King was born to an international jazz duo, Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti. King and her brother were always exposed to music, especially jazz and classical sounds during their childhood. "It was an amazing experience," she says. "It was very challenging. We went from the fanciest hotels one day, to the dirtiest motels the next day -- you know, just living off a musicians paycheck. Also, being around so much incredible music. We were in the jazz world so I was with Dizzy Gillespie one day to Clark Terry the next day. It was my education."
As the daughter of two singers - one Italian, one African American - who performed internationally as a Jazz duo, King has always been exposed to music, its challenges and its rewards, from an early age. She always knew she would follow in her parents' footsteps. "I had a hard time in school," she says, "because I already knew what I wanted to do, so I was like, let me just get started." At age 16, King took two giant steps: She got her GED, and she started writing songs.
The music on her J Records debut, East Side Story, reveals roots that are both deep & ambitious. Kings words are packed with references to the wide range of great artists that inspired her - the Beatles, Nas, Sarah Vaughn, Radiohead & Michael Jackson. "Every record that I’ve ever heard has been an influence on me", she says.
The very first song that she completed, "Business Man" - a commentary on heartless capitalists - is a central moment on East Side Story. "I always thought if I write a song, it's not going to be about relationships," she says. "There are so many things in this world to talk about." She quickly advanced from banging around on a guitar in her apartment to performing on the local folk club circuit at such noted venues as the Bitter End and CBGB's Gallery.
In the meantime, King had discovered hip-hop and immersed herself in a culture that would add yet another ingredient to her musical mix. She met Sony Music publisher Bill Brown who introduced her to Sony writer/producer Chucky Thompson, a member of Bad Boy Entertainment's famed Hitman studio team who had recorded smashes with the likes of the Notorious BIG and Mary J. Blige. Thompson signed her to his production company, and together they began searching for the right sound to capture King's eclectic tastes and styles. After taking her demos to various labels, they signed with J Records.
In 2012, King was awarded the Holly Prize (a tribute to the legacy of Buddy Holly) from The Songwriters Hall of Fame for recognition of the "all-in songwriter" whose work exhibits the qualities of Holly’s music.
King's second studio album, The Switch, was self-released by her own label, Making Music Records, on 26 June 2015.
She signed with the independent label ATO Records in 2017 and with them released her third studio album, Scenery, on 1 February 2019.
King released her fourth studio album, Sides, on January 17, 2020.
More information can be found at www.emilykingfans.com or www.emilykingonline.com
U & I
Emily King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, In The Spring, As The Lovers And Birds Would Sing,
I'd Be Walkin' Alone With Nowhere To Go
Quietly Doin' My Thing
Then Came The Sight, Of An Energy Shinin' So Bright
As You Closely Walked By Your Eyes Met With Mine
Makin' Me Feel So Alive...
Oh, I Have Been Waiting For All Of This Time...
You-Ooo Finally Found You, My Love Has Arrived
Once There Was Me, Now There's You And I.
[Verse 2:]
We Spent That Day, And We Laughed And We Smiled And
We Played..And With Everything Right, Not A Problem In Sight
I Pray That This Moment Would Stay
Then Came The Night, And We Stared At The Stars In The Sky
And As We Spoke Of Our Plans,You Reached For My Hand
Makin Me Feel So Alive And...
[Chorus:]
Oh, I Have Been Waiting For All Of This Time...
You-Ooo Finally Found You, My Love Has Arrived
Once There Was Me, Now There's You And I.
[Bridge:]
Before You Came, My World Was Empty(My World Was Empty... Yeah)
You Brought The Joy Back To My Star(You Brought The Joy Back)
And Now I Know That We Will Stay More Than Friendly(I Know, I Know, I Know)
Cuz I Want To Be, With You Always
[Chorus: x2]
Oh, I Have Been Waiting For All Of This Time...
You-Ooo Finally Found You, My Love Has Arrived
Once There Was Me, Now There's You And I.
The lyrics of Emily King's song U & I depict the story of two people who seemingly come across each other on a beautiful spring day. The singer initially describes themselves as a solitary person, walking alone with nowhere to go. However, when they see their love interest, they feel an energy shining so bright that they cannot ignore it. The two exchange glances, which makes the singer feel alive.
The second verse describes the beautiful day they spent together, laughing, smiling, and playing with no problems in sight. The singer hopes that this moment would stay forever. When the night comes, they spend time under the stars and speak about their future plans. During this moment, the love interest reaches for the singer's hand, making them feel even more alive. The bridge of the song reveals that the singer's world was empty before the love interest arrived, and they brought joy back into their life. The singer now knows that they want to be with their love interest always.
