King was born on the 24th August 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., the first of two daughters. While King was a small child, her father noticed her natural musical ability, and encouraged her interest in music. She was introduced to the guitar at the age of four, and played for several years, but after taking up the drums a few years later, they became her primary instrument as an adolescent.
Convinced that her break in music would come from being a drummer, King played in bands in high school with classmate Morgan Jahnig, who would later become the bassist of Old Crow Medicine Show. Upon graduating from The Westminster Schools in Atlanta in 1998, the two friends made their way to New York University. During her time there, King picked up the guitar again, and revisited the finger-style techniques that intrigued her as a child. From there, King played a few occasional gigs and busked in the New York subways.
In February 2006, Rolling Stone released a list of "The New Guitar Gods", with King as the sole woman and youngest artist honoured. In addition to a ten-year career that includes six LP and two EP albums, King has also spent significant time scoring music for television and film. She worked alongside Eddie Vedder and Michael Brook, contributing the music for the soundtrack to Sean Penn's Into the Wild, for which King, Vedder, and Brook were nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.
King's style combines fret-tapping with slap bass techniques, using the guitar for percussive beats, as well as sound layering and looping. Her playing style has been compared to Michael Hedges and Preston Reed; she explicitly cites the latter as an influence.
Falling Day
Kaki King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Screaming noise, collapse a lung
Between his lips
Full of steamships
Cowards, heroes fight
Blazing deadly night
So I'm told, so I'm told
So I'm told, so I'm told
So I'm told, so I'm told
Build them night and day
Build them night and day
Build them night and day
Build them night and day
Everything comes from somewhere else
Everyone stays alone
Everything comes from somewhere else
Everyone stays alone
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Build them night and day
Build them night and day
Build them night and day
Build them night and day
Everything comes from somewhere else
Everyone stays alone
Everything comes from somewhere else
Everyone stays alone
Everything comes from somewhere else
Everyone stays alone
Everything comes from somewhere else
Everyone stays alone
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
Falling day, falling day
The lyrics to Kaki King's "Falling Day" are open to various interpretations due to their abstract nature. The first stanza appears to describe a violent scene with stories falling like drops of blood and screaming noise, which suggests chaos and destruction. The next two lines, "Between his lips/Full of steamships", seem to imply that someone is attempting to speak out but is instead overwhelmed by feelings of anxiety and pressure. The third stanza, "Cowards, heroes fight/Blazing deadly night", suggests a battle between values or ideals, with opposing sides clashing in an intense and dangerous way.
The chorus, "Everything comes from somewhere else/Everyone stays alone/Falling day, falling day", seems to speak to the idea that humans are disconnected from each other and from the world around them. The idea of everything coming from somewhere else suggests that people are all impacted by external factors that are beyond their control. Meanwhile, the line "Everyone stays alone" emphasizes that despite this influence, people remain isolated and disconnected from each other. The repeated "Falling day" at the end of each chorus line adds to the sense of despair and senselessness.
Overall, "Falling Day" is a haunting and abstract song that touches on themes of disconnection, chaos, and the incomprehensible nature of the world. Its lyrics suggest a sense of confusion and unrest, with people struggling to make sense of a world that seems out of their control.
Line by Line Meaning
Stories fell like drops of blood
The stories being told are full of pain and suffering, each one a drop of blood representing the harshness of reality.
Screaming noise, collapse a lung
The intense and loud noise being made is enough to cause a physical reaction, making it difficult to breathe and even causing bodily harm.
Between his lips
Something is being held or said between the lips of a person, possibly something secret or intimate.
Full of steamships
The situation or environment is filled with activity and energy, like a bustling harbor full of ships.
Cowards, heroes fight
Everyone, regardless of their bravery or fear, must face battles and struggles in life.
Blazing deadly night
The darkness and danger of night is all-consuming, potentially leading to fatal consequences.
So I'm told, so I'm told
The singer is only relaying what she has been told or what she has heard from others.
Build them night and day
The act of constructing something is a constant, ongoing process, happening both day and night.
Everything comes from somewhere else
Nothing truly originates from nothingness; everything has a source or starting point.
Everyone stays alone
Despite our connections to others and the world around us, we are ultimately alone in our experiences and perceptions.
Falling day, falling day
The singer repeats this phrase to emphasize the cyclical, inevitable nature of change and decay.
Build them night and day
Again emphasizing the ongoing process of creation and maintenance, never stopping even in the shadows of night.
Falling day, falling day
The inevitability of decline and collapse continues to repeat itself, regardless of attempts to build and sustain.
Everything comes from somewhere else
A reminder that nothing is truly original; all ideas and creations are influenced by what has come before them.
Everyone stays alone
Despite our desire for community and connection, we are ultimately separate beings with our own unique experiences and perceptions.
Falling day, falling day
The repetition of this phrase drives home the cyclical nature of change and decline, which can be both daunting and comforting.
Build them night and day
A reminder that creation and maintenance is a never-ending, ongoing process that requires constant attention and effort.
Everything comes from somewhere else
The idea that everything is connected, and that all creations and ideas are influenced by something that came before them.
Everyone stays alone
Our personal experiences and perceptions set us apart from others, even as we strive for connection and community.
Falling day, falling day
The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the inevitability of decline and the cyclical nature of life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joanna K
I love her new album, it's quite visual, the lyrics and everything.
Carey Buss
Love the smile at the end, just shows how she never takes herself too seriously.
ShinerCCC
got this album in the mail along with Dream Theater's new album, birthday present from my dad. I gave it a listen not knowing anything about it and liked it. Love the use of 7/8 meter in this song.
lucyuen
love the style of this video. Kaki look so pop/rock all of a sudden. love it.
Jelly Eyes
its crazy to me that this artist isnt more well known
Liou Bian
it's even more amazing if u know that she plays the ukulele for this song!
wretchrow (2014)
This video is really cool, it reminds me of the good old 90's music videos. You know, the kind of stuff Beavis and Butthead watched together. That's the good stuff.
CyberchondriacNess
Great, another epic song with a cool video that I'll never see on TV.
MrHipwise
What's funny about that statement is that Kaki King did some of the music for a movie called "August Rush," and when Justin Beiber was 8 they made a video of him trying to imitate her. It's actually pretty badass.
Wioleta Zarczuk
i love her smile at the end.