As a 17 year old out of high school, Keaton started thinking about college. He decided on The Evergreen State College, located in Olympia, Washington. The area, which has become known as a fertile breeding ground for music and art, proved perfect to set in motion his initiation into the immense world of music. It was there that Keaton started writing songs. He dove in headfirst, taking on courses ranging from 20th century classical composition to Indonesian gamelan music to jazz and quite a lot in between. Keaton's years at Evergreen not only introduced him to diverse global music but also taught him to incorporate everything into his own sensibilities. Major record labels have accused Keaton of being too diverse to contain.
After an early graduation, it was back to Los Angeles, playing music with old friends like Tre Hardson (of The Pharcyde) and new ones like singer N'Dea Davenport (of the Brand New Heavies), Kim Hill (of the Black Eyed Peas), underground hip-hop legend Medusa and appearing on Jay Leno's TONIGHT SHOW with hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg.
Before Keaton was 21 years old he was asked to compose music for the motion picture Mercy Streets. Labels began to investigate and eventually he landed a deal with Maverick Records. Keaton released a five-song EP with Maverick entitled "Currently". The EP displays a taste of bluesy, rootsy, guitar-driven songs & ballads, with stylish arrangements that showcase his rich, often spooky melodies. Indeed, the disc's delicate, down-home title track is in rotation at radio stations around America. Recently reaching ..1 on the charts of Tucson, AZ's KWMT 92.9 The Mountain.
One of the first to play Keaton's music was influential LA public radio station KCRW, which afforded him the opportunity in early 2005 to play the Universal Amphitheatre supporting Coldplay. Keaton's music has also been featured on LA's ..1 mid-day radio show, KLSX 97.1, "Heidi, Frosty and Frank". Here is where leaks have started of some of the tracks on Keaton's album that were produced by well known producing team, The Matrix. The timing for Keaton's meeting (through a mutual friend) with the Matrix really worked for both. Keaton's songs were thought of as being too alternatively structured to be radio friendly, though many agreed there was something there. The Matrix, just off Avril Lavigne's COMPLICATED, were seeking something to ground them, and reveal the soul in their pop music. The team loved every second of working together, and ended up with an album that was completed just in time for the record label to conclude changes that made releasing such a "big album" impossible. Hence, a move to the beautiful freedom and diversity of CD Baby.
Keaton participated in the 2005 Sundance Film Festival as a part of BMI's annual showcase. Sharing the bill with Vanessa Carlton, Minnie Driver, Joe Firstman and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service). Keaton is no stranger to the world of film and television. It's kind of the family business. Keaton's little stepsister, Emma Roberts, costars with JoJo in the just completed AQUAMARINE. Emma has an album coming out, featuring songs from her television series UNFABULOUS. Keaton's sister, Morgan Simons, is a culinary artist who tries to feed actresses healthfully enough such that they will not need to name their babies after food!
Keaton's grandfather, Don Garrett, has been publicist to such world renowned sensations as everything from The Supremes to "The Flintstones". Another of Keaton's grandfathers, screenwriter David Rayfiel, wrote such loved films as "Three Days of the Condor" & "Round Midnight", to name a few. Keaton's grandmother, Lila Garrett (whom Keaton immortalized in the song "Joseph" on which Keaton took the opportunity to play all the instruments including drums, bass, piano, guitar and vocals) has credits and Emmy awards as writer/ producer/ director on pretty much every situation comedy from the 1960s to the 2000s. Keaton and his father, Jimmy Simons, had a chance recently to work together when Keaton appeared on Fox Televisions' MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, which Jimmy produces and sometimes directs. Keaton was cast by his episode's director, Bryan Cranston, who also plays "Hal" on the series. Keaton's mother, Eliza Roberts, has made a name for herself as a Hollywood Jane of all trades. From actress to casting director, manager to writer. In her early 20s she became producer of the pre-MTV phenomenon "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert". With baby Keaton in tow, Eliza's show hosted live performances from such acts as Chuck Berry, James Brown, The Brothers Johnson, Donna Summers, Abba, Natalie Cole, and featured early comedy by David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Michael Keaton and almost Robin Williams - but no one could quite figure out what his act was.
