"Keeley Valentino was born and raised in the beautiful Bay Area of northern… Read Full Bio ↴"Keeley Valentino was born and raised in the beautiful Bay Area of northern California, with the exception of four years spent in the central valley of Bakersfield. While Marin County is where she calls home, it was in Bakersfield that Keeley’s love of music really began to take shape. Though always loving to sing and having a propensity for performance at a young age, in Bakersfield she discovered country music and a romance with story telling through song. Returning to Novato, California at the age of 12, she sang her way through high school in various choirs and ensembles and by the time college rolled around she felt sure music was to be her purpose in life. This passion led her to Nashville, where she attended Vanderbilt for four years of undergrad, actively involved in the all female a capella group The Swingin Dores, and all the while honing her own personal style. It was during this time that an evolution of sound took place, drawing her outside the lines of Country and into Folk and Soul. It was a chance meeting in a songwriting class that solidified this new direction, when her professor suggested she ask a fellow student, a proficient guitar player, to accompany her on an assignment. From that moment on Keeley and Stan Sonu were instantly bonded and he began giving a voice to a handful of songs she had written but had never been able to perform. Since 2002 they have been performing all over the country together and have an extended catalog of collaborative songs. Keeley just released her first full-length album in the fall of 2005 featuring several of these songs as well as Stan’s unique guitar playing. The record was produced by Nashville based musician and producer Matt Mangano and features the talents of several renowned musicians and engineers including Josh Robinson, Ben Shive, and Clay Cook.

Keeley draws all her inspiration from numerous personal events that have shaped her life including loss, loneliness, faith and healing. She is constantly trying to figure out the meaning of tragedies, the prospects of hope and the promises of redemption. She is continually humbled when her words are able to reach another and resonate.

Her influences are wide and varying, including everyone from the Dixie Chicks, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Lori McKenna to Bruce Hornsby, Jackson Browne, Amy Grant, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. This past year she has performed in the round at the prestigious Bluebird Café in Nashville as well as Angelico Hall in San Rafael, California and has sung background vocals for several local studio projects including Justin Thompson and Deon Taylor. The track “Conductor” off her recent CD was chosen to be featured on the local spotlight program of Nashville’s Progressive Radio station Lightening 100. This summer Keeley played in various locations across the US, including a gig opening for Ryan Cabrera at the KOST FM “Acoustic Night Under the Stars” in Los Angeles as well as a show at CB’s Gallery at CBGB’s in New York City."

AS FOUND AT http://www.awarestore.com/artist6282

honestly
Keeley Valentino Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I have hurt people I love
I have hurt my self
I still lie to cover it up
But I'm coming clean now

I'm not perfect
I'm not trying to be
I'm just doing

the best that I can
To live honestly

Well I still fight with my body
And I still try to play God
I am always balancing between a nap
and time for God

I'm not perfect
I'm not trying to be
I'm just doing
the best that I can
To live honestly

Honestly I'm still afraid
I'm not doing the thing I'm supposed to
You say fear is just the absent of faith
so keep me close to you
And I am to weak to

I'm still working on these walls
But I do believe in trust
So even though I am starting out small
For today
It's enough

Cause I'm not perfect
I'm not trying to be
I'm just doing
the best that I can

To live honestly
To live honestly

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Keeley Valentino's song Honestly are a heartfelt confession of a person struggling with their mistakes and imperfections. The opening lines of the song reveal the guilt and pain that the singer has felt from causing hurt to people they love, and by extension, to themselves. The admission of having lied to cover up their faults is a powerful moment of vulnerability, indicating that the singer is ready to come clean now. The refrain "But I'm coming clean now" is a statement of intent to face their faults and the consequences that come with them.

The second verse delves into the ongoing struggles that the singer faces with their physical and spiritual wellbeing. The line "I still try to play God" suggests that the singer is wrestling with the idea of control and power, both with regards to their own body and their relationship with a higher power. The line "balancing between a nap and time for God" captures the hectic nature of trying to balance everyday responsibilities with spiritual practices, hinting at the exhaustion that comes from trying to juggle everything.

The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm not perfect, I'm not trying to be," emphasizing that the singer is not aiming for perfection but rather striving to live honestly. The final verse suggests that while the singer is still afraid and unsure of their path, the faith in their relationship with God is what keeps them going. The lines "So even though I am starting out small, for today / it's enough" point towards the idea of taking small steps towards improvement, and that even the tiniest progress can be significant.

Line by Line Meaning

I have hurt people I love
I have caused pain to those close to me

I have hurt my self
I have harmed myself in the process

I still lie to cover it up
I still try to hide my mistakes with lies

But I'm coming clean now
But I am now being honest and admitting my faults

I'm not perfect
I am flawed

I'm not trying to be
I am not striving for perfection

I'm just doing
I am simply trying

the best that I can
to do my utmost

To live honestly
To live with integrity

Well I still fight with my body
I struggle with my physical self

And I still try to play God
And I still try to control things beyond my reach

I am always balancing between a nap
I am constantly finding balance between rest

and time for God
and time for spiritual practice

Honestly I'm still afraid
To be honest I still feel fear

I'm not doing the thing I'm supposed to
I am not fulfilling expectations

You say fear is just the absent of faith
You suggest that fear is the lack of belief in a higher power

so keep me close to you
so please stay near me

And I am to weak to
I admit my vulnerability

I'm still working on these walls
I am still trying to break down barriers

But I do believe in trust
But I have faith in the power of trust

So even though I am starting out small
So even though I am starting from a low point

For today
For now

It's enough
It is sufficient

To live honestly
To live with authenticity

Contributed by Landon O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Jean Borchelt

Keeley.. You do live honestly and you are so good. Love watching your performances! You are so fresh and such a joy to listen too! There is no one like you! You are an original ! I know your voice anywhere. You are unique!