Though she doesn't sound like a white chick from Wisconsin, Kira grew up outside of Milwaukee listening to country and folk music, even going so far as to write a letter to Loretta Lynn asking for advice on how to become a country singer – she was about 9 then. Junior high brought pop and R&B into her ears and out of her mouth. It was, however, at Milwaukee’s High School of the Arts that Kira’s musical world was blown wide open when she left the 'burbs and hit the city. She heard and sang in gospel choirs for the first time. She was encouraged to explore improvisation as a vocalist and pianist in several of MHSA's award-winning jazz ensembles. She got her first Aretha Franklin record and hasn’t been the same since.
So great was her delight in this new musical world, she followed it to Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Kira became the first ever freshman member of its prestigious Vocal Jazz Ensemble, performed as a soloist in Berklee’s Country Ensemble, and sang in countless other soul and R&B revues and recitals.
While on summer break from Berklee, Kira landed a gig at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. She fell in love with Texas and its music and returned the next year after graduating from Berklee. After a brief stint at New Orleans’ legendary Pat O’Brien’s – her first ever piano bar gig – Kira headed back to Texas, this time to Austin, where for the next 5 1/2 years she dug her feet into its fertile musical soil. She sang in over a dozen bands, was a sought after studio vocalist, and lent her talents as a vocal arranger, musical director and composer to numerous projects. She says of her time there, “I grew up in Wisconsin, but my soul grew up in Austin…it’s where I started to really find my voice.”
And it’s all thanks to Thursday night. For those 5+ years, Thursday night belonged to Kira and the piano at Austin’s beloved Donn’s Depot. Actually, Kira belonged to Thursdays at Donn’s, where on any given night she would play anything from Ray Charles to Ray Price… and everywhere in between. After awhile a sound, blending this mix of influences and styles, began to emerge. It was uniquely hers and it’s been developing a maturity and identity all its own ever since. Her debut album, aptly titled Wanderin' Star, recorded in Austin and Nashville over a three-year period, was released in fall of 2003. While it may not be indicative of where this artist is headed, it is a beautiful summation of where she had been so far. Comprised of a collection of some of her favorites and some of her originals, it's country-bluesy-torchy jazz, all delivered with an intimacy and freshness that will move even the hardest of hearts. This freshness is what she brings to any space she occupies, as soon as she opens her mouth to sing.
Kira spent a few years as a member of Berklee’s voice faculty but the pull to be an artist was stronger and it led her to Nashville in 2001. Songwriting is in the water there and her Piscean tendency to swim in whatever waters are nearest pushed her to dive in headfirst. To no one’s surprise but her own, she found herself more at home in those creative waters than ever before. She says, "I'm one of maybe 4 people in Nashville who DIDN'T come here to be a songwriter. Go figure..." She has been whipping up all of the flavors she has collected along the way into a deliciously soulful stew and her songs are garnering some impressive attention. She was signed on as a staff songwriter at Gerry Bruce Music Publishing in 2004 and has been hard at work on her artistic development with producer Bruce Dees. Although his resume as a player, singer, arranger, and producer boasts an impressive roster of country names, Dees’ background is in southern soul and R&B and it is with that instinctive set of ears that he has produced Kira’s latest recordings. Together they’ve been digging pretty deep in the dirt. Hear for yourself the treasures they unearthed on the 2006 Offrow Records release Love In A Dangerous World.
Chains
Kira Small Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As if they're made of cold, cold steel
A simple kiss like a turnin' key
A little click and the lock's on me
Can't move my arms, can't lift my hands
I won't admit to where I am
But I know baby, I'm in chains I'm in chains
I pretend I can always leave
But then the sound of my desperate calls
Echo off these dungeon walls
I've crossed the line from mad to sane
A thousand times and back again
I love you baby, I'm in chains I'm in chains
I'm in chains I'm in chains
Should have known passing through the gate
That once inside I could not escape
I never thought this could happen to me
Never thought this is where I'd be
But baby, baby, baby, look at me
Baby, baby, look at me, I'm in chains I'm in chains
I never thought this is where I'd be
Never thought this could happen to me
The song "Chains" by Kira Small is a haunting ballad about being trapped in a relationship that has turned abusive. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who is in love but feels trapped and helpless. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song as the singer describes their lover's arms as warm, yet they feel like they are made of cold steel. The singer then reveals that a simple kiss has turned into a binding contract, where they are figuratively locked in chains unable to move their arms or lift their hands.
