Keren Ann (b. 1974) is a singer/songwriter with dual Dutch-Israeli citizen… Read Full Bio ↴Keren Ann (b. 1974) is a singer/songwriter with dual Dutch-Israeli citizenship. She plays guitar, piano, and clarinet, and engineers and writes choir and musical arrangements. She is of Russian-Jewish descent on her father's side and Javanese-Dutch on her mother's.

Born Keren Ann Zeidel in Caesarea, Israel on 10th March 1974, she lived in the Netherlands and Israel until the age of eleven, when her family moved to France. Her first group, KAB (for Keren Ann Band), lasted three years. In 1997, she wrote the song "Father" for the film K by Alexandre Arcady, in which she also acted a small part. The next year, at the age of twenty-four, she formed Shelby with two other women; the group released one album and had a small success with the song "1+1+1", whose composer Benjamin Biolay became an important collaborator. In 2000 she began her solo career with La biographie de Luka Philipsen -- "Luka" in homage to the Suzanne Vega song, "Philipsen" after her maternal grandmother -- written with and produced by Biolay, who also co-wrote and -produced its follow-up, La disparition. (In return, she helped write his debut album, Rose Kennedy.) The pair also wrote several songs for Henri Salvador's best-selling, prize-winning 2000 comeback album, Chambre avec vue.

Lady & Bird is a collaboration with Bardi Johannsson of the Icelandic group Bang Gang.

Not Going Anywhere, which includes several songs from La disparition re-sung in English, was her first U.S. release, but her American breakthrough came with its follow-up, Nolita. Recorded in Paris and New York, it is named for Nolita, her neighborhood in lower Manhattan; it is sung half in French and half in English.

Chelsea Burns
Keren Ann Lyrics

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I was running out of trouble
You were running out of fame
Streets smelled like the desert
As they were putting out the flames
And Chelsea burns
Chelsea burns
Under my feet

Twenty-third was empty
I heard somebody yell
A straight-laced passerby's
Pulled over the hotel
And Chelsea burns
Chelsea burns
Under my feet

Whether we were lost or overwhelmed
Nobody knows that I'm better off
Making up lies to be left alone
And Chelsea burns
Chelsea burns
Under my feet

I was running out of trouble
You were running out of fame
I'm streets ahead of happiness
Still wondering who to blame
Chelsea burns

Chelsea burns
Under my feet

Overall Meaning

Keren Ann's song "Chelsea Burns" reflects on the struggles and challenges of life. The singer is running out of trouble while their partner is running out of fame. The lyrics suggest something has gone wrong in the relationship, and as they continue walking through the streets, Chelsea burns under their feet. The burning of Chelsea signifies the destruction of a once-beautiful city, mirroring the destruction of the relationship. The emptiness of Twenty-third street suggests that the singer's life is also devoid of purpose.

The song is a reflection on the singer's struggles in life. Keren Ann's lyrics provide a glimpse of the singer's internal struggle with the world around them. The burning of Chelsea is symbolic of the destruction of an important part of their life. The song also delves into the trials of urban life, specifically in New York City, where Chelsea is located. Despite their struggles, the singer retains a sense of hope and perseverance, continuing to march forward as Chelsea burns under their feet.

Line by Line Meaning

I was running out of trouble
I had been struggling and things were not going well for me.

You were running out of fame
You were losing your popularity and no longer famous as before.

Streets smelled like the desert
The streets were quiet and empty, feeling desolate and deserted.

As they were putting out the flames
As the authorities and firefighters were working on extinguishing a fire.

And Chelsea burns
Referring to a fire that occurred in the Chelsea area.

Twenty-third was empty
Referring to 23rd street, which was eerily deserted.

I heard somebody yell
Someone's shouting caught my attention.

A straight-laced passerby's
A respectable and conventional person.

Pulled over the hotel
Stopped in front of the hotel.

Whether we were lost or overwhelmed
Regardless of whether we were lost or overcome by the situation.

Nobody knows that I'm better off
No one realizes that I am happier this way.