The chorus repeats the same lines, "Oh, I have been waiting for all of this time. You-ooh finally found you, my love has arrived. Once there was me, now there's you and I," which emphasizes the fulfilment the singer feels after meeting their love interest. Overall, the song U & I portrays the joy and hope of finding love after living life alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, In The Spring, As The Lovers And Birds Would Sing,
During the spring season when love was in the air and birds chirped happily, I used to walk alone without any particular purpose.
I'd Be Walkin' Alone With Nowhere To Go
I did not have any direction in life and felt lost without any specific goal.
Quietly Doin' My Thing
I kept to myself and did not engage with others much.
Then Came The Sight, Of An Energy Shinin' So Bright
Suddenly, I saw someone who was radiating with an immense amount of positive energy.
As You Closely Walked By Your Eyes Met With Mine
We made eye contact as you walked past me, and it was a significant moment for me.
Makin' Me Feel So Alive...
That moment made me feel alive and awakened something inside of me.
We Spent That Day, And We Laughed And We Smiled And We Played
We spent a day together, and it was filled with laughter, smiles, and fun activities.
And With Everything Right, Not A Problem In Sight
Everything felt perfect, and we did not encounter any issues or problems.
I Pray That This Moment Would Stay
I wished that the moment would last forever and did not want it to end.
Then Came The Night, And We Stared At The Stars In The Sky
Later that night, we sat under the stars and gazed up at the sky.
And As We Spoke Of Our Plans,You Reached For My Hand
As we talked about our future plans, you reached out and held my hand.
Makin Me Feel So Alive And...
Once again, your touch made me feel alive and happy.
Before You Came, My World Was Empty(My World Was Empty... Yeah)
Before I met you, my life felt incomplete and devoid of significant meaning.
You Brought The Joy Back To My Star(You Brought The Joy Back)
You were the missing piece that brought joy and happiness back into my life.
And Now I Know That We Will Stay More Than Friendly(I Know, I Know, I Know)
I am confident that our relationship will progress beyond just being friends.
Cuz I Want To Be, With You Always
I am committed and want to spend my life with you.
Oh, I Have Been Waiting For All Of This Time...
I had been waiting for a long time for someone like you to come into my life.
You-Ooo Finally Found You, My Love Has Arrived
You are the one I have been waiting for, and I am happy that you are finally in my life.
Once There Was Me, Now There's You And I.
I used to be alone, but now we are together, and I could not be happier.
Contributed by Isabelle H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RISHA
love this song! 🥺💗💗💗
*
All in the spring
As the birds and the lovers would sing
I’d be walking alone
With nowhere to go
Quietly doing my thing
Then came the sight
Of an energy shining so bright
As you closely walked by
Your eyes met with mine
Making me feel so alive
Oh, I have been waiting for all of this time
You, finally found me, my love has arrived
Once there was me
Now there’s you and I
We spent that day
And we laughed, and we smiled and we played
And with everything right
Not a problem in sight
I pray that this moment would stay
Then came the night
And we stared at the stars and the sky
And as we spoke of our plans
You reached for my hand
Making me feel so alive
Oh, I have been waiting for all of this time
You, finally found me, my love has arrived
Once there was me
Now there’s you and I
Before you came
My world was empty
You brought the joy
Back to my star(?)
And I know that we, will stay more than friendly
‘Cause I want to be, with you always
Oh, I have been waiting for all of this time
You, finally found me, my love has arrived
Once there was me
Now there’s you and I
(x2)
Aishia Grevenberg, Psychotherapist
This was the song my husband and I danced to at our wedding this past Saturday. I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!
Brodo Fatskins
Her harmonies are legit. Thanks for making my day at work bearable.
Latoya Parris-Bailey
I freaking LOVE me some Emily King!!!! I have heard her perform this song live with my own ears and the woman is a musical genius! Not to mention a really nice person! The album is a must have...and this song is just my absolute favorite...can't wait for some new and fresh music from her!
LaydiiVita
I hear this song on the PA system at work everyday and I was in love with it but no one could tell me who it was. I finally put the lyrics in a search. So glad I did. :) I have fallen in love with all her music.
Janine Lindsey-Williams
This is exactly how I discovered Distance!
solteria14
Sounds like a love story.
Torago Flint
Yeah my work jam at ruby Tuesday’s
marsha bellamy
Absolutely one of my favorite songs!
qbyrd0015
i absolutely LOVE this song. Love the guitar. Love the harmony. Love the composition. Love the lyrics. Love her voice
Michelle McKinney
I still love this song years later