The second verse deepens the despair as the singer realizes that they are trapped in a dungeon-like existence, where their desperate cries for help remain unheard. Even though they have tried to escape this situation a thousand times, they feel they have gone back and forth between being madly in love and hopelessly trapped in chains. The chorus repeats the truth of their situation and the realization that they had crossed a line they cannot come back from. The final lines reveal that they had never imagined being in this situation, never thought this could happen to them.
Overall, "Chains" is a heart-wrenching song about a person who has fallen madly in love and feels trapped, held hostage by their own emotions. The imagery and desperation in Kira Small's lyrics paint a picture of a person who is stuck in a cycle of abuse, unable to leave the relationship, and feeling powerless to change their fate. This is a powerful reminder of the importance of recognizing the warning signs of toxic relationships and seeking help to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Your arms are warm but they make me feel
Although your embrace is physically comforting, emotionally it feels oppressive and restrictive
As if they're made of cold, cold steel
Your embrace feels like prison bars made of metal, trapping me in a rigid and unyielding space
A simple kiss like a turnin' key
A seemingly innocent gesture, like a kiss, can become a manipulative tool to exercise control
A little click and the lock's on me
Once the 'key' is turned, it feels like emotional shackles have been placed to keep me restrained
Can't move my arms, can't lift my hands
I am physically incapable of moving or expressing myself freely, as if my mobility and autonomy have been taken away
I won't admit to where I am
I feel ashamed to reveal the psychological state of bondage that I'm in, and I'm not ready to acknowledge it fully
But I know baby, I'm in chains I'm in chains
Despite my denial, I am aware that I am being held captive in a destructive relationship
I pretend I can always leave
I convince myself that I have the power to walk away from this situation, even when I know it's not true
Free to go whenever I please
I tell myself that it's within my prerogative to leave at any moment, but in reality, I feel trapped and limited in my choices
But then the sound of my desperate calls
When I try to break free, my cries for help go unheard and unanswered
Echo off these dungeon walls
The isolation I feel amplifies my distress, bouncing it back to me and making it feel even more overwhelming
I've crossed the line from mad to sane
I've gone back and forth so many times between feelings of irrationality and clarity that I'm not sure what's real anymore
A thousand times and back again
I've gone through cycles of hope and despair, constantly vacillating between wanting to stay and wanting to leave
I love you baby, I'm in chains I'm in chains
Even though I feel shackled and stifled by this relationship, I can't deny that I still have feelings for you
I'm in chains I'm in chains
The repetition of this line emphasizes the inescapable feeling of being trapped and captive in this situation
Should have known passing through the gate
Looking back, I realize that I should have seen the warning signs early on and avoided entering into this toxic relationship
That once inside I could not escape
Once I became emotionally involved, it was difficult to pull away and I felt perpetually trapped
I never thought this could happen to me
I never expected to find myself in this kind of dysfunctional and unhealthy relationship
Never thought this is where I'd be
This is not the life or the relationship that I had envisioned for myself, and I feel a sense of disappointment and disillusionment
But baby, baby, baby, look at me
Despite my inability to leave, I still want to be seen and heard by the person who has me trapped
Baby, baby, look at me, I'm in chains I'm in chains
The repetition of this line underscores the feeling of being stuck and powerless, while simultaneously pleading for the attention of the person who has me captive
I never thought this is where I'd be
The final repetition of this line is a mournful lament for the loss of my own aspirations and dreams within this relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: TINA ARENA, PAMELA RESWICK, STEVE WERFEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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