After learning to play the guitar, the fiddle, and the piano, as well as to sing, Rusby played at many local folk festivals as a child and adolescent. She came to wider attention through her duets with her friend and fellow Barnsley folk singer Kathryn Roberts on the 1995 album Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts.
At about this time she joined, and became the lead vocalist of, the all-female Celtic folk band The Poozies. This led to her becoming a founding member of the group Equation, which included Kathryn Roberts and Seth Lakeman. Rusby left Equation (being replaced by Cara Dillon) to follow a more traditional direction and, in 1997, released her debut solo album Hourglass produced by Scottish fiddler John McCusker (to whom Rusby was married for some time).
In 1999 Rusby recorded Sleepless which earned her a Mercury Music Prize nomination and the BBC Folk Award for Best Album and Best Folk Singer.
Rusby continues to release albums mixing traditional and self-penned songs on her own Pure Records, winning fans as diverse as Graham Coxon (who provided the illustration for her album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly) and collaborator Ronan Keating.
2008 saw the release of Sweet Bells, an album of traditional Christmas songs interpreted by Rusby.
In 2010, Rusby released the album Make the Light, a collection of self-penned songs, and in 2011 issued a second collection of Christmas songs titled While Mortals Sleep.
www.katerusby.com
Our Town
Kate Rusby Lyrics
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The song "Our Town" by Kate Rusby is a sweet and nostalgic look back at a small town where the singer has spent her entire life. The lyrics are reflective and heartfelt, with the singer reminiscing about the meaningful moments that have taken place in her town over the years. The opening lines suggest that time is passing quickly and that nothing good seems to last forever, setting the tone for the wistful reminiscing that follows.
The first verse describes a hot summer night when the singer met her lover at a bar in town, and it's clear that the memory is still fresh in her mind two decades later. The second verse is more general but still conveys the notion that the town has been a significant part of her life, the place where she's had children, had her first kiss, and bought her first car. The chorus repeats the idea that the sun is setting on the town and that it's time to say goodbye, but the singer urges listeners to hold onto their loved ones and cherish the memories they've made.
Overall, the lyrics of "Our Town" are a poignant tribute to the places and people that shape our lives and the importance of holding onto those memories even as time marches on.
Line by Line Meaning
And ya know the sun's settin' fast
The day is ending quickly and time is running out
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts
Everything good eventually comes to an end
Go on now and kiss it goodbye
Say farewell to what you once had
But hold on to your lover 'cause your heart's bound to die
Hold on to what you love because it won't last forever
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town
Bid farewell to the place you once called home
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town
The day is coming to a close on this place we call home
Goodnight.
It's time to say goodnight and move on
Up the street beside the red neon light
In the distance, by the glowing red light, something special happened
That's where I met my baby one hot summer night
It was there where I met the love of my life
He was the tender and I ordered a beer
He worked at the bar and I was just a customer
It's been twenty years and I'm still sittin' here.
Time has passed but I remain in the same place
It's here I had my babies and I had my first kiss
This is where some of my most important memories were made
I've walked down Main street in the cold morning mist
I've experienced the beauty of this town in different weather and times of day
Over there is where I bought my first car
I remember where I made my first big purchase
It turned over once but then it never went far.
It wasn't the best car, but it was mine and it took me places
Contributed by Lucas F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kukashkin
Beautiful, like everything Kate does. Thanks for posting this.
tik toc girl is out
great song love her voice
Silner Wilner
This is just as good as Iris Dement's version and before I heard this, I would have said that was impossible. How does she do it? Amazing!
bs5750
Thanks Kate, best version I've heard.
Margaret Lucas
Help, I cant stop listening this!
neverbeen2
as good as iris,both with unique voices :)
Urbanmilkmaid0
Beautiful, thank you.
tik toc girl is out
this song is brill
Light Vibes
this song sounds great in an english accent!
Robert Laidler
Simply awsome