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.
The Build Up
Kimbra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the highway, but I'm barefoot
I need a map but not the destination
Need a compass but not a conversation
I want to run far from this grey town
You're on every street, marked on the ground
Not the meant and not the paint
I want the jump but not the height
Let me fall but catch me mid flight
I swam with sharks and beasts of the sea
Only went down for the company
Went down for the company
I forgot to mention
That you would come back home when I call
Left no sign, nothing at all
Sorry you won't fit inside my heart
I wanted love without the build up
I need the rules but not the regulations
Want the wisdom but not the information
Need the light but not the heat of the day
Need your hands to show me how to pray
I lost the plot underneath the fire
Of all the dots and lines that took me higher
Away from traffic and smiles of tire
I like the nights but not the tangled wires
Need the pulse to feel alive
All the world's just made it seem all quiet
This has all become far too loud
I like you more when you don't make a sound
You will come back home when I call
You left no sign, nothing at all
Sorry you won't fit inside my heart
Won't you come light the way and wash this away
I wanted love without the build up
Kimbra's song, The Build Up, is a metaphorical exploration of the complexity and dichotomy of relationships. In the first verse, the lyrics suggest a feeling of being lost and searching for direction, both literally and emotionally. The persona is on a highway without shoes, needing a map but not necessarily wanting to know the ultimate destination. This represents a desire for adventure, to run away from a monotonous, grey existence. However, at the same time, there is the idea that the persona is constantly encountering reminders of a significant other - 'You're on every street, marked on the ground.' This creates a tension between a desire for freedom and a desire for connection.
The chorus builds upon this idea, with the persona expressing a wish for love without the complications of a build-up. The verses that follow further explore complexities in relationships, with the persona desiring rules but not regulations and wanting wisdom but not information. The lyric 'I like you more when you don't make a sound' suggests an aversion to conflict or drama, again reflecting a yearning for simplicity.
The final stanza offers a glimmer of hope that the significant other will come back, but it is unclear whether this reunification will be helpful or not. Ultimately, the song is an insightful exploration of the push and pull involved in relationships, and the tension between a desire for freedom and a desire for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Went from cities to touch the suburbs
I left the city life to explore the quieter outskirts
On the highway, but I'm barefoot
I'm taking risks and following my own path, even if it's unconventional
I need a map but not the destination
I want guidance, but I also want to discover my own way
Need a compass but not a conversation
I want direction, but I don't want someone telling me what to do
I want to run far from this grey town
I'm tired of the monotony and want to escape to somewhere more lively
You're on every street, marked on the ground
Even when I try to move on, memories of you keep resurfacing
Not the meant and not the paint
I want authenticity, not something that's artificial or superficial
Want the price but not the raise
I want the reward, but I don't want to put in the work to earn it
I want the jump but not the height
I want the thrill of taking a leap, but I don't want to deal with the consequences
Let me fall but catch me mid flight
I want to take risks, but I also want someone there to support and protect me
I swam with sharks and beasts of the sea
I've faced my fears and embraced danger to feel alive
Only went down for the company
I took those risks just to feel connected to others and escape my loneliness
I forgot to mention
There's something I left out or didn't communicate clearly
That you would come back home when I call
I'm relying on you to always come back to me when I need you
Left no sign, nothing at all
You disappeared without a trace, leaving me confused and alone
Sorry you won't fit inside my heart
I'm acknowledging that you're not the right person for me, even if I wish you were
I need the rules but not the regulations
I want structure, but I don't want to feel trapped or restricted by it
Want the wisdom but not the information
I want to understand the bigger picture, but I don't need every little detail
Need the light but not the heat of the day
I want clarity and guidance, but I don't want to deal with getting burned in the process
Need your hands to show me how to pray
I need your guidance and support to help me find spiritual fulfillment
I lost the plot underneath the fire
I've become overwhelmed and confused by the intensity of my emotions
Of all the dots and lines that took me higher
I've followed different paths and experiences that have helped me grow and develop
Away from traffic and smiles of tire
I've moved on from the mundane and tiresome parts of daily life
I like the nights but not the tangled wires
I appreciate the peace and quiet of nighttime, but I don't like dealing with complicated situations
Need the pulse to feel alive
I need excitement and stimulation to feel truly alive and engaged with life
All the world's just made it seem all quiet
Even when the world seems chaotic and loud, I still feel a sense of calm and introspection
This has all become far too loud
I'm feeling overwhelmed and consumed by the noise and chaos of the world around me
I like you more when you don't make a sound
I appreciate your presence and support, even when you're not saying anything at all
Won't you come light the way and wash this away
I'm asking for your guidance and support to help me navigate through difficult emotions and situations
I wanted love without the build up
I wanted a deep connection with someone, but I didn't want to deal with the complexities and challenges of building that connection over time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANCOIS TETAZ, KIMBRA JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vanessa Cone
Does this song to anyone - although this version is sadly shortened - mean as immensely much as it does to me?
Mai Moana
Lost
ahjeez
+Vanessa Cone I adore this song, it's one of my favorites. I'll never hear another like it and it puts me in a place I'll never go or feel outside of this song. The hidden track "Somebody Please" is just as amazing.
winterfishes
YES YES YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES
Relya Voy
same. Don't want to sound weird, but it calms me down when everything is just too stressful. Sometimes the noise of everyday life can get too much, and this song just brings it down again. It's one of my all time faves <3
eggtit
"I'm sorry you won't fit inside my heart" gets me everytime
Josh
The pause when she says fire is unmentionably amazing
Memoria
This is how I knew I loved Kimbra after I heard one song from her. What makes a good singer isn't just hitting impressive notes, it's the emotion and the quirks you put into it, where you pause and where your voice cracks. That's what turns singing from a skill to an art, and she does it beautifully.
Tamer Harb
This song is unbelievable. The entire last half of vows is really indie and experimental with a lot of different genres. This gives me chills up and down my spine. This is somebody that absolutely deserves the entirety of fame on her way in her near future.
WonderWes
When music transcends itself and becomes art is when you know someone is close to perfection.