Kate's debut EP Replaced was released on the 26th of September 2011.
Is currently in Meadowlark.
"YouTube has been and still is a massive part of my life, as it's one of the main means of my original music reaching people globally. I'm incredibly lucky to have such supportive fans and subscribers who are willing to travel just about anywhere to see me play or pay any amount of money for a few songs on their laptops, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I've gained over 22,000 subscribers and over 4.5 million video views in just over a year, so it's my intention to keep uploading my music to YouTube forever. I love it that much!"
Check her out on Youtube, performing covers and her own material: http://www.youtube.com/user/katem3
The Key
Kate McGill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're taught to force a smile
They lead us down the road
But they can only see a mile
We only see what they want us to see
We only see what they want us to see
They line us up in uniforms
They'll never be to Heaven
But they tell us that it's real
They only see what they wanna see
They only see what they wanna see
We watch them pray down on their knees
'Cause that's the way that they were taught to be
And thanks to them (them), we can be free
Thanks to them (them)
We have the key
You'll be you and I'll be me
We have the key
You'll be you and I'll be me
They say that they're not puppets
And then we point them to the strings
Convinced us they're together
By the paper and the ring
That they can't see what we want them to see
They just can't see what we want them to see
So tell me all your secrets
And I'll tell you all my fears
'Cause if we knock these walls down
We might know why we're here
We watch them pray down on their knees
'Cause that's the way that they were taught to be
And thanks to them (them), we can be free
Thanks to them (them)
We have the key
You'll be you and I'll be me
We have the key
You'll be you and I'll be me
We watch them pray down on their knees
'Cause that's the way that they were taught to be
They just can't see
We have the key
You'll be you and I'll be me
We have the key
You'll be you and I'll be me
Kate Mcgill's song "The Key" talks about the societal conditioning and indoctrination that people face throughout their lives. The song examines how people are taught to behave and the norms that society imposes on them. The lyrics capture the idea that people are trained to see things according to how others have taught them to see them, even if that isn't necessarily the truth.
The opening lines discuss the matter of telling the truth and how people are supposed to force a smile. It highlights how people are taught to put on a façade and not show their true emotions. The next few lines showcase how society tries to fit people into molds, and people are forced to comply with dressing the same way or following certain norms. The two stanzas are a commentary on how society tries to control individuals and keep them in check.
The chorus talks about how people are conditioned to think, and how they are indoctrinated to think a particular way. The lines are a reference to religion, which tells people how to behave and what is right and wrong, even if it's not necessarily the truth. It also highlights the fact that people are grateful for the freedoms they have, but that freedom only came because of the actions of others who were willing to fight for it.
Overall, the song's message is about the fact that people need to be aware of their conditioning and not accept things at face value. Instead, they need to question things and think for themselves to unlock their true potential.
Line by Line Meaning
They're taught to tell the truth
They're instructed to always speak the truth without fail.
They're taught to force a smile
They're told to pretend that everything is okay and to mask their true emotions.
They lead us down the road
They guide us towards a certain path which they think is the right one.
But they can only see a mile
But their vision is limited and they can only see a short distance ahead.
We only see what they want us to see
We are only shown what they want us to see, and not what is actually happening.
They line us up in uniforms
They make us wear the same clothing to create uniformity and remove individuality.
And tell us not to feel
They tell us not to express our emotions and to suppress them.
They'll never be to Heaven
They cannot reach heaven, but they convince us that we can.
But they tell us that it's real
But they make us believe that heaven is real.
We watch them pray down on their knees
We observe them praying on their knees in a religious way.
'Cause that's the way that they were taught to be
Because that is how they were taught to perform religious rituals.
And thanks to them (them), we can be free
We owe them thanks for enabling us to achieve freedom.
Thanks to them (them)
We owe them gratitude for their actions.
We have the key
We have unlocked the secret to freedom and individuality.
You'll be you and I'll be me
You will remain who you are, and I will remain who I am.
They say that they're not puppets
They claim they are not just controlled by others and are their own people.
And then we point them to the strings
However, we show them evidence that they are being manipulated and controlled by others.
Convinced us they're together
They make us believe that they are united and not controlled by anyone else.
By the paper and the ring
Through paperwork and rings (such as wedding rings).
That they can't see what we want them to see
They are unable to see what we want them to see, as they have their own perspective.
So tell me all your secrets
Confide in me and reveal all your secrets to me.
And I'll tell you all my fears
And in return, I will share my fears with you.
We might know why we're here
By opening up to each other, we may discover our purpose in life.
They just can't see
They are unable to perceive what is happening around them.
Contributed by Sophia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HeeeyMaaan
This song is awakening, I love it! You're on the road to consciousness Kate (:
Emily Sherman
You know it's a good song when you get chills while listening to it.
ZeNeo
I honestly am struck, its very rare where you'll hear someone sing and genuinely be stunned. I've listened to some or your posts before, but never really appreciated how amazing it is to listen to your voice, its so orginal and gorgeous xD. And the song is simple but I love it xD
Emily Wills
I can't stop clicking replay... I love you're voice!! And this song :) Thank you so much for sharing you're wonderful talent xxx :)
Hannah Fitzgerald
You don't even understand how much I love this song. You have so much talent. Please keep doing what your doing.
Holly Baumgartl
This is absolutely beautiful, from the acoustic guitar, to the lyrics, back to your voice. I love it.
Dita Ayu Ningtias
Kate, everytime I've got some problems, just listen your voice and suddenly I feel better.. your voice's like water, your voice can stream the existing atmosphere in my heart and it makes me very comfortable to hear your voice, thank you Kate <3
My Poetry
You're Voice is So Beautiful filled with Love and Bliss. Pure! Angel's soul pour through youre atmosphere enlighten vibrations to not let go.
Ariana Ellyn
Gosh, I love you so much... This video made me smile and laugh. I didn't know you were 22! You look so young! Anyway, I love you!! I love your original music and your covers!! You are an amazing writer. Your music makes me feel good. Thank you for being so amazing and wonderful! -33 Love from Texas! - Ariana
Lulu Yang
Your voice is very beautiful on its own, I think this acoustic version sounds much better than the itunes version :)