Earl was born to Charles… Read Full Bio ↴Kate Earl is an American singer-songwriter.
Earl was born to Charles and Pomposa Smithson in Anchorage, Alaska. She is of Filipino, Dutch and Welsh descent. She began playing piano at 4, sang in her church choir, and began playing the guitar when she was seventeen. The young singer nursed the dream to lead a musician's life in between shifts at her parent’s small-town gas station. That dream became a reality when Kate moved to Los Angeles in 2004, where her talent was promptly recognized and led to a record deal with The Record Collection. Her debut album, Fate Is the Hunter, was released in May 2005.
Earl left Record Collection in 2007 and signed with Universal Republic the following year. A self-titled album, Kate Earl, was released as a digital download on August 18, 2009 and in physical copy on November 3, 2009.
In 2012, Earl signed with Downtown Records. Her latest album, Stronger, was released on November 20, 2012, and was written and recorded with Brett Dennen, Blake Mills, and other well-respected Los Angeles musicians. The first single from the album, "One Woman Army", was released on September 18, 2012.
The music was not quite doing for Kate what she needed it to - too much outside direction perhaps, or an undue pressure to fulfill a prescribed role. Kate re-emerges on Stronger, Earl's debut for Downtown Records. Stronger shows off the careful development of a singular voice. The album's sound—a rootsy brand of all-American pop-rock—recalls classic works by some of the west coast singers Kate's older brothers listened to during long hours at their family's gas station. Stronger's lived-in Laurel Canyon vibe came together quickly, with Kate and Brett Dennen (her principal collaborator on Stronger) recording 17 songs in a whirlwind six-day session at Los Angeles’ famed Village Recorders.
Studio albums
(2005) - Fate Is the Hunter
(2009) - Kate Earl
(2012) - Stronger
Someone to Love
Kate Earl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You hold your breath when people walk by
Safely kept behind rose-colored glass
Neatly tucked beneath the spotlight
Waiting for someone to love...
You're a Cheshire cat
Ambiguity will always cover the facts
Where do you come from, where do you go
Must be lonely to be all alone
Waiting for someone to love...
And when they come, they'll accept you just the way you are
You'll swear under a moonlit sky about rocks in the sky
Trees backed up by the sea
Thin wild mercury
Until then, you're waiting for someone to love...
The lyrics to Kate Earl's "Someone to Love" are a meditation on the longing for connection and the struggle with vulnerability. Earl uses the metaphor of a porcelain doll to describe the singer's situation: she is fragile and precious, but also trapped behind "rose-colored glass" and "neatly tucked beneath the spotlight." This suggests that the singer may be putting on a facade for others, trying to present a perfect image while hiding her true self, and that this facade or armor is keeping her from fully connecting with others.
Similarly, the image of the Cheshire cat implies a certain enigmatic quality, a playfulness or even trickery that masks a deeper sadness or uncertainty. The singer wonders where she comes from and where she is going, and expresses empathy for the loneliness of being alone. This can be read as a universal sentiment - that no matter how confident or put-together someone may seem, they too are seeking connection and understanding.
The final stanza offers a glimmer of hope, imagining a future where someone will accept the singer "just the way you are" and they will revel in the beauty and wonder of the world, swearing "under a moonlit sky" and appreciating the natural world ("rocks in the sky / trees backed up by the sea / thin wild mercury"). The song thus ends on a note of potential, urging listeners to keep seeking love and connection even in the face of isolation and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a porcelain doll that sits in a window
You are delicate and fragile, sitting behind a display window, not interacting with anyone in the real world.
You hold your breath when people walk by
You are afraid of the outside world and hold your breath to avoid drawing attention to yourself.
Safely kept behind rose-colored glass
You keep yourself safe by viewing the world through a positive lens, even though this may not be the reality.
Neatly tucked beneath the spotlight
You are hiding in plain sight, trying to blend in with the surrounding environment.
Waiting for someone to love...
You crave human connection and are looking for someone to fill the emptiness of your existence.
You're a Cheshire cat
You hide your true self behind a grin, appearing mysterious to others.
You think a smile hides the rest
You believe that putting on a happy face is enough to hide the sadness and loneliness within you.
Ambiguity will always cover the facts
You avoid discussing your true feelings by being intentionally vague, which makes it difficult for others to understand you.
Where do you come from, where do you go
You are lost and directionless, with no sense of purpose or direction in life.
Must be lonely to be all alone
You acknowledge the loneliness of isolation, but also find comfort in it, as it provides a sense of safety and familiarity.
And when they come, they'll accept you just the way you are
You have hope that one day, someone will accept you for who you truly are, without judging or changing you.
You'll swear under a moonlit sky about rocks in the sky
You will express your deepest thoughts and feelings once you find someone to share them with in a serene, romantic setting.
Trees backed up by the sea
A romantic setting in nature with the beauty of trees and the calming presence of the sea.
Thin wild mercury
A poetic description of the shining reflection of the moon on water, conveying a sense of magic and wonder.
Until then, you're waiting for someone to love...
Your focus remains on finding love and companionship, as it is the missing piece in your life.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KATE JOY EARL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind