Hawkshaw was born in London, England in 1969 and is the daughter of British Disco producer Alan Hawkshaw (of Love De-Luxe with Hawkshaw's Discophonia fame; they had a #1 disco hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1979 with "Here Comes That Sound Again". He later went on to compose the famous theme music for the British television game show Countdown). It was through her father and her love for dance music that would inspire Kirsty to pursue a career in music.
At a rave event in 1991 she was noticed by producers Ian Munro, Kevin Dobbs and Nigel Walton, who at the time were known as A.S.K. It was through this meeting that they would form a Dance act called Opus III. Their first single, "It's A Fine Day" from their debut album Mind Fruit was an international smash and hit #1 on Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1992. They also had another US #1 hit on the Dance chart in 1994 with "When You Made The Mountain" from their second and last album Guru Mother.
After the group broke up in 1994, Hawkshaw pursued a solo career and since then has been in demand by other acts in the Dance, House, Eurodance, Trance, and Electronica community, ranging from DJ Tiesto to Delerium.
Kirsty recorded an ambient, ethereal album, Enlightenment, which was never released.
On October 10, 2005 she released Meta-Message, a collection of older and newer songs after a growing interest in her out-of print O.U.T..
Official Kirsty Hawkshaw Podcast - Liner Notes Oct 2007
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River
Kirsty Hawkshaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To your destination
Catch my gaze
Distort my reflection
Paint my eyes
In waves of protection
I get bored of flowing
In straight lines
Gotta keep on moving
Keep clearing the way
The clouds that swell
When we drop like stones
Deep down. deep down
Upstream
Is the only life I know
And if I let go
Is it true tell me
There's a place tell me
Where all rivers interflow?
I get bored of flowing
In straight lines
Tired of seeing the same signs
Gotta keep on moving
Keep clearing the way
The clouds that swell
When we drop like stones
Deep down. deep down
In "River", Kirsty Hawkshaw is invoking the idea of taking a journey with the river; to live like a river, free and really immersed in life itself. In the first verse, the singer talks about asking the river to take her along to wherever it's going. She wants the river to help her forget about her own image, and instead paint her eyes with waves of protection. She is tired of flowing in straight lines, feeling bored and seeing the same signs along the way. The chorus, which is repeated twice, emphasizes the importance of moving forward, regardless of obstacles. When we make progress, we create new clouds which wait for us like stones until we drop past them.
In the second verse, she talks about upstream as the only life she knows, and imagines a mythical place where all the rivers interflow. That place represents a future, an ideal where all the progress ends up. The singer wants to keep clearing the way so she can ultimately reach that place. The song presents a beautiful metaphor of the journey of life via a river, whose sole intention is flowing onwards, unimpeded by anything, to reach its end. It's a beautiful and contemplative song that encourages the listener to keep moving forward in search of new experiences, rather than staying where they are and repeating everything ad nauseam.
Line by Line Meaning
River take me with you
Asking the river to take her to its end destination
To your destination
The end point of the river where it meets a bigger body of water
Catch my gaze
To grab her attention and hold it
Distort my reflection
The reflection on the water is not a true image of oneself due to the ripples caused by the water
Paint my eyes
Surround her vision with the beauty of the river
In waves of protection
Make her feel enclosed and safe in the river's embrace
I get bored of flowing
Tired of the monotony of life and the routine of flowing down the river
In straight lines
The path of least resistance that a river follows, without any deviation
Tired of seeing the same signs
The repetition of the same views and experiences along the river's path
Gotta keep on moving
The need to keep going and not stagnate
Keep clearing the way
Removing obstacles that might prevent her from reaching her destination
The clouds that swell
The buildup of conflict and tension as she travels down the river
When we drop like stones
The sudden moment of free fall or change in direction
Deep down. deep down
The underlying and overwhelming feeling within oneself
Upstream
Against the current of the river, towards the source
Is the only life I know
The path that is true to herself and the only way she knows how to live
And if I let go
The possibility of relinquishing control and allowing the river to carry her forward
Is it true tell me
The uncertainty of what lies ahead and the need for assurance
There's a place tell me
The hope for something better or different than what she has already experienced
Where all rivers interflow?
A place where all rivers merge and become one, symbolizing unity and harmony
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KIRSTY HAWKSHAW, TOM GREENWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind