Kelli's first independent album, a collection of dark modern dream folk songs, was "Rocking Horse" (Nov '08, DIY & One Little Indian). It was produced by Max Richter (composer of "The Blue Notebooks" & "Memoryhouse" / producer of Vashti Bunyan's "Memoryhouse") & has received critical acclaim.
In 2009, Kelli recorded and produced her Butterfly album with her partner Metso.
Butterfly is an acoustic album which came about through Kelli's desire to capture the songs from her Rocking Horse album in their metamorphosis as she and her band reworked the songs for the live stage show. This is Kelli's second independent release which is sold through her website and online.
Her earlier solo albums, Tigermouth and Psychic Cat saw Kelli move from the trip-hop influences of her first successful band Sneaker Pimps, to a more dreampop electronic sound.
The Tigermouth album includes songs such as “Sunlight in the Rain” and “Kids,” which featured ex-Doors drummer John Densmore. Kelli toured with Garbage in 2003 and released her follow-up album, Psychic Cat, in mid-2004.
Psychic Cat saw a return to Kelli’s electro/rock and roll roots, and featured musician turned author Tony O’Neill on keyboards and Andrew Innes of Primal Scream on the song 'Ideal'.
Kelli's collaborations include her co-writing The Paul Oakenfold (featuring Brittany Murphy) Hit song 'Faster Kill Pussycat', Satoshi Tomiie's 'Up in Flames' and 'Love in Traffic' and Bootsy Collins' 'Play With Bootsy' lead single track from his album 'Play with Bootsy', on which Kelli wrote and sang lead vocals.
After leaving London in 2005 to go traveling around Mexico and California, Kelli began learning to play the acoustic guitar and writing songs for what would become her Rocking Horse album. Inspired by the beauty of nature and her travels, Kelli wrote songs such as 'One Day at a Time' and 'Urique'. Her new vocal approach and sparse arrangements creating the dream folk sound of Rocking Horse.
Kelli returned to the UK and began recording the Rocking Horse album with Max Richter in Scotland in Spring 2008.
Marc Pilley played the guitars on the record and Max Richter played the B3 organ and piano, with a quartet playing the string parts and Ruth Morley on flute.
In her live set, Kelli and her band combine cello, flute and acoustic guitar with Kelli's ethereal vocals to interpret the songs from her Rocking Horse album and an original cover of Willows Song from the cult classic Wicker Man film soundtrack.
Sites: Discogs, YouTube and Facebook
Paper Moon
Kelli Ali Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
he'll come tonite
with the welcome summer breeze
oh his hair
is as black as the ink on my brush
and his smile is a smile
should he ever has touched
stars in the sky
he'll come tonite
to the place where tigers play
oh if he makes love
on a silver spoon
and he'll dance
in the spell of your glow
paper moon
oh if he makes love
on a silver spoon
and he'll dance
in the spell of your glow
paper moon
and he'll dance
in the spell
of your glow
paper moon
Kelli Ali's song 'Paper Moon' is an enigmatic ballad that is open to interpretation by the listeners. The song seems to be about a woman who is eagerly waiting for her lover to visit her. The lyrics evoke a dreamlike imagery where the woman imagines her lover coming to her under the light of stars in the sky and on the welcome summer breeze. She describes his hair as black as the ink on her brush and his smile as a smile she could ever draw with her brush. The mood and setting are romantic, mysterious, and fantastical at the same time. The woman seems to be consumed by the idea of her lover and the magic of their relationship that is symbolized by the 'Paper Moon.'
The refrain of the song is particularly fascinating as it is open to several interpretations. The lines "oh, if he makes love on a silver spoon and he'll dance in the spell of your glow, paper moon," can be interpreted in multiple ways. It could be a metaphor for the lover's luxurious lifestyle or the woman's dreams about their relationship taking a romantic turn. The metaphor of the 'Paper Moon' is also intriguing, as it could symbolize the fleeting beauty of dreams that are as fragile and transient as a paper moon. Overall, the lyrics of 'Paper Moon' create a haunting, dreamlike atmosphere that captures the listeners' imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
see the light on a river of dreams
I have a faint hope that my dream of love will come true.
he'll come tonite
I'm eagerly waiting for him to come tonight.
with the welcome summer breeze
It feels like the summer wind is welcoming him to me.
oh his hair
I find his hair as striking black as the ink on my brush.
is as black as the ink on my brush
His hair is very much like the black ink I use to create art.
and his smile is a smile
His smile is so genuine and unique that it's like no other smile I've seen.
should he ever has touched
If he ever touches me, it's like the stars in the sky will shine down and bless us.
stars in the sky
I ask the stars in the sky to bless our love and light his way to me.
will you light my lovers way
Can the stars in the sky light his way to me, my love?
to the place where tigers play
He's coming to me, to my world, where tigers play and fears are tamed.
oh if he makes love
If he makes love, it's like a magical experience that fills my heart with joy.
on a silver spoon
It's like he's making love on a silver spoon, and I'm enchanted by it.
and he'll dance
He'll move gracefully to the rhythm of love and enchantment.
in the spell of your glow
He'll dance in a trance under the spell of my unique, enamoring charm.
paper moon
All of this is like a fairytale, like a paper moon, fragile but beautiful.
Contributed by Stella C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@danz90s
hermoso y sublime,....
@geraldstumblingbear4509
❤
@nhantran120992
nice pic :))
@Panda_Samich
this is so 90s
@geraldstumblingbear4509
❤