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.
Lift Me Up
Keaton Simons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am stumbled in a lonely grave
Lift me up from your shallows
I am destined to live ashamed
I've been sold out by my best friend
I've been knocked down and thrown away
I've been sold out and mistreated
I've ignited a dying flame
A believer
I'm a cynic in a blinding rage
A beginner
In the middle
Of deceiving another day
Lift me up from your shallows
I am stumbled in a lonely grave
Lift me up from your shallows
I am destined to live ashamed
In Keaton Simons's song "Lift Me Up," the singer pleads to be lifted out of the depths of despair and shame that they're in. They're struggling to stay afloat in the "shallows" of life, feeling as if they've been betrayed and disregarded by those they trusted most. The first stanza illustrates this feeling of being stuck in a "lonely grave" - a place where they feel forgotten, alone, and without hope. The repetition of "lift me up" throughout the song reflects their desperation for someone or something to pull them out of this deep hole.
The second stanza shows a chaotic juxtaposition of identity - the singer is both a "sinner" and a "believer," a "cynic" and a "beginner." They feel lost in the middle of conflicting emotions, trying to find their way out of the deception and manipulation that surrounds them. The final lines - "I am destined to live ashamed" - suggests that the singer is resigned to a life of guilt and shame, but still clings to the hope that they will be rescued from their current state.
Overall, the song is a plea for help from someone who feels as if they're drowning in their own despair. It's about the struggle to find oneself in the midst of chaos and deceit, and the longing for a way out of the shallows and into the light.
Line by Line Meaning
Lift me up from your shallows
I am stuck in the shallow and superficial aspects of life, and need someone to help me rise above it
I am stumbled in a lonely grave
I feel lost and trapped in a dark place, with no one to turn to for help or support
I am destined to live ashamed
My past mistakes and failures have left me with a deep sense of shame and regret, which I carry with me every day
I've been sold out by my best friend
Someone I trusted and cared for deeply has betrayed me, leaving me feeling hurt and alone
I've been knocked down and thrown away
Life has been tough, and I've faced setbacks and obstacles that have left me feeling defeated and worthless
I've been sold out and mistreated
I've been the victim of unfair treatment and injustice, which has left me feeling angry and frustrated
I've ignited a dying flame
Despite all the challenges I've faced, I've managed to find some hope and inspiration to keep going, even if it's just a small spark
I'm a sinner
I acknowledge that I've made mistakes and done things that I'm not proud of, and that I'm not perfect
A believer
Despite my flaws and imperfections, I have faith in something greater than myself, and believe that things can get better
I'm a cynic in a blinding rage
I'm often skeptical and critical of the world around me, and feel intense anger and frustration towards the injustices I see
A beginner
I'm still learning and growing, and have much to discover about myself and the world
In the middle
I'm at a crossroads in my life, unsure of what direction to take or what the future holds
Of deceiving another day
Each day is a struggle to keep up the facade and hide my true feelings and emotions from those around me, even if it means betraying myself in the process
Contributed by Mateo D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.