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
Just My Luck
Kim Richey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I covered my tracks
I left love behind me
It was a thing of the past
And I got back on me feet again
With something new in my stride
I was just telling my girlfriends yesterday
How I was doing alright
[Chorus]
I was living a good life
None of that silly love stuff
Then I went and fell for you
Ain't that just my luck
I got a house in the country
I got a garden that grows
And I got nobody telling me
"Hey, turn down that radio!"
I made my life real simple
A couple cats and me
I don't get bored or lonely
As long as there's somethin' on TV
[Chorus]
The song "Just My Luck" by Kim Richey describes how the singer leaves love behind and tries to start a new life but ends up falling for someone unexpectedly, despite her intention to avoid love. She seems to have a history of losing in love, hence the line "I got tired of losing, so I covered my tracks," indicating that she has taken measures to avoid getting hurt again. She turns her focus towards herself and makes a life for herself with just a couple of cats for company.
She enjoys the peace and solitude of her life until she falls in love again. The line "I was living a good life, none of that silly love stuff, then I went and fell for you, ain't that just my luck" indicates that she feels unlucky because she thought she had moved beyond needing love, only to find herself falling for someone again. The singer's tone is somewhat bittersweet; she seems happy with her life but also laments that she has fallen in love again.
Overall, "Just My Luck" is a song about love, loss, and moving on. It speaks to the idea that sometimes we think we have control over our lives, but love can come in and disrupt everything we had planned.
Line by Line Meaning
I got tired of losing
I became weary of consistently failing
So I covered my tracks
I obscured any evidence that could portray my previous vulnerabilities
I left love behind me
I abandoned any notion of romance or affection
It was a thing of the past
It was consigned to being an object of the past
And I got back on me feet again
I regained mental and emotional stability
With something new in my stride
I adopted a new approach to life
I was just telling my girlfriends yesterday
Recently, I recounted my present state of being to my female friends
How I was doing alright
I was expressing contentment with my current situation
I was living a good life
I was enjoying a prosperous lifestyle
None of that silly love stuff
I had no desire to indulge in trivial romantic affairs
Then I went and fell for you
Despite my reluctance for affection, I developed feelings for you
Ain't that just my luck
It is just my chance to encounter someone I would fall for
I got a house in the country
I acquired a domicile located in a rural area
I got a garden that grows
I have a flourishing cultivation area
And I got nobody telling me
There is no one to instruct me
"Hey, turn down that radio!"
To reduce the sound volume of the radio or similar device
I made my life real simple
I ensured my life was straightforward and uncomplicated
A couple cats and me
I only share my living space with a couple of felines
I don't get bored or lonely
I am rarely, if ever, at a loss for entertainment or companionship
As long as there's somethin' on TV
So long as there appears something worthwhile to watch on television
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANGELO T. PETRAGLIA, KIM RICHEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Blair
Why isn't she a household name? She writes great songs, has an awesome voice. She has it all.
kevinhesspschamp
@Anti-Hype RV she was her back up singer
Anti-Hype RV
I think she looked so much like Trisha Yearwood, they went out and bought Trish's record, then played it at home and said "what the fuck is this?"
Sharon DiFronzo
She is in my household! 😁
Elitsa Tsvetkova
This lady just doesn't have a bad song!
wilburscott
Her first two albums were pretty damn awesome! This song sold me on her!
livelaughandlovelong
Her first two albums were her best IMO. Her writing is top shelf and she is a phenomenal live performer. I have had the please of seeing her many times.
Shelley Cohen Montgomery
This song sold me on her also. She's underrated unfortunately. I think she's great!!
correctconnectable
wilburscott I'm not a big country fan but my dad used to play this album in the regular rotation and I loved it. great tunes, great memories.
Rick
Thank you Kim! Your debut disc and Jude Cole's "Start The Car" helped me break free of a very long toxic relationship. It was a very difficult decision and impact on my soul and life.
I played both for a long time in my work vehicle and at home back in 1995/96/97.
BTW.......I still have all your discs and Jude Cole's in my beloved Pioneer multi-disc player from the 1990s (which works as well today as it did in 1996).
❤