Beyond MALCOLM, like many musicians today, Keaton has crossed over into the world of acting, having performed a heart-stopping rendition of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" on NBC's acclaimed "American Dreams". Keaton will also be seen starring in Henry Jaglom's upcoming feature film, "Hollywood Dreams" (Lots of "dreams" needed to sort through some of the harsh realities of our world these days, it would seem). Keaton's earliest work features his mother, Eliza (Garrett), three months pregnant with him, when she appeared as "Brunella, at the desk" in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE.
High Enough
Keaton Simons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know it
You try to control it
You just can't remember how
So save your intentions
Hang up your conventions
To hell with redemption now
You can't help but wonder if you're
That's when you ask yourself if
High enough is high enough
You're reaching for the stars
But is that good enough?
Not good enough's a line you haven't heard enough
Do you ever blow it?
If you're human then show it
They called it
You feared it
Don't want to go near it
One more thing you wont allow
They want you
They need you
Don't want to adhere to
The same damn rules 'cause you're too proud
And everyone tells you that you're not the same
As they're walking out they ask if
High enough is high enough
You're reaching for the stars
But is that good enough?
Not good enough's a line you haven't heard enough
Do you ever blow it?
If you're human then show it
Where can you go when it's time to complain?
And you've only got yourself to blame
Just take it slow and try to maintain
'Cause it's too hard to explain
You can't help but wonder if you're still the same
As they're walking by they ask if
High enough is high enough
You're reaching for the stars
But is that good enough?
Not good enough's a line you haven't heard enough
Do you ever blow it?
If you're human then show it
In Keaton Simons’s song “High Enough,” the lyrics suggest a tug-of-war between individuality and conformity. The first stanza begins with the observation that despite one's attempt to control oneself, there is always a force that undermines this control. The lyrics urge the listener to abandon their intentions and conventions and ignore the notion of redemption. In the second stanza, Simons asks, "High enough is high enough, you're reaching for the stars, but is that good enough," which seems to allude to the pressure individuals face to reach for lofty goals that are often impossible to achieve in a society that values success above all. The line "not good enough's a line you haven't heard enough" speaks to the notion that we live in a culture that continually raises expectations of what is deemed successful, leaving us feeling inadequate.
Line by Line Meaning
You feel it
You sense something inside of you
You know it
You are aware of what it is
You try to control it
You attempt to manage or handle it
You just can't remember how
You cannot recall how to do it
So save your intentions
Do not waste your plans
Hang up your conventions
Let go of your traditional ways of thinking
To hell with redemption now
Do not bother with making up for past mistakes
You can't help but wonder if you're Still the same
You are curious if you have remained unchanged
That's when you ask yourself if High enough is high enough
You question if your goals are realistic or if you are aiming too high
You're reaching for the stars But is that good enough?
You are striving for greatness, but is it sufficient?
Not good enough's a line you haven't heard enough
You need to tell yourself that you are doing well more frequently
Do you ever blow it? If you're human then show it
Have you ever made a mistake? It is okay to be imperfect
They called it, You feared it, Don't want to go near it
Someone named it and you became afraid of it, so you chose to avoid it
One more thing you won't allow
There is one more thing that you refuse to permit
They want you, They need you, Don't want to adhere to The same damn rules 'cause you're too proud
They desire and require your assistance but you are too proud to comply with their standards
And everyone tells you that you're not the same
People say that you have changed
As they're walking out they ask if High enough is high enough
As they are leaving, they question if your goals are realistic
Where can you go when it's time to complain?
What options do you have when you need to express your dissatisfaction?
And you've only got yourself to blame
You have no one else to hold accountable
Just take it slow and try to maintain
Go at a leisurely pace and try to keep things in order
'Cause it's too hard to explain
It is too difficult to articulate
If you're human then show it
If you are a human, then do not hide your imperfections
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lori Flynn
This guy can really sing well and he has a beautiful voice, very unique and i will enjoy watching him grow and prosper in the music biz.Best wishes Keaton you rock!
RobbMoss
What a great comment.