Mwelwa was born in Lusaka, Zambia, Hilary Mwelwa, but relocated with her family to London at age five. Her home was filled with a varied mix of music, ranging from traditional Zambian music to the American R&B of Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. While she loved music, Mwelwa attended London’s Westminster University and earned a degree in biological sciences. However a demo she cut during a break in school became the source of a new career choice for her. It led to the recording, with Sawyer, of 2000's Soul Organic. The disc took Europe by storm and crossed the Atlantic on the strength of a smooth cover of Franklin's "Until You Come Back to Me."
Soul Organic wound up being named to a number of critics' top ten lists for the year and catapulted Hil St. Soul to the category of young acts to watch. It showed an artist with an engaging voice and developing songwriting skills, clearly immersed in the NeoSoul movement but also with a fine sense of the groove of classic soul and even smooth jazz.
Hil St. Soul signed with Shanachie Records for their sophomore disc, Copasetic and Cool. It again received strong reviews and became the group's first album to hit the US R&B charts. Like its predecessor, it showed a relatively laid back style and solid songwriting. Ironically, the cut that received the most airplay was a Whitney Houston-like cover of the Isleys' "For the Love of You."
In 2006, Hil St. Soul readied the release of SOULidified, again on Shanachie, the duo's first album of all original material.
Pieces
Hil St Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You wear out my soul, and you naw at the bone of my contention
Everything that I do ain't never good enough for you
And everything that I say you choose to throw away
Chorus:
This constant arguing is doing me in
I just can't seem to win and I can't seem to please you
This pain and suffering goes on, and on, and on
You weaken the walls and break down the doors of my defenses
Seek to the cold put a chill to the warmth of my existence
Can't reason with you, if you don't see my point of you
What's got into you? You're not the man I knew
Chorus:
This constant arguing is doing me in
I just can't seem to win and I can't seem to please you
Don't know where it all begins but it sure never ends
This pain and suffering goes on, and on, and on
It's time you realize that the sun doesn't shine from your butt
Did I hurt your pride, got your nerve, well now you know what it's like
And every word that you speak is like a slap to my cheek
Now it's time that you had a taste of it...Whooooo
Bridge (3x):
Seems you're always right and never wrong
Original Mr. Know-it-All
It's gotta be your way, gotta have your say or nothing at all
Even when you're on a losing streak, you never can see defeat
Cause you're too big for your own boots, for your own shoes, for your own good
The lyrics to Hil St Soul's song "Pieces" describe the feeling of being caught in a toxic relationship where one person constantly tears the other down. The singer is expressing frustration with their partner who seems to be trying to destroy them emotionally and mentally. The song describes how the words and actions of their partner are systematically breaking down their defenses, leaving them feeling weakened and vulnerable. Despite their efforts to please their partner and make things work, they feel like everything they do is never enough. The constant arguing and pain and suffering is becoming too much for the singer to bear.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful as it captures the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of negativity with no escape. The singer expresses that they just can't seem to win, no matter what they do, and that the pain and suffering just goes on and on. The lyrics suggest that the partner is unwilling to see reason and understand the singer's perspective. This lack of empathy and understanding is causing the singer to feel unseen and unheard.
The bridge of the song hammers home the idea that the partner is always right and never wrong. They are portrayed as being too big for their own boots and unable to see defeat, even when they are on a losing streak. This suggests that the partner is not just toxic to the singer, but to themselves as well. Overall, the song is a powerful expression of the pain and frustration that can come with being caught in a harmful relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You beat up my heart and you pick at my brain tearing me to pieces
You emotionally hurt me and cause me distress, which breaks me down
You wear out my soul, and you naw at the bone of my contention
You drain me of my energy and persistently attack the source of my deepest concerns
Everything that I do ain't never good enough for you
No matter what I do, it is never satisfactory to you
And everything that I say you choose to throw away
You disregard everything I communicate to you, actively rejecting my opinion or feelings
This constant arguing is doing me in
This consistent conflict is causing me mental and emotional exhaustion
I just can't seem to win and I can't seem to please you
No matter how hard I try, I cannot satisfy or gain your acceptance
Don't know where it all begins, but it sure never ends
I am unsure where this began, but the conflict always seems to persist and never resolve
You weaken the walls and break down the doors of my defenses
You intentionally break down the barriers I set to protect myself
Seek to the cold put a chill to the warmth of my existence
You aim to bring negativity and harshness into my life, which dampens the positivity and joy I experience
Can't reason with you, if you don't see my point of you
I find it impossible to have a logical conversation with you, as you refuse to acknowledge or understand my perspective
What's got into you? You're not the man I knew
I am confused by your recent behavior, as it deviates significantly from my previous experiences with you
It's time you realize that the sun doesn't shine from your butt
It's time for you to realize that you are not always right and deserving of praise
Did I hurt your pride, got your nerve, well now you know what it's like
You may be experiencing hurt emotions, but this is what I have to deal with constantly
And every word that you speak is like a slap to my cheek
Your words are hurtful and feel like an attack on me personally
Now it's time that you had a taste of it...Whooooo
Now you're experiencing what I have to deal with regularly
Seems you're always right and never wrong
You constantly believe that you are correct and will not admit to being incorrect
Original Mr. Know-it-All
You think you know everything and refuse to listen to alternative perspectives
It's gotta be your way, gotta have your say or nothing at all
You want things to happen your way and refuse to compromise or listen to others
Even when you're on a losing streak, you never can see defeat
You cannot acknowledge that you are not always correct, even when you are proven wrong repeatedly
Cause you're too big for your own boots, for your own shoes, for your own good
You have an inflated ego and it is interfering with your ability to form healthy relationships and resolve conflicts
Contributed by Miles F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.