According to the The A Soft Place To Land Songfacts Edwards' father is Leonard Edwards, a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a result she spent portions of her teenage years in Korea and Switzerland. Her blend of country, folk and pop music made her a favourite of music critics, and a rising star on radio in 2003 with her debut album, Failer, made popular by her hit singles "Six O'Clock News" and "Hockey Skates" Her style of music is sometimes placed in the music genre "alt-country".
In 1999, Edwards recorded a six-song EP entitled Building 55 and pressed 500 copies. By the fall of 2000, she was on tour across Canada managing her own gigs. In 2001 she wrote seven of the ten songs for her 2003 debut release Failer.
Edwards married musician and producer Colin Cripps in 2004. They later divorced.
In 2005, Edwards released Back to Me, which also garnered considerable critical acclaim, and led to the release of the singles "Back to Me" and "In State". The track "Summerlong" also featured on the soundtrack of the movie Elizabethtown starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst.
In 2006, she was nominated for Juno Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year for Back to Me.
On March 4, 2008, her new CD, Asking for Flowers, arrived to excellent reviews.
Her fourth album, Voyageur, was released on January 17, 2012.
Asking For Flowers
Kathleen Edwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Technically I'm certified
A walking declaration
Of everything I couldn't get right
Time is just an anchor
But seven years I think I'm right
Now you've changed your number
It's like a noose around my life
Every pill I took in vain
Every meal for you I made
Every penny I put away
Asking for flowers
Is like asking you to be nice
Don't tell me you're too tired
Ten years I've been working nights
My life is like a picture left
Out too long in the sun
Now I'm trying to remember all
The faces of the names I've loved
And all that's left of me now is
A cigarette burning bright
And a fading memory of all the things
I tried to get right
Every pill I took in vain
Every meal for you I made
Every penny I put away
Asking for flowers
Is like asking you to be nice
Don't tell me you're too tired
10 years I've been working nights
Every pill I took in vain
Every meal for you I made
Every bill I went and paid
Every card I signed my name
Every time I poured my heart out
Every threat you made to move out
Every cruel word you let just slip out
Every cruel word you let just slip out
The lyrics of Kathleen Edwards’ song “Asking For Flowers” exude the feeling of exhaustion and futility in a relationship that has been slowly deteriorating over time. The singer of the song is technically certified, but she still feels like she cannot get anything right in her life. Time is merely an anchor for her, and she realizes that seven years of trying to make things work between her and her partner have been in vain. The relationship is like a noose around her life, and even though she has done everything in her power to make things right, it feels like nothing is ever good enough.
The second verse of the song dives more into the singer’s frustrations and hopes. She has put in a lot of effort into the relationship and has sacrificed a lot for her partner. However, asking for flowers, a basic gesture of affection, feels like she is asking too much. She is tired of being dismissed, especially after having worked night shifts for ten years. Her life feels like a picture left out for too long in the sun, and she is struggling to remember the faces of the names she has loved. The bridge of the song describes her current state perfectly, where all that’s left of her is a fading memory of everything she has tried to get right, and a lighted cigarette.
Line by Line Meaning
It's complicated
My life and my relationship with you are intricate and convoluted.
Technically I'm certified
I have all the qualifications and the necessary experience to handle whatever challenges come my way.
A walking declaration
I am a clear indication of all the shortcomings I have had in the past.
Of everything I couldn't get right
I am a manifestation of all my failures and missed opportunities.
Time is just an anchor
The passing of days and years keeps me rooted in the same place, unable to move forward.
But seven years I think I'm right
Despite feeling trapped, I believe my decisions and my perspective are correct.
Now you've changed your number
You've taken steps to separate yourself from me, which feels like a physical restraint.
It's like a noose around my life
This severance is constricting and painful, like a tightening rope around my neck.
Asking for flowers
All I want is a small gesture of kindness and affection from you.
Is like asking you to be nice
Which seems like an insurmountable request given our history and the current state of our relationship.
Don't tell me you're too tired
Because I've been working hard for a decade and still trying to mend things between us.
Ten years I've been working nights
I've been toiling in order to keep afloat and support us for the last ten years.
My life is like a picture left
My existence feels sun-drenched and overexposed, as though it has been out in the elements for too long.
Out too long in the sun
My life has taken on a faded quality, where I struggle to remember the people and moments that were once vibrant and present.
Now I'm trying to remember all
I am currently attempting to piece together the people and experiences that have shaped me over time.
The faces of the names I've loved
I am struggling to recall those who have mattered to me and whom I was once close to.
And all that's left of me now is
I am feeling incredibly diminished and reduced by the challenges and the suffering I have been through.
A cigarette burning bright
All I have left to show for my pain is the image of a lit cigarette as a physical manifestation of my frustration.
And a fading memory of all the things
The few mental images I can still grasp are slowly slipping away from me over time.
I tried to get right
All the things I have attempted to correct and change regarding my life and my relationship with you.
Every pill I took in vain
I attempted to cure my struggles and pain with medication, but it was all for naught.
Every meal for you I made
I cooked for you and tried to care for you, hoping it would strengthen our bond.
Every penny I put away
I worked hard to save money in order to provide a stable financial future for us.
Every bill I went and paid
I took care of all our expenses and responsibilities, feeling like it was my duty as the provider.
Every card I signed my name
I signed my name on many promises and commitments, hoping they would strengthen our bond.
Every time I poured my heart out
I tried to express my feelings and be vulnerable with you, hoping it would help repair our relationship.
Every threat you made to move out
You frequently held the threat of leaving me over my head, which only added to my anxiety and instability.
Every cruel word you let just slip out
You spoke hurtful words without even realizing it, making it all the more agonizing for me.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KATHLEEN MARGARET EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind