Kiwanuka grew up in Muswell Hill, London, the son of Ugandan parents who had escaped the Amin regime. He attended Fortismere School, leaving there in 2005 after completing his A-Levels. He went on to study at the School of Media, Arts and Design at the University of Westminster.
Kiwanuka worked as a session guitarist, playing with Chipmunk and Bashy, before working as a solo artist; his first proper gig was at The Oxford, Kentish Town. He came to the attention of Communion Records, which released his first two EPs, including his debut Tell Me A Tale on 13 June 2011.
Kiwanuka supported Adele on her Adele Live 2011 tour, as well at her iTunes Festival 2011 gig and played at the 2011 Hard Rock Calling.
In 2011, he signed a deal with Polydor Records. He was included in the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll and was named as the winner on 6 January 2012. In June 2012, he was illustrated in a BBC article regarding Spain vis-à-vis Uganda during the Eurozone crisis; his putative counterpart was actress Penélope Cruz.
In July 2016, he performed at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park on the same day as Carole King and Don Henley.
The 5th prestigious HiPipo Music Awards will honor Michael Kiwanuka with the award of "Best Global Act" in recognition and celebration of his ‘Love & Hate’ album success and musical accomplishments since his 2012 debut album "Home Again".
His song "Cold Little Heart" serves as the opening theme for the HBO miniseries Big Little Lies.
Kiwanuka has acknowledged influences from musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers, Otis Redding, Jack Johnson, Pops Staples, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Eric Bibb, Tommy Sims, Wham!, Richie Havens and Funkadelic, he has played with James Gadson, who drummed for Bill Withers.
The Final Frame
Michael Kiwanuka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you from the start
I could tell you apart
But my heart fell and broke in two
You felt the pain for my foolish games
Didn't know what I stood to lose
I realized, that you'd be my life, it's true
Love's been a strain, a strain in my heart
It's too late, to run away
The final frame will never know
Just float away, in our parade
Of love and pain, away we go, away we go
I said I wanted to
Do all I can, to be a good man
But the scene I fell in to
Took me away, but what can I say?
It's the times, I'm living through
And we can't pretend
We're reaching the end, it's true
Love's been a strain, a strain in my heart
I'm numb to the feeling
It's too late, to run away
The final frame will never know
Just float away, in our parade
Of love and pain, away we go, away we go
The lyrics of Michael Kiwanuka's song The Final Frame address the struggle of surrendering to love and coming to terms with its highs and lows. The song captures the sense of regret and loss that can accompany the end of a relationship. The opening lines reveal that the singer desired the other person from the start, but ultimately caused pain with his "foolish games." The refrain confesses that it is too late to change the outcome, and that they must "float away" together, acknowledging that the final frame will never know the full story of their love and pain.
The verses suggest that the singer is coming to terms with his own shortcomings and the role that he played in the relationship's end. He expresses the desire to be a "good man," but laments the circumstances that took him away from that path. The second verse seems to suggest that the partnership was strained by external factors or changes in the wider world, which the two of them could not overcome. