Growing up, music was casual in the Warren home, from her grandmom’s eight track tapes to the lullabies her family sung around the house, to a brief and much-hated stint in the church choir. Warren remembers starting to sing at the age of four, but it wasn’t until she saw an ABC special on The Beatles at age 13 that she really became passionate about learning and performing music. Warren learned her first chords by ear from Rubber Soul and Revolver, and her musical horizons quickly expanded to include grunge (Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden), classic Brit Pop (The Kinks, The Who, The Faces) and even jazz, in particular Betty Carter, Nina Simone, Kurt Elling and even Mel Torme.
At 17,Warren took her fledgling songwriting skills out into KC’s thriving counterculture, befriending numerous avant-garde artists, from painters to street poets to singers, who gave her the support to move forward with her music. "I knew a lot of amazing people in Kansas City," Warren recalls, “quite a few musicians and composers who were really into something new. Though I started in the singer/songwriter scene, I began performing in a lot of jazz spots when I was about twenty, and those folks were really helpful in my education." Warren eventually fell in with some jazz musicians, who she would share the stage with.
Warren has toured the US with artists ranging from Martha Wainwright to Zap Mama, from Rodrigo & Gabriela to Erykah Badu. Warren opened for the whole Keziah Jones French tour of late 2008 – debuting 2009.
Her debut album as Krystle Warren & The Faculty, “Circles”, released in 2009, was recorded with two-time Grammy-winning producer Russell Elevado at the Electric Lady Studios in NYC .
Her debut solo album, "Three The Hard Way", was released in 2018.
Title Track
Krystle Warren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that touched the lead to the pages of your
manuscript.
I took my thumb off the concrete and saved up
all my strength to hammer pillars for a picket
fence.
pleasantries (my able body isn't what it used to
be).
I must admit I was charmed by your advances...
your advantage left me helplessly into you.
Talking how the group had begun to splinter
and I could taste your lipstick on the filter...
I tried my best to keep my distance from your
dress but call-response overturns conviction
every time.
My memory cannot recall... a wave of alcohol we
shared a cigarette and shaved the hours off.
Lushing with the hallway congregation, my best
judgement signed its resignation.
I rushed this.
We moved too fast, and tripped into the
guestroom.
Krystle Warren's song "Title Track" is a profound expression of frustration, defeat, and vulnerability. The first verse speaks of being left uninspired by the crust of railroad earth, which symbolizes the mundanity and lack of creativity in the singer's life. They took their thumb off the concrete, which represents a rejection of the harsh reality and decided to work hard to create something meaningful, hammering pillars for a picket fence. However, the singer admits that their able body isn't what it used to be, indicating a sense of aging and fragility.
The second verse is more emotional and deals with the singer's attraction to someone. They were charmed by the advances of this person, but it left them helplessly into them. The singer talks about the splintering of a group, which suggests that the person they were attracted to was a part of it. They could taste their lipstick on the filter, which indicates an intimate connection. The singer tried to resist the person's charm, but call-response overturned their conviction every time.
In the final verse, the singer expresses regret, admitting that they rushed into things too fast and tripped. They moved into the guestroom without thinking things through, and the singer's best judgment signed its resignation. The overall mood of the song is melancholic, evoking a sense of defeat and frustration at not being able to control one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Left uninspired by the crust of railroad earth
that touched the lead to the pages of your
manuscript.
I felt uninterested by your writing and the ordinary world around me.
I took my thumb off the concrete and saved up
all my strength to hammer pillars for a picket
fence.
I let go of my previous life and worked hard to build a better, more secure future for myself.
It wasn't quiet what it seemed... a lack of
pleasantries (my able body isn't what it used to
be).
Things weren't as good as they looked, and my health had deteriorated.
I must admit I was charmed by your advances...
your advantage left me helplessly into you.
I was taken in by your attention and power, and couldn't resist falling for you.
Talking how the group had begun to splinter
and I could taste your lipstick on the filter...
We discussed the disintegration of the people around us, and I remembered our intimate moments together.
I tried my best to keep my distance from your
dress but call-response overturns conviction
every time.
I tried to stay away from you, but our connection was too strong and I gave in.
My memory cannot recall... a wave of alcohol we
shared a cigarette and shaved the hours off.
I don't remember much, only that we drank and smoked together and lost track of time.
Lushing with the hallway congregation, my best
judgement signed its resignation.
I was with a group of people and gave in to peer pressure, despite knowing better.
I rushed this.
I acted too quickly and made a mistake.
We moved too fast, and tripped into the
guestroom.
Our relationship moved too quickly and we ended up in bed together.
Contributed by Austin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.