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
Lay It Down
Kim Richey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take another hit but that don't ever stop the rain
Smile away the hours, you're never really there
You're safe behind the knowledge they don't know how much you care
Yeah, but don't that stuff get awful heavy
You know it occurs to me
You're gonna break your heart, yeah, if you don't leave it be
Leave the words unspoken, bite your tongue instead
Ah, but keep the fire smoking, keep it humming in your head
Hold another grudge, oh, tight against your chest
Yeah, note another slight so you can add it to the rest
Yeah, but don't that stuff get awful heavy
You know it occurs to me
You're gonna break your heart, yeah, if you don't leave it be
Lay it down
The truth leaks out a little every time
You tell another desperate joke
Yeah, but don't that stuff get awful heavy
You know it occurs to me
You're gonna break your heart, yeah, if you don't leave it be
Lay it down, lay it all the way down, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Kim Richey's song "Lay It Down" is a poignant reflection on the futility of trying to bury one's pain and true emotions. The lyrics urge the listener to let go of the coping mechanisms that are only a band-aid solution to deeper emotional wounds. The first verse talks about drinking and doing drugs, suggesting that these vices are attempts to numb the pain but only provide temporary relief. The second verse is about bottling up anger and resentment, holding grudges and never letting go, and how this can only weigh down the heart.
The chorus of the song is a plea to the listener to "lay it down", to let go of all these unhealthy coping mechanisms and confront their pain head-on. The phrase "lay it all the way down" implies a complete surrender, a willingness to face the pain with honesty and vulnerability. The third verse suggests that the truth about one's emotional state will eventually come out, and that telling jokes or putting on a facade cannot keep the pain at bay forever.
Overall, the lyrics of "Lay It Down" are a reminder that healing cannot come from avoiding the pain, but only from facing it and dealing with it in a healthy way. The song's gentle melody and Kim Richey's clear vocal performance add to the poignant atmosphere of the lyrics, creating a song that is both musically and emotionally compelling.
Line by Line Meaning
Have another drink, yeah, maybe dull the pain
Using alcohol to numb emotional pain.
Take another hit but that don't ever stop the rain
Trying to cope with problems by using drugs, but realizing it doesn't solve anything.
Smile away the hours, you're never really there
Putting on a show of pretending to be happy and engaged, but living in a disconnected state.
You're safe behind the knowledge they don't know how much you care
Feeling protected by the fact that people don't know how much you really care about something or someone.
Yeah, but don't that stuff get awful heavy
Acknowledging that these coping mechanisms can become overwhelming.
You know it occurs to me
Realizing the truth after much reflection.
You're gonna break your heart, yeah, if you don't leave it be
Recognizing that continuing these behaviors will only lead to heartache and pain.
Lay it down, lay it all the way down, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Encouraging the listener to let go of these habits and patterns once and for all.
Leave the words unspoken, bite your tongue instead
Holding back feelings and thoughts, rather than expressing them.
Ah, but keep the fire smoking, keep it humming in your head
Maintaining a level of emotion and passion, even if it's not being outwardly expressed.
Hold another grudge, oh, tight against your chest
Refusing to let go of past hurts or resentment felt towards others.
Yeah, note another slight so you can add it to the rest
Picking up on small slights or offenses to add to the accumulating list of grievances.
The truth leaks out a little every time
The fact of the matter will eventually come to light, even if it's only in small pieces.
You tell another desperate joke
Trying to cover up pain or discomfort by making light of the situation.
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Vocalization to add emphasis or emotion to the song's final moments.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: KIM RICHEY, TOM LITTLEFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind