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.
everything
Keaton Simons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I think about life
I feel out of rhythm
You know I feel out of rhythm
Feet step
Nonstop until your last breath
What are we really giving?
What are we really giving?
Then we truly understand
There's no one idea that's right
So you gotta keep learning, observing, teach your mind to fight
Now, baby
CHORUS
You want everything
But you don't give enough away
Love to tell you how I feel
But I haven't got the heart to say
You want everything
But you don't give enough away
Love to tell you how I feel
But I haven't got the heart to say
Sometimes
When I think about love
I feel out of rhythm
You know I feel out of rhythm
Hearts beat
Faint echoes off calm streets
But they fail to deliver
You know they fail to deliver
When we deal with what we have
Then we truly understand
There's no one idea that's right
So you gotta stay determined
Concerned with
The battles you incite
Now, baby
CHORUS
You want everything
But you don't give enough away
Love to tell you how I feel
But I haven't got the heart to say
You want everything
But you don't give enough away
Love to tell you how I feel
But I haven't got the heart to say
Strong reaction
Cut the strings
Why do you want everything?
Scared of being no routine
Why do you want everything?
Tired of playing all the games
Why do you want everything?
Throw your hands up,
Try to see
That you can't have everything
You want everything
But you don't give enough away
Love to tell you how I feel
But I haven't got the heart to say
You want everything
But you don't give enough
No you don't give enough
Away
Love to tell you how I feel
But I haven't got the heart to say
In "Everything," Keaton Simons reflects on life and love, expressing his feeling of being out of rhythm. The first verse discusses the constant movement of life, with feet stepping nonstop until the end. He questions what we are truly giving during this time and suggests that understanding what we have will lead to a realization that there is no one right idea, so we must keep learning and observing to teach our minds to fight. The chorus questions someone who wants everything but doesn't give enough away, with Simons admitting that he loves to tell this person how he feels but doesn't have the heart to say it.
In the second verse, Simons turns his thoughts to love, again expressing his feeling of being out of rhythm. He mentions faint echoes off calm streets, possibly referencing the idea that love can be quiet and subtle but often fails to deliver what we hope for. The last two lines of the verse echo those from the first, emphasizing the idea that understanding what we have leads to true understanding, and we must stay determined and concerned with the battles we incite.
The bridge of the song addresses the idea that we often strive for everything but fail to consider the consequences. Simons suggests that people may be scared of having no routine, tired of playing games, or just wanting to cut strings. He urges them to throw their hands up and try to see that having everything is not possible, and that we must give in order to receive.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes
Occasionally
When I think about life
During periods of introspection
I feel out of rhythm
I feel disconnected from the natural flow of existence
You know I feel out of rhythm
You're aware of my sense of discordance
Feet step
We move forward
Nonstop until your last breath
Without pause until we die
What are we really giving?
What meaningful contributions are we making?
What are we really giving?
What meaningful contributions are we making?
When we deal with what we have
When we accept our current situation
Then we truly understand
Then true comprehension is achieved
There's no one idea that's right
No single belief is always correct
So you gotta keep learning, observing, teach your mind to fight
Continue expanding your knowledge, observing the world, and cultivating mental fortitude
Now, baby
My dear
You want everything
You desire all goods, experiences, and achievements
But you don't give enough away
But you fail to share your own resources and efforts
Love to tell you how I feel
I yearn to express my emotions to you
But I haven't got the heart to say
But I lack the courage to do so
Sometimes
At times
When I think about love
During periods of reflection on romantic relationships
I feel out of rhythm
I sense a disconnection between my heart and my actions
You know I feel out of rhythm
You're aware of my struggle with inconsistency
Hearts beat
Our emotions pulse
Faint echoes off calm streets
But their resonance is muted in serene environments
But they fail to deliver
But they don't fulfill our needs or desires
When we deal with what we have
When we accept our current level of love and affection
Then we truly understand
Then we grasp the true nature of our emotions
There's no one idea that's right
No single view is always correct
So you gotta stay determined
So we must persist in our pursuit of love
Concerned with
Focusing on
The battles you incite
The conflicts we initiate in our relationships
Strong reaction
Intense response
Cut the strings
Break free from external expectations
Why do you want everything?
What motivates your desire for all things?
Scared of being no routine
Afraid of a lack of order or predictability in life
Tired of playing all the games
Exhausted from playing mind games in relationships
Throw your hands up
Give up trying to control everything
Try to see
Attempt to understand
That you can't have everything
That it's impossible to possess or experience all things
No you don't give enough
You don't distribute your resources and efforts equitably
Away
To others or to the world
Love to tell you how I feel
I passionately desire to express my emotions to you
But I haven't got the heart to say
But I lack the courage to do so
Contributed by Colton T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.