gone out the door
I've already left through the door.
And I stole this moment for me,
I took this moment just for myself.
This moment for me, this moment for me,
This moment belongs to me and no one else.
Indelible and bright....
I will always remember this moment in vivid detail.
Contributed by Alexis N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.