After Juilliard, Kristin spent a year at NYU and her songwriting evolved as she combined her classical roots with accessible pop sensibilities. She was briefly signed to Capital Records, but ended up self-releasing her first album Divided Heart, which she not only wrote, but co-produced, engineered and recorded. All the while, Kristin continued to hone her performance skills with a residency at Café Vivaldi in Manhattan’s West Village. Along with playing some 200 shows, selling 3,000 copies of Divided Heart and securing a loyal local following, As the buzz grew louder, Kristin was discovered at Vivaldi by Interscope and soon after signed to the label.
After enlisting her longtime musical collaborator Darian Cunning, along with producer David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Tool), Kristin escaped to Longview Studios to make the album she’d always dreamed of. "I really had a very special, deep experience writing this record,” she explains of her time in the converted farmhouse studio in the middle of pretty much nowhere. In all that quiet open space, and with the help of a great piano left behind by Keith Richards, Kristin’s songs evolved with love and care.
Using her piano as a vehicle for her voice, Kristin keeps her instrumentation simple, so the gorgeous melodies and lyrics resonate with the audience on songs like “Home,” which is about finding inner-strength, “Bittersweet,” a song about choosing to follow your dreams over taking the safer path and the title-track “Real,” a song about being true to yourself.
Of her live performance, Kristin muses, “I hope to stimulate my listeners to go deeper within themselves to places they may be reluctant to go. I’ve come to realize that my greatest challenges have emerged from my mistakes, and that they were really blessings in disguise.” Through her gift for songwriting, Kristin illustrates spectacular sonic stories. "My music can reach across a lot of generations,” says Kristin of her varied audience. “Connecting to people by creating music is my contribution to the world."
Bittersweet
Kristin Hoffmann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sally used to mesmerize with sultry music from a bow and photographs through chains of smoke
Traded in for army green and magazines on how to set the room for tea and sympathy
China patterns, color schemes
And when she looks at me does she see the life left behind?
And do these city streets bring memories?
Shadows of a girl
Soft, familiar, lonely days
Is it raining in your coffee?
Did you think it would be bittersweet?
Piano bars and chasing dreams
My musical insanities
The sweat and ache of promises
The full moon over Brooklyn Bridge
My life has an uncommon thread
There's not enough to pay the rent
And sometimes I get scared to death
Of failure or complete success
And when I look at her
I see the life I did not choose
A simple day to day, a safer place
Shadows of a dream
'Cause it's bittersweet, the taste of struggle
Crying salt and sugar tears
Finding sunlight in my darkness
Didn't think it could be bittersweet
Bittersweet...
Oh is there hell to pay
For something so heavenly?
Hey
Yes it's bittersweet, the taste of living
A semi-perfect harmony
Compromising and forgiving
Life can be, pleasingly bittersweet
Life can be, pleasingly bittersweet
The song "Bittersweet" by Kristin Hoffmann paints a picture of the two protagonists of the song, Sally and the singer herself. The opening lines describe Sally, who used to captivate people with her sultry music and photographs through chains of smoke, but has since abandoned her passions for a mundane life of setting up tea rooms and reading magazines. The singer wonders if Sally ever thinks about her past life and if seeing the city streets brings back any memories. The singer reflects on her own life and her pursuit of a career in music, describing the sweat and ache of chasing her dreams. She acknowledges her fear of both failure and success and admits to seeing Sally's life as a safer option, a life that the singer has not chosen.
The chorus of the song, "Is it bittersweet, the taste of comfort? Soft, familiar, lonely days. Is it raining in your coffee? Did you think it would be bittersweet?" delves into the idea that both comfort and success come at a price, and that even moments of contentment can be tinged with a sense of sadness or longing. The second half of the chorus turns the question on the singer, asking if they anticipated the bittersweet nature of their choices.
Overall, "Bittersweet" is a reflective piece that explores the idea that life is a balancing act between pursuing one's passions and seeking comfort and stability. The theme of bittersweetness runs throughout the song, highlighting the idea that every choice comes with its own costs and rewards.
Line by Line Meaning
Long black skirts and painted eyes
Sally used to dress in seductive attire and makeup.
Sally used to mesmerize with sultry music from a bow and photographs through chains of smoke
Sally used music and photography to captivate her audience while enveloped in a smoky atmosphere.
Traded in for army green and magazines on how to set the room for tea and sympathy
Sally left that life behind to embrace practicality by dressing in military uniforms and learning how to host tea parties.
China patterns, color schemes
She became interested in interior design and began to perfect her skills.
And when she looks at me does she see the life left behind?
The artist wonders if Sally ever thinks about her former life and the people she left behind.
And do these city streets bring memories?
The singer wonders if Sally reminisces about her past when she walks through the city streets.
Shadows of a girl
The singer sees a glimpse of Sally's former self, hidden beneath her new persona.
Is it bittersweet, the taste of comfort?
The artist wonders if the feeling of comfort is both pleasant and painful.
Soft, familiar, lonely days
The artist recalls days filled with solitude but a sense of familiarity enjoyed in somberness.
Is it raining in your coffee?
The artist is using a metaphor to ask if Sally's life is filled with sadness and regret.
Did you think it would be bittersweet?
The singer is asking Sally if she expected life to be so full of mixed emotions.
Piano bars and chasing dreams
The artist describes her own life as a musician, chasing a dream in bars playing the piano.
My musical insanities
The singer sees her obsession with music as an unhealthy sort of insanity.
The sweat and ache of promises
The singer recalls the hard work and effort put into achieving her aspirations.
The full moon over Brooklyn Bridge
The singer illustrates a beautiful and peaceful moment in time in the city.
My life has an uncommon thread
The artist feels that her life has a unique and unusual path.
There's not enough to pay the rent
The artist struggles financially, earning just enough to survive.
And sometimes I get scared to death
The singer experiences fear, worrying about failure or success.
Of failure or complete success
The singer has anxieties over both failing and succeeding highly in life.
And when I look at her
The artist shifts back to thinking about Sally.
I see the life I did not choose
The artist sees Sally's current life as full of missed opportunities and wonderment about what could have been.
A simple day to day, a safer place
The artist believes that Sally's current life is less exciting but more stable than her former life.
Shadows of a dream
The singer once again sees Sally's past still softly present in Sally and is haunted by the possibilities.
'Cause it's bittersweet, the taste of struggle
The artist emphasizes the inner emotional turmoil that comes with the struggle of life.
Crying salt and sugar tears
The singer highlights the salty, sad tears and the sweet, happy ones that come with life's challenges.
Finding sunlight in my darkness
The singer points out that even in their darkest days there are rays of sunshine.
Didn't think it could be bittersweet
The singer is surprised that feelings of happiness and sadness can coexist in one's life.
Oh is there hell to pay
The artist acknowledges there is often a price to pay for the rewards and pleasures of life.
For something so heavenly?
The artist is acknowledging that the pleasures of life are usually worth the struggles that come with it.
Yes it's bittersweet, the taste of living
The singer repeats the sentiment that life is both pleasurable and difficult.
A semi-perfect harmony
The singer recognizes that life is balanced and not always perfect, but can still be enjoyed.
Compromising and forgiving
The artist notes that in order to find peace in life one must give in sometimes and forgive others.
Life can be, pleasingly bittersweet
The artist concludes the song by stating that life is full of mixed emotions and experiences.
Contributed by Elena C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.