Kelly was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on October 2, 1968, Willis was the youngest of three children. While her father was a U.S. Army colonel, Willis’ mother had a strong interest in music and sang and acted in amateur musicals. Willis began singing when she was nine as a way to comfort herself after her parents divorced.
==Career==
Willis joined her first band in high school. Her boyfriend, drummer Mas Palermo, introduced Willis to his rockabilly band. The band took her on as the lead vocalist and soon rechristened the band Kelly Willis & the Fireballs. After Willis’ high school graduation, the band decided to move to Austin, Texas, to participate in the vibrant Austin music scene. After a few months in Austin, however, the band broke up. Willis and Palermo, married in 1989, formed a new band called Radio Ranch. In Austin, Willis attracted the notice of several influential Texas singer-songwriters including Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. Griffith introduced MCA producer Tony Brown to Willis. Brown was very impressed with Willis’ vocal abilities and signed her to the MCA label in 1989.
MCA embarked on a big marketing campaign to tout Willis after she recorded her first album on the label, the 1990 album ''Well Travelled Love''. MCA ensured that Willis was interviewed by several national magazines including unusual venues like ''Vogue'' and ''Mademoiselle''. Her voice appeared in the 1991 Ridley Scott-produced movie ''Thelma and Louise'', singing "Little Honey." Willis also had a small part in Tim Robbins’ 1992 film ''Bob Roberts''. Despite of all the publicity and positive reviews from most reviewers, ''Well Travelled Love'' and Willis’ subsequent albums for MCA (''Bang Bang'' in 1991 and ''Kelly Willis'' in 1993) sold modestly and received very little radio play. During this time, Willis felt uncomfortable with the way she was marketed by MCA. In 1994, MCA released Willis from her contract.
Willis continued to pursue her music career after leaving MCA. In 1996, she recorded an EP for A&M Records entitled ''Fading Fast''. However, her relationship with A&M was short-lived; after working with two major labels, Willis decided to record her next album on her own. Her efforts resulted in the 1999 album ''What I Deserve'', which Willis sold to Rykodisc after finishing the album. ''What I Deserve'' received quite a bit of press after the album’s release. It was commonly seen as Willis’ response to her history with MCA, and was uniformly praised by critics, becoming a hit for Willis.
In 2003, Willis and Bruce Robison, her husband and fellow country musician, released the record ''Happy Holidays'', a cover album of Christmas songs.
In Fall 2007, Willis released ''Translated From Love''. It was recorded at Robison's studio, Premium Recording Services, in Austin, TX. and produced by Chuck Prophet, formerly of the band Green On Red. The album is co-written by Willis, Prophet and notable songwriter Jules Shear, and includes a cover version of Iggy Pop's "Success."
In early 2008, Willis announced she would take an indefinite hiatus from live performances due to family obligations. Said Willis in a website announcement, "Being a traveling musician with four kids may not make an extremely compelling reality TV show but it is kicking my butt. I plan to continue making records. And I may do the occasional holiday show/song swap/benefit here and there.... Happy trails...until we meet again." Her winter/spring 2008 scheduled dates continued as planned until the final show May 2, 2008.
Willis has recently begun to tour outside of Texas again; first she headlined the Northern Rockies Folk Festival in Hailey, Idaho on August 7, 2010. Next up, she is scheduled to perform at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco on October 2, 2010.
==Personal life==
She is married to country singer-songwriter Bruce Robison.
Official website: http://www.kellywillis.me
Facebook fan site: http://www.facebook.com/KellyWillisRobison
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KellyWRobison
Not Long for This World
Kelly Willis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're not long for this world
And the way I can tell is
I know you too well
We're not long for this world
I know the words that you say
And the words that you mean
When you meant everything
We're not long for this world
We're not long for this world
And the way I can tell is
I know you too well
We're not long for this world
You hold me close in your arms
And I feel the cold
Oh, but you never meant any harm
By the lies that you told
We're not long for this world
We're not long for this world
And the way I can tell is
I know you too well
We're not long for this world
Yes, the way I can tell is
I know you too well
We're not long for this world
The song "Not Long for This World" by Kelly Willis is a powerful and poignant ballad about the transience of life and relationships. The lyrics articulate the singer's intuitive sense that their time together is finite and that they will not last in this world for much longer. The repeated refrain emphasizes this message: "We're not long for this world."
The singer's knowledge of her partner's words and intentions adds depth and melancholy to the song. She recalls the days when her partner's words held deeper meaning for her and when their relationship was built on trust and affection. However, as time has passed, she has become attuned to the subtle changes and inconsistencies in their communications, signaling that their time is dwindling.
The final lines of the song serve as a grim reminder of their fate. The singer acknowledges that she knows her partner too well, and that this knowledge has made her aware of their limited time together. "We're not long for this world," the song concludes, in a mournful, yet accepting tone.
Overall, "Not Long for This World" is a deeply personal and introspective song that reflects on the human condition and the fleeting nature of love and life. It's a tender and reflective meditation on mortality and the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
We're not long for this world
The singer believes that their time in this world is limited.
We're not long for this world
Reiteration of the belief that death is imminent.
And the way I can tell is
The singer has a feeling or intuition about the impending end.
I know you too well
The artist is familiar with the person they are addressing and their tendencies or patterns.
We're not long for this world
Reiteration of the belief that death is imminent.
I know the words that you say
The singer understands the verbal communication of the other person.
And the words that you mean
The singer is also aware of what is implied or intended behind those words.
And I remember the days
The artist recalls a time before things changed.
When you meant everything
The person they are addressing used to be very important to the artist.
You hold me close in your arms
Physical intimacy is shared between the artist and the other person.
And I feel the cold
However, the love or warmth that used to accompany that intimacy is gone.
Oh, but you never meant any harm
Despite the loss of those feelings, the artist believes that the other person did not intentionally cause harm.
By the lies that you told
However, the singer acknowledges that the other person was not always truthful.
Yes, the way I can tell is
Reiteration of the intuition or feeling that death is approaching.
I know you too well
The singer's knowledge of the other person reinforces their belief in mortality.
We're not long for this world
Final statement of the belief that time is running out.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN LEVENTHAL, KELLY WILLIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind