At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
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Esthero Lyrics
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Why don't you drop my pants, I'll make you squeal like a pig…)
Feet in the water is not cold enough
You're not woman enough
Inside your daughter is not warm enough
And you're not woman enough, no
For the soul you never sold
For the soul you never sold, no
So I follow you down this road
Well you try but you can't let go
So hold on to years ago
Cold as a lover, don't you wanna stay?
Breath from another and I'll have my way
Inside your daughter
You can never hold what you can't let go 'cause he wants it so
She'd sell her own mother
Just to make a dime before closing time when he tells her so
Don't compromise what's gold
For the soul you never sold
For the soul you never sold, no
So I follow you down this road
Will you drive, well you can't let go
So long, two years ago
She said she wanted me to hit it but I said I wasn't with it
Eyes red, thighs spread, better come get it
While it's hot the goods I got, nevermind my bad credit
Told me how she was soaking wet and I'm the one who wet it
Can't lie I sweat it but I knew that if I ran through that it's up the creek
I'm headed
Body was there without nor sight nor vision still embedded
But I knew for fucking sure that in the morning I'd regret it
Had to debt it, I jetted
He got me hooked 'til I was shooking in the middle of the game
Teary eyes, touch my thighs, future high you'll be my game
Could have kept it but I left it embedded instead of it dissecting me
Free spirit I feared it but steered it to clear it the stress in me
Possessing me, the chemistry, mother want me in the ministry
Where misery influenced me corruption claiming custody
And I knew this time, I had to feel the pain
It was needed so I'll see what caused deception in the game
Don't compromise what's gold
For the soul you never sold
For the soul you never sold, no
So I follow you down this road
Will you drive, well you can't let go
So hold on to years ago
I'll try to understand
When you're down on your knees in front of a man
I'll try to understand
Don't compromise what's gold
For the soul you never sold
For the soul you never sold, girl
The lyrics to Esthero's song "Sitting on Chrome" are incredibly complex and layered with meaning. The song seems to touch on themes such as exploitation, self-worth, and the struggle to escape past mistakes.
The first verse talks about the idea of never being enough. The singer of the song is told that she's not "woman enough" and that her daughter is not "warm enough." These phrases seem to tie into the overall theme of not feeling adequate in the eyes of others. The chorus then urges the character to hold onto what she values and not compromise her "gold" for something that is not worth it.
The second verse tells a story of a sexual encounter that the singer is not comfortable with. Lines such as "she said she wanted me to hit it but I said I wasn't with it" and "I knew for fucking sure that in the morning I'd regret it" convey the idea that the singer was pressured into doing something she didn't want to do. The third verse then touches on the idea of feeling trapped and trying to escape a cycle of pain and deception.
Overall, "Sitting on Chrome" is a thought-provoking and intense song that deals with heavy themes. The lyrics are layered with meaning and the song itself has a haunting and atmospheric quality to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Feet in the water is not cold enough
You're not easily satisfied
You're not woman enough
You're not strong enough to handle this
Inside your daughter is not warm enough
You feel somewhat disconnected from your loved ones
And you're not woman enough, no
And you're not capable of handling that kind of pressure.
Don't compromise what's gold
Don't give up something valuable for something lesser
For the soul you never sold
For the things you never exchanged for anything
So I follow you down this road
I'm willing to follow you wherever you might lead
Well you try but you can't let go
You're struggling to let go of past mistakes
So hold on to years ago
Hold onto the memories of better times
Cold as a lover, don't you wanna stay?
Indifferent and uncaring, do you want to leave?
Breath from another and I'll have my way
I'm only interested in what I can get from you
You can never hold what you can't let go 'cause he wants it so
You can't control what you're obsessed with
She'd sell her own mother
She'd do anything for money
Just to make a dime before closing time when he tells her so
She'll do whatever he wants to earn a quick buck
She said she wanted me to hit it but I said I wasn't with it
She tried to pressure me into something I didn't want
Eyes red, thighs spread, better come get it
She was clearly ready and willing
Can't lie I sweat it but I knew that if I ran through that it's up the creek I'm headed
I was tempted but knew it would lead to trouble
But I knew for fucking sure that in the morning I'd regret it
I knew I would regret it in the morning
Had to debt it, I jetted
I had to get out of there and forget it
He got me hooked 'til I was shooking in the middle of the game
He had me addicted and vulnerable
Teary eyes, touch my thighs, future high you'll be my game
He promised me a bright future but only wanted me for his own gain
Could have kept it but I left it embedded instead of it dissecting me
I could have held onto the situation but chose to leave it behind
Free spirit I feared it but steered it to clear it the stress in me
I was afraid of losing my independence but managed to ease my anxiety
Possessing me, the chemistry, mother want me in the ministry
I was caught up in the moment and my family wanted me to be a religious leader
Where misery influenced me corruption claiming custody
The difficult circumstances of my life affected me and led me down a destructive path
And I knew this time, I had to feel the pain
I knew I needed to face the consequences this time
It was needed so I'll see what caused deception in the game
It was necessary to understand what was behind the deception in the situation
I'll try to understand
I'll do my best to empathize with your situation
When you're down on your knees in front of a man
When you're in a subservient position
Don't compromise what's gold
Don't give up what's valuable
For the soul you never sold, girl
For the things you never exchanged for anything
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARTIN DANIEL MC KINNEY, PENDING SAMPLE WRITER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind