In late 2015 Kahn released 10 000 under the moniker Emilie & Ogden, a record of folk- inspired indie ballads soaked in the pains of youth. The harpist traced a lovesick narrative across haunting blends of electronica and indie rock, a track list of lush landscapes driven by tales of bad breakups and hurt feelings. Released under Montreal staple Secret City Records, 10 000 was a pop album of its own league, and it quickly garnered wide acclaim for a new artist only beginning to discover her talents.
Her initial success gave way to more: A viral video became a headlining tour; Festival circuits and sold out marquees; Stints opening for Half Moon Run; European dates with Plants and Animals. Soon, Emilie had found her seat at the table in the burgeoning Montreal indie rock scene.
3 years later, Kahn is no longer the same songwriter. She’s dropped the moniker and with it any sense of impersonation; what’s left is Emilie as herself, a keen writer determined to bend pop to her will. Outro, her latest effort, produced in collaboration with Warren C. Spicer of Plants and Animals, shows a craftsman come into her own. The songs have become something else, something older. Outro is a remorseful exit from youth, a pained look back as Kahn pores over every misplaced feeling and bad call. Teeming with adulthood’s melancholy, Kahn offers indie pop crafted with a miniaturist hand toward intimacy while still reaching for the grandiosity of the genre’s icons. This is a record that stings as much as it soothes, and never misses a chance to swing for the fences as she glances around one last time before heading off to some future island.
Island
Emilie Kahn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm no better than all the rest
But you told me I was special
Shouldn't have said I was special at all
So I've given it thought
I should just go away to an island
I'll disappear
Oh please tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm fine
Say it's all good, I'll be alright
Tell me you want me to stay forever
Just the way things are meant to be, I guess
Got no sway on my destiny, I guess you could say
But I can't make sense of every time
You pick me up and you put me down
Every time you take me back and throw me out
I can't make sense, I can't make sense of it
So I've given it thought
I should just go away to an island
I'll disappear
You'll never have to think of me again
Oh please tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm fine
Say it's all good, I'll be alright
Tell me you want me to stay forever
Oh please say you forgive me
Can we just go back to the way it was?
Say you forgive me, can we just go back to the way it was?
Can we just go back, can we just go back to the way it was?
Can we just go back, can we just go back to the way it was?
'Cause I've given it thought
I should just go away to an island
I'll disappear
You'll never have to think of me again
I know I'm right, know I'll be fine and it's all good
I just need to get away from everyone I've ever met
So I've given it thought
I should just go away to an island
I'll disappear
You'll never have to think of me again
I know I'm right, know I'll be fine and it's all good
I just need to get away from everyone I've ever met
But tell me you want me to stay and I'll forget all of this
The lyrics of Emilie Kahn's song Island portrays a feeling of confusion, isolation, and vulnerability in a relationship. The singer talks about how she is no better than anyone else and how her partner once made her feel special. However, she regrets being considered special in that relationship and wishes to disappear to an island to avoid being a burden on her partner's mind. She seeks her partner's assurance that everything will be alright, but she feels trapped in a relationship that constantly puts her up and down emotionally. She wants to make sense of her partner's actions and his intentions because she cannot make sense of how she feels.
The lines "I should just go away to an island" and "You'll never have to think of me again" show how the singer wants to end the relationship, disappear from their partner's life, and start over. She wants to free herself from the emotional distress that the relationship is causing her. However, at the end of the song, she pleads her partner to forgive her and let them go back to the way it was.
Overall, the song reflects a sense of feeling lost, powerless, and making decisions that one might later regret. Through the lyrics, Emilie Kahn shows that relationships can be complicated, and it is not easy to understand one's emotions and the emotions of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Just the luck of the draw, I guess
I am no different from others; it's just my fate.
I'm no better than all the rest
I am not superior to others.
But you told me I was special
You made me feel unique and different from others.
Shouldn't have said I was special at all
It was a mistake to be made to feel special.
So I've given it thought
I have contemplated and arrived at a conclusion.
I should just go away to an island
I should isolate myself from everyone by going to an island.
I'll disappear
I will vanish and not be seen anymore.
You'll never have to think of me again
You will no longer be concerned or bothered about me.
Oh please tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm fine
I am seeking your reassurance that everything is okay and I am not in the wrong.
Say it's all good, I'll be alright
Tell me that everything is okay, and I will be fine.
Tell me you want me to stay forever
Express your desire for me to stay with you permanently.
Got no sway on my destiny, I guess you could say
I have no control over my fate.
But I can't make sense of every time
I cannot understand why every time.
You pick me up and you put me down
You keep changing your attitude towards me.
Every time you take me back and throw me out
Every time you take me back, you eventually reject me.
I can't make sense, I can't make sense of it
I cannot comprehend why you keep treating me this way.
Oh please say you forgive me
I am asking for your forgiveness.
Can we just go back to the way it was?
Can we go back to the time when things were good between us?
Cause I've given it thought
Because I have considered my options.
I know I'm right, know I'll be fine and it's all good
I am convinced I've made the right decision and all will be well.
I just need to get away from everyone I've ever met
I need to distance myself from everyone I've come across in life.
But tell me you want me to stay and I'll forget all of this
If you tell me you want me to stay with you, I will forget my plans of isolation.
Writer(s): Emilie Kahn
Contributed by Emma V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sillygirl.8875
❤️ LYRICS ❤️
Just the luck of the draw, I guess
I'm no better than all the rest
But you told me I was special
Shouldn't have said I was special at all
So I've given it thought
I should just go away to an island
I'll disappear
You'll never have to think of me again
Oh please tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm fine
Say it's all good, I'll be alright
Tell me you want me to stay forever
Just the way things are meant to be, I guess
Got no sway on my destiny, I guess you could say
But I can't make sense of every
time you pick me up and you put me down
Every time you take me back and then you throw me out
I can't make sense, I can't make sense of it
So I've given it thought
I should just go away to an island
I'll disappear
You'll never have to think of me again
Oh please…
@flungingpictures
Thx to CBC Radio for playing her music
in concert LIVE solo, her voice & harp & with her band.
@debbie233
You are the most beautiful singer I have ever heard in my life! I accidentally found your song on the radio, and I can't even believe how beautiful your music is! Huge fan here!
@Ohridginal
Just saw your concert at the Drake Hotel. Great vibe..... almost a sacredness to your show. Thanks again.
@justsomesadvintagewasteoft3461
Tbh, this made me cry. It's so beautiful. I love this song so much. Your voice is so nice too!
@derwinolszewski6002
Its hard to find a word to describe this.......beautiful....haunting....and Emilie is as stunniing as her talent and as beautiful as her voice. Amazing....I cant listen to this enough! Thank you Emilie.
@FUMESTER
voice is really good... sounded even better live on CBC
@trapapadarappa
❤ Emilie, great combination of contemporary sounds and classical instruments. Lots of talent, damn cute as an extra I guess !
@imogen4659
Gorgeous!!!
@elinaschanel
So into your music since day 1
@kevinhernandez1159
Love this and that last scene was priceless