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."
Never
Kristin Hoffmann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere under my skin
And in the night it devours me
Trying to pull me in
And there's no comfort in commitment
Just an open jealous tomb
And the more I surrender
The less I'm trusting of you
Take me down from decision
Let me breathe from my soul
If I stop worrying about tomorrow
I will never grow old
And their eyes keep on staring
Trying to break me with time
So I keep fighting the battle
Aiming to save my mind
And over there they are fussing
Over here lies dissatisfaction
I just asked for some quiet
Just a moment away from the action
Take me down from decision
Let me breathe from my soul
If I stop worrying about tomorrow
I will never grow old
You're never gonna tear me down
You're never gonna break my heart
You're never gonna steal my soul
No you're never gonna never
And you know I'm gonna speak my mind
And you're never gonna take that away
No, you're never gonna take that away
I said never, never, no you're never, never
No, you're never gonna take that away from me
From me
The lyrics of Kristin Hoffmann's song Never are an introspective reflection on the internal struggles of the singer. Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges the presence of a burning fire within them that threatens to consume them every night. This fire could be a metaphor for various things, including passion, fear, or anxiety. The feeling of unrest is heightened by the lack of comfort in commitment, which the singer perceives as a jealous tomb. The more they surrender themselves to this feeling, the less they trust those around them. This line implies that the singer is aware of the importance of trust in any relationship but has difficulty trusting others due to their internal struggles.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Take me down from decision, Let me breathe from my soul if I stop worrying about tomorrow, I will never grow old" throughout, indicating that the singer wishes to live in the present moment. They want to be free from decisions and take a step back to appreciate the little things in life. The last few lines of the song focus on an external force trying to break the singer, but they remain strong and resilient. They assert that no one can tear them down, break their heart, or steal their soul, and they will speak their mind regardless of the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a fire burning
I have a burning passion that consumes me
Somewhere under my skin
It's a part of who I am, deep down
And in the night it devours me
It's especially intense when I'm alone
Trying to pull me in
It's almost irresistible
And there's no comfort in commitment
Being tied down doesn't ease the fire
Just an open jealous tomb
It feels suffocating and restrictive
And the more I surrender
The less control I have
The less I'm trusting of you
I have trouble opening up and letting others in
Take me down from decision
I want to let go of my worries and overthinking
Let me breathe from my soul
I want to find peace and inspiration within myself
If I stop worrying about tomorrow
I can fully embrace the present moment
I will never grow old
I will stay young at heart
And their eyes keep on staring
People judge and scrutinize me
Trying to break me with time
The pressure can wear me down
So I keep fighting the battle
I refuse to give up or give in
Aiming to save my mind
I prioritize my mental well-being
And over there they are fussing
Others are caught up in their own drama
Over here lies dissatisfaction
I'm not content with the status quo
I just asked for some quiet
I just want some peace and calmness
Just a moment away from the action
A break from the chaos would do me good
You're never gonna tear me down
I won't let anyone or anything defeat me
You're never gonna break my heart
I'm strong enough to handle heartbreak
You're never gonna steal my soul
I won't compromise my values or beliefs
No you're never gonna never
I won't allow it, no matter what
And you know I'm gonna speak my mind
I value expressing myself and being honest
And you're never gonna take that away
No one can silence me or suppress my voice
No, you're never gonna take that away
I won't let anyone oppress me
I said never, never, no you're never, never
I will always stand up for myself and my beliefs
No, you're never gonna take that away from me
My independence and identity are untouchable
Contributed by Charlotte F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.