The eldest so… Read Full Bio ↴Kenna Zemedkun is an Ethiopian-born American musician.
The eldest son of an immigrant family relocated to Virginia Beach (and later raised in Cincinnati, Ohio), Kenna began to express an interest in music upon receiving a copy of U2's The Joshua Tree. More records by influential artists such as The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, The Cure and The Cars followed, and remain as inspiration and influence of Kenna's music today. With the release of his first single, "Hell Bent", Kenna gained moderate popularity and an underground following of fans who eagerly awaited the release of his debut album, New Sacred Cow. After many delays and swapping of record labels, the album was finally released under Columbia Records in 2003. A subsequent North American tour was launched in the Summer of 2003 with Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan.
The album, which was co-produced by Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, is difficult to place in a single genre, containing elements of Electronica, Synth pop, Post rock, and House music. Two singles, "Sunday After You" and "Freetime" followed the release of the album; the music video of the latter, along with "Hell Bent", appear sporadically on MTV2.
A second album, titled "Make Sure They See My Face," was released in October 2007.
Kenna has also contributed to many other tracks by bands associated with Chad Hugo or The Neptunes, including but not limited to "Spiral" from William Orbit's album Hello Waveforms and "Red to Black" and "The Hard Way" off of The Rising Tied, the first album from Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor (although the second cut is only available as a bonus track, on the limited edition version of the album).
Chains
Kenna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey don't sleep on my scare!
Hey don't sleep,
Hey don't sleep on my scare!
From inside these chains
These chains won't break, but they will ?
These chains
These chains won't break, but they will ? (x2)
Let go!
Let, let go!
Let, let go!
Let, let go!
These chains, these chains,?
Let go!
Let, let go!
Let, let go!
Let, let go!
The song "Chains" by Kenna, reflects a feeling of being trapped, imprisoned, and chained in a situation. The repetition of the phrase "Hey don't sleep on my scare" suggests a warning or plea to those who may overlook or ignore the emotions and struggles the singer is facing. Through the repetition of the phrases, "These chains won't break, but they will" and "Let go," Kenna suggests that despite the challenging and restrictive situations he is experiencing, he needs to find the strength to release himself from those chains. The repeated refrain, "Let, let go," appears to be a call to action to the listener to also release themselves from whatever chains they may find themselves in the real world.
As the song progresses, the singer starts to repeat the phrase, "These chains, these chains," which could suggest that he is starting to identify and acknowledge the things that hold him back. The final repetition of "Let go" is a powerful message of encouragement and hope that suggests that he is working on freeing himself from the chains that bind him.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey don't sleep
Please pay attention
Hey don't sleep on my scare!
Please don't ignore my fear
From inside these chains
I am confined and trapped
These chains won't break, but they will ?
I am stuck in this situation and I don't know how to get out of it
Let go!
I need to release myself from this situation
Let, let go!
I need to let go of everything that's holding me back
These chains, these chains, ?
I can feel the weight of these chains on me
Let, let go!
I need to stop resisting and just let it all go
Let, let go!
I need to trust that everything will work out if I just let it be
Let, let go!
I need to move on and find a way to break free from these chains
Contributed by Kennedy Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thompson Appliance
My god. I still love this song since the first time it came out.
Rane Poe
Soo good!! Why is it so hard to find Land 2 Air Chronicles in full? I want to listen to Kharma is coming but can’t find it anywhere, not even for purchase 😭
Papipadre
So strange, I’m wondering the same thing 3 weeks later. At least they added his previous work to Spotify and there is a remix of this song as well.
SIMPLY OJAY
Mom’s used blast to song in the car in 2012 I was like 5. Now im 15 and finally found the song. Nostalgia hits hard.😢
Salvador Solis
Wish the original music video to this song was still up. I Can't find it anywhere.