Early public performances by Kimbra included singing at JBC (now the dive bar Nivara Lounge) in Hamilton at age 9, the Waikato Times Gold Cup race meeting in 2000 as a 10-year-old, and singing the national anthem at age 12 before 27,000 people at the Auckland vs Waikato NPC rugby final. In 2007, after winning the Juice TV award for best breakthrough music video for her second single "Simply on My Lips", she came to the attention of ex-Independient Records boss Mark Richardson (Jamiroquai, Paula Abdul) and his newly-formed management company and independent label Forum 5 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Before her debut album, Kimbra released 2 singles: 'Simply On My Lips' and 'Deep For You'.
Kimbra's debut album, Vows was released in 2011. Three singles have been released from this album - 'Cameo Lover', 'Settle Down', 'Good Intent'. According to the Settle Down Songfacts, Vows spans five years of Kimbra's life from age 17 to 22. and explores love, identity and coming of age.
Kimbra also collaborated with Australian artist Gotye for the single 'Somebody That I Used To Know ' in 2011. This song has peaked on the charts in The USA, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium and The Netherlands at #1.
A significantly reworked version of her debut album was released in the U.S. in May of 2012. At the end of that year Kimbra triumphed in five categories at the New Zealand Music Awards, most notably Best Female Solo Artist and Best Pop Album. She also continued to receive plaudits for her Gotye collaboration well into 2013, among them the 2012 Grammy for Record of the Year.
Along with touring with Gotye and making festival appearances, including a spot at Brazil's Rock in Rio festival, Kimbra began work on her second album, The Golden Echo. She returned to the studio with producer Rich Costey and a host of collaborators including Bilal, Van Dyke Parks, Muse's Matt Bellamy, the Mars Volta's Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez, and Silverchair's Daniel Johns, who co-wrote some of the album's songs. Singles such as the genre-hopping "'90s Music" and the smooth disco-funk homage "Miracle" hinted at The Golden Echo's eclecticism ahead of its August 2014 release.
Kimbra reunited with Bilal in 2015, appearing on his album In Another Life, and debuted her own single "Sweet Relief" in 2016. The 2017 single "Everybody Knows" offered the first taste of her third album Primal Heart. Featuring songs co-written and co-produced by Kimbra -- as well as collaborations with John Congleton and Skrillex -- Primal Heart appeared in April 2018.
Plain Gold Ring
Kimbra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was where everyone could see
He belonged to someone, but not me
On his hand was a plain gold ring
Plain gold ring had a story to tell
It was one that I knew too well
And in my heart it will never be spring
Nighttime comes calling on me
I know why I'll never be free
I can't stop these teardrops of mine
I'm gonna love him 'til the end of time
Plain gold ring has but one thing to say
I'll remember 'til my dying days
In my heart it will never be spring
Long as he wears that plain gold ring
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Kimbra's song "Plain Gold Ring" is a poignant and emotionally-charged reflection on unrequited love. The lyrics describe a man wearing a plain gold ring on his finger, indicating that he is in a committed relationship, but not with the singer. The ring serves as a constant reminder of the love that she can never have, and she is resigned to the fact that she will always have feelings for him, even if he never reciprocates them.
The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the power of the ring as a symbol of the man's commitment to another person. The singer knows that as long as he wears the ring, she will never be able to have him, and her heart will never be free. The use of the metaphor of spring suggests that the singer feels trapped in a never-ending cycle of unrequited love, unable to escape her feelings no matter how much time passes.
The imagery of nighttime and tears further emphasizes the singer's pain and her inability to move on. Despite her sadness, however, she can't help but continue to love this man, even though he can never love her back. This bittersweet sentiment makes "Plain Gold Ring" a powerful ballad that speaks to the universal experience of unrequited love and the pain that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
She acknowledges the plain gold ring on his finger which is highly visible to people around him.
It was where everyone could see
She describes how the ring is worn for everyone else to take notice..
He belonged to someone, but not me
She mentions that the person wearing the ring is committed to someone else and not to her.
On his hand was a plain gold ring
She emphasizes again on the existence of the plain gold ring on his hand.
Plain gold ring had a story to tell
She insists that the plain gold ring has a history attached to it.
It was one that I knew too well
She reveals that she is well aware of the story behind the ring since she has been a part of it.
And in my heart it will never be spring
She admits that with the ring around, her life will always be in a state of despair.
Long as he wears that plain gold ring
She explains that as long as he wears the ring, she will always struggle with her emotions.
Nighttime comes calling on me
She communicates that during the dark hours, she feels lonely and restless.
I know why I'll never be free
She confirms that she will never be free since she is still in love with him.
I can't stop these teardrops of mine
She expresses her feelings of sadness and grief.
I'm gonna love him till the end of time
She pledges her unwavering love for him irrespective of his existing relationship.
Plain gold ring has but one thing to say
She believes that the plain gold ring conveys only one message.
I'll remember till my dying days
She vows to remember their time together until her last breath.
In my heart it will never be spring
She concludes by stating that even with a glimmer of hope, she knows that her life will always be gloomy as long as he continues to wear that ring.
Long as he wears that plain gold ring
She reinforces the idea that the plain gold ring will always be a barrier to their love story.
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
She restates to remind the listeners one last time that the plain gold ring is significant.
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
She repeats it once again for the impact it carries.
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
She repeats it for the third and final time, making sure to leave a lasting impression in the listeners' minds.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: George Stone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sniffcats
I watch this honestly month after month, year after year, and it never gets old. Her voice is absolutely amazing. The way she moves, and how emotionally connected she is when she sings. She's SO talented. In my top 3 favorite artists for sure.
@SarfarazAhmad89
agreed ! one of the most dedicated talented artists i have seen
@tomjohnson1110
I'm an old guy. She reminds me so much of freddie mercury of queen in how she is immersed in her music. If you haven't seen queen watch their concert at wembly stadium he was awesome.
@hcmaclean777
Me too
@ShesDopeLikeThat
Geena Gaga I have never agreed with a comment so much!!
@eskidenguzelmahlaslarvardi
geen bean same here! Very well put, friend. I come back to this video year after year...
@rootsm3
A lot of people get uncomfortable watching her perform because they know they'll never have the guts to be that unhinged. She is 20 fucking years old during this performance. If at that age your rendition of a jazz classic becomes the standard way to perform it, you are a musical prodigy and have every right to not give a single fuck about what twits think about how you do your thing.
@celiaslingsby7011
rootsm3 My favourite thing about her is that she is unhinged. Who wouldn't be a little jealous of that kind of freedom? She is seriously inspiring & highly creative.
@celiaslingsby7011
rootsm3 Also, her outfits really are awful, but with a voice like that...who cares? She can perform in a hessian sack and I will still be entranced by her music.
@robynlockhart5590
rootsm3