Her 1995 self-titled debut album provided her first country hit, "Just My Luck", as well as the follow-up "Those Words We Said". Her follow-up album, 1996's Bitter Sweet featured a more pop-oriented sound.
She has also had significant success as a songwriter for others. She collaborated with Radney Foster on "Nobody Wins" and co-wrote Trisha Yearwood's hit "Believe Me Baby (I Lied)" (Yearwood also covered Richey's "Those Words We Said"). Maura O'Connell and Brooks & Dunn covered her song "Every River". Patty Loveless, Mindy McCready, The Greencards, Terri Clark, Cyndi Thomson, and other country artists have recorded covers of her songs.
Richey provided backing vocals on "Come Pick Me Up" on the 2000 debut album Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams.
In 2004 her track, "A Place Called Home", was featured in episode 16 of season 5, "Shells", of the Angel television series. The song later appeared on the Angel soundtrack, Live Fast Die Never.
On 7 July 2007, she performed in Washington at Live Earth.
Her album, "Edgeland," was released in 2018.
In 2020 she released A Long Way Back: The Songs of Glimmer, based on new versions of the 14 songs on her 1999 album Glimmer, in a more acoustic style. Reviewing the album for the Seattle PI, Jon Sobel says "Richey's mapley voice, always unmistakeable, has developed a sheen of gravitas it didn't possess in 1999. Just as important, the songs hold up. The slighter ones ("So It Goes," "Good at Secrets," "Gravity") carry more weight in their new, more airy settings, thanks partly to Doug Lancio's artful and sensitive production. The strongest ("Didn't I," "Can't Lose Them All," the sublime "Come Around") feel cooler, or more studied, and somehow at the same time hotter, the emotions more precisely sketched."
http://www.kimrichey.com
Fading
Kim Richey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of that town we went to last fall
It was up in the mountains, yeah, we took a train there
And that's pretty much what I recall
Fading, you are fading
You took me dancing, out all night dancing
And didn't you kiss me, and make me laugh
When we said goodbye, wasn't it sad?
Fading, you are fading
A sweet dream left behind
I can't seem to find my way back to (you.)
You are fading
You are fading
Well, I've got letters, pictures too
But they can't come close to you
Days go by, and life goes on
And on and on, and on and on and on
Fading, you are fading
You are fading
Aah
In Kim Richey's song "Fading", the lyrics describe the gradual loss of memories of a relationship that has ended. The song begins with the singer struggling to remember the details of a trip she took with her former partner. She remembers only that the town was in the mountains and that they took a train to get there. The repetition of the line "fading, you are fading" emphasizes the idea that the memories of this person are slowly slipping away from the singer's mind.
The second verse of the song describes a happier time in the relationship. The singer recalls a night of dancing with her partner, which she describes as one of the best times she's ever had. She remembers the joyous moments they shared together, including kisses and laughter. However, even in this happier memory, she still notes the sadness of saying goodbye, suggesting that even in better times, there was already a sense of an impending end.
The final verse details the aftermath of the relationship. The singer has letters and pictures, but these artifacts cannot replace the person she has lost. Time has passed and life goes on, but the memories still fade away, leaving her feeling lost and alone.
Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of the gradual loss of a relationship and the struggle to hold onto memories as they slip away. The repetition of the line "fading, you are fading" creates a haunting and melancholic tone that captures the sorrow of losing someone dear.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I can't seem to place the name
I cannot remember the name of a town we visited last fall.
Of that town we went to last fall
A town that we had visited during last autumn.
It was up in the mountains, yeah, we took a train there
The town was located in a high altitude area, and we had travelled there via a train.
And that's pretty much what I recall
I can barely remember anything else about the town.
Fading, you are fading
The memory of that town is slowly fading away.
You took me dancing, out all night dancing
You took me out for a night of dancing, and we had a great time.
The best time I might have ever had
That night could have been the happiest time of my life.
And didn't you kiss me, and make me laugh
You kissed me and made me laugh, which made me feel happy and content.
When we said goodbye, wasn't it sad?
We were sad to say goodbye to each other.
A sweet dream left behind
A beautiful memory that I can't relive.
I can't seem to find my way back to (you.)
I cannot access the memory of us together.
Fading, you are fading
The memory of us is slowly disappearing.
You are fading
The memory of you is slowly disappearing.
Well, I've got letters, pictures too
I have kept some letters and pictures from the past.
But they can't come close to you
However, they cannot replace the feeling of being with you.
Days go by, and life goes on
Time passes, and life continues.
And on and on, and on and on and on
And it keeps progressing, endlessly.
Fading, you are fading
The memory of us is slowly fading away.
You are fading
The memory of you is slowly disappearing.
Aah
A sound of longing and sadness.
Writer(s): Kim Richey, Gareth Dunlop
Contributed by Ian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.