Smith left the island to attend Berklee College of Music, where she studied composition and sound engineering, initially focusing on her voice as her primary instrument, before switching to classical guitar and piano. She employed many of the skills she refined in college in her indie-folk band Ever Isles, but a fateful encounter with a neighbor who lent her a Buchla 100 synthesizer, had a profound effect on her. Mesmerized by the Buchla’s potential, she explains "I got so distracted and enamored with the process of making sounds with it that I abandoned the next Ever Isles album." Starting with rhythmic patterns and melodic pulses, she soon began sculpting lush and exciting worlds of sound.
An Intention
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is owning it in all that it contains
And if I let go of holding on to my ego
Will you let go too?
This cold hand to the face when I'm inside a place
And you can't stand behind what it takes
An artisan knows what it takes
I feel everything at the same time
This cold hand to the face when I'm inside a place
And you can't stand behind what it takes
An artisan knows what it takes
An artisan knows what it takes
I feel everything at the same time
The lyrics of Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s “An Intention” explore the complexities of finding and owning one’s true identity. The opening lines, “The hardest part of finding out your name/Is owning it in all that it contains” suggest that discovering who we really are can be a difficult and overwhelming process. However, the next line, “And if I let go of holding on to my ego/Will you let go too?” proposes that the real challenge lies in allowing ourselves to fully embrace our true identity and let go of the false masks and protective barriers we’ve created for ourselves.
The following lines, “This cold hand to the face when I’m inside a place/And you can’t stand behind what it takes” may suggest a sense of isolation or feeling disconnected in social situations or in one’s own mind. The repetition of the phrase “an artisan knows what it takes” could be interpreted as a reminder that, just as an artisan must possess mastery and skill to create their art, we too must possess mastery and skill to create a fulfilling and authentic life. The final lines, “I feel everything at the same time” may allude to the intensity of the process of self-discovery, as we are forced to confront all of our emotions and aspects of our identity simultaneously.
Line by Line Meaning
The hardest part of finding out your name
Discovering and accepting your true identity can be challenging.
Is owning it in all that it contains
Fully accepting and embracing every aspect of your identity is difficult, but necessary.
And if I let go of holding on to my ego
If I release my sense of self-importance and arrogance,
Will you let go too?
Will you also relinquish your ego and meet me on a level playing field?
This cold hand to the face when I'm inside a place
I experience a physical and emotional barrier when I am in a specific environment.
And you can't stand behind what it takes
You are unable to support me in the necessary actions and decisions required in this environment.
An artisan knows what it takes
A skilled craftsman understands the level of dedication and hard work required to master their craft.
An artisan knows what it takes
A true artisan knows the amount of effort and perseverance required for success.
I feel everything at the same time
I am able to deeply empathize with multiple emotions and experiences simultaneously.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind