She was the singer and a co-writer for the band Rose Chronicles, which was signed to Nettwerk in the ’90s. Rose Chronicles released two full length albums: Shiver (1994), which won a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album, and Happily Ever After (1996). The band split up in 1997.
Thirsk's first released solo track was "Bounds of Love," which was on the soundtrack of the movie Kissed in 1997. This song received a Genie Award nomination for Best Movie Theme.
In the years that followed, Thirsk was featured as a guest vocalist and co-writer on albums by Delerium and Balligomingo. She sang the vocals in Front Line Assembly's cover of Madonna's "Justify My Love" and Mystery Machine's cover of Blondie's "Heart of Glass."
She worked on her own material throughout this period and released her first full length solo album, Souvenir, in 2003. Souvenir was produced by Eric Rosse (Tori Amos, Lisa Marie Presley).
Thirsk and fellow Delerium singer Shelley Harland were the two lead vocalists for Delerium's first US tour in 2003.
The Sleepthief album The Dawnseeker, released June 2006, features Thirsk's vocals in the song "Sublunar (Sweet Angel)." Sleepthief's second album Labyrinthine Heart, released in 2009, also contains two tracks that feature Kirsty's vocals, "A Cut From the Fight" and "Reversals".
Souvenir
Kristy Thirsk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I ran too late to catch up with you
Do you have me crossed out
On your list of things that you had to do?
Meet a girl from far away
And then never stay grounded
Find someone that you want to love
But the metal gloves pound in
She's just a souvenir
She's just a souvenir
You'd never stay, you'd never stay here
You thought I was pretty
And I guess that's all that you thought of me
How did your real tears come
When you're wiping mine but you're still relieved
To leave a girl from far away
Like you've been a slave hounded
Touch a heart with tender hands
Then those metal hands pound it
She's just a souvenir
She's just a souvenir
You'd never stay, you'd never stay here
She's just a souvenir
She's just a souvenir
She's just a souvenir
She's just a souvenir
You'd never stay, you'd never stay
You'd never stay, you'd never stay right here
The lyrics of Kristy Thirsk's Souvenir reflect on the painful experience of being someone's temporary love interest, a mere "souvenir" from a distant place that they collected and left behind. The song is a combination of regret and resentment, as the singer wonders if they missed their chance with the person they cared about, and if they were simply used for a brief moment of pleasure. The first verse portrays a sense of chasing after someone, being too late to catch up with them, and wondering if they were just crossed out on the other person's list of things to do. The line "meet a girl from far away and then never stay grounded" suggests that the other person was not interested in forming a stable, long-term connection with the singer, despite the potential attraction between them.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's emotions, questioning whether the other person ever truly cared for them, or if they were simply using them for their own emotional release. The lines "how did your real tears come when you're wiping mine but you're still relieved to leave a girl from far away" hint at the complexity of the other person's emotional state, perhaps feeling guilty for causing pain but still eager to move on from the singer. The repeated chorus of "she's just a souvenir" emphasizes the idea that the singer feels used and insignificant in the other person's eyes, just a temporary memento from their journey, and that they never intended to stay with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I lost out
Perhaps I missed my chance
'Cause I ran too late to catch up with you
Because I arrived too late to reunite with you
Do you have me crossed out
Have you erased me from your plans
On your list of things that you had to do?
On the list of tasks you needed to complete?
Meet a girl from far away
Encounter a lady from a distant place
And then never stay grounded
But then refuse to remain fixed in one place
Find someone that you want to love
Discover someone to love
But the metal gloves pound in
Yet the harsh reality still interferes
She's just a souvenir
She is only a memento
She's just a souvenir
She is only a keepsake
You'd never stay, you'd never stay here
You would never remain, you would never remain in this place.
You thought I was pretty
You believed I was attractive
And I guess that's all that you thought of me
And that's all you saw in me, I imagine
How did your real tears come
How did you genuinely get those tears?
When you're wiping mine but you're still relieved
Even though you're wiping away my tears, you're still glad
To leave a girl from far away
Departing from a distant lady
Like you've been a slave hounded
As if you've been chased like a slave
Touch a heart with tender hands
Handle a heart with kindness
Then those metal hands pound it
Yet, reality harshly destroys it
She's just a souvenir
She is only a memento
She's just a souvenir
She is only a keepsake
You'd never stay, you'd never stay here
You would never remain, you would never remain in this place.
She's just a souvenir
She is only a memento
She's just a souvenir
She is only a keepsake
She's just a souvenir
She is only a memento
She's just a souvenir
She is only a keepsake
You'd never stay, you'd never stay
You would never remain, you would never remain
You'd never stay, you'd never stay right here
You would never remain, not in this particular location.
Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mcmikey1207
Heard of Kristy via Delerium - and she has such a lovely voice...! Angelic.
@adrianrias1724
Excelente voz
@JasonQiuMusic
I prefer the demo version