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.
Pull Me Out Alive
Kaki King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything takes over the freedom of the mind
To find it's own quest knowing more about
Lets end lets long, enough stand in, closer
Of violence fair to these not then quandary
Fainting of the tendrils that are in my chest as my mate and me are
[Chorus]
Pull me out alive
Pull me out
Pull me out alive
Oh take me to cities where all hot spots are
Inform the institutions from the defunct
Soviet union when every arrow
Will be defined as post war to be a bossed
College course right if the universe is raised
And then body you will
[Chorus]
(Oh, oh)
[Chorus]
In Kaki King's song "Pull Me Out Alive", the lyrics explore the struggle of trying to know everything and how it can take over the freedom of the mind. The line "The tyranny of trying to know everything takes over the freedom of the mind" speaks to the idea that constantly seeking knowledge can become a burden, and one can become lost in the pursuit of it. The next line "To find its own quest knowing more about" suggests that despite this struggle for knowledge, it is important for one's mind to find its own path and explore what it finds interesting.
The line "Let's end let's long, enough stand in, closer" is a bit more elusive, but it could be interpreted as a call to move past the struggle and embrace what is ahead. The line "Of violence fair to these not then quandary" explores the idea that violence is not a fair solution to problems, and that perhaps individuals should seek alternative means of conflict resolution. The final line "Fainting of the tendrils that are in my chest as my mate and me are" could suggest that the singer is so overwhelmed by their obsession with knowledge that it is affecting their personal relationships.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "Pull me out, pull me out alive", which could be interpreted as a request for help to escape the struggle and to move forward. The following stanza speaks to the idea of exploring new things and informing others, perhaps in an effort to find a new path or direction.
Overall, the lyrics of "Pull Me Out Alive" showcase the struggle to balance the pursuit of knowledge with personal growth and relationships, and the desire to escape the burdens of constantly seeking answers.
Line by Line Meaning
The tyranny of trying to know
The overwhelming burden of constantly seeking knowledge
Everything takes over the freedom of the mind
It stifles our ability to think creatively and freely
To find it's own quest knowing more about
To instead focus on our own personal journey of discovery
Lets end lets long, enough stand in, closer
It's time to stop hesitating and move forward
Of violence fair to these not then quandary
The dilemma of being faced with a situation where violence may be necessary
Fainting of the tendrils that are in my chest as my mate and me are
Being overwhelmed by emotions and feelings towards someone we care about
[Chorus]
Repeating the plea to be saved or rescued from our struggles
Oh take me to cities where all hot spots are
Desiring to experience the exciting and happening areas of a city or town
Inform the institutions from the defunct
Alerting those in charge or in power of outdated or irrelevant systems
Soviet union when every arrow
Referencing a historical event or place where decisions were made based on insufficient information
Will be defined as post war to be a bossed
Considering ways in which we can learn from the past to improve our current situation
College course right if the universe is raised
Speculating on the potential possibilities and theories of the world and the universe
And then body you will
Suggesting that it will lead to a personal transformation or awakening
(Oh, oh)
An additional vocalization or sound effect to convey emotion or emphasis
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: KAKI KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LeDiskoLove99
I love this song so much. Just because shes doing something different doesn't mean shes gone pop or she's sold out. It means she likes to try different stuff, which is really good for musicians. You don't find that now at days. Kaki rocks!
Joe Reed
to whoever said she's selling out - she's expanding, maturing, she's exploring her art. Simple as that. Sure I miss the solo acoustic instrumental stuff, but it will always be there to listen to, and maybe one day she will go back and explore that some more. Right now she's obviously digging on a new groove, be glad she's not just giving up and playing the same old shit for the next 40 years.
revolucian
One of the most brilliant evolving artists of our generation!! Go Kaki!!
freebird1969
I like the use of rotoscoping as representation,fit well with the videos theme,helping to identify it..For folks naysaying this performer,I have seen her live ,solo acoustic.She blows minds.She opened up for the Mike Gordon Band(of Phish) on his tour 2 years ago. It does seem a bit of a departure from her more minimalist freshman work.I give her credit for attempting to break new ground in her career.I also think it interesting that bands now use Youtube to present videos to the public.Bye mtv.
Karritree
It's SARA! This video is a masterpiece. I adore it. This song is fantastic. I'm in love with it. Well done Kaki and everyone else!
Lee Marie Bonin
Sara Quin makes it even more perfect.. Love it
ProggerProd
Congrats, Kaki!!! Great video! I remember seeing you on stage with your acoustic at the Bottom Line in NYC quite a few years ago and you blew me away!!! Keep up the great work!!!
Shirley Reichle
Kaki King is a goddess. She is a musical genius and awe inspiring as well. P.S. Sara Quin is in this video too.
Garrett Pomeroy
She's one of my favorites, and this song is amazing. Way to brighten my day!
madmaxoftherails
i can't express how beautiful the chorus of this song is. i always end up playing this over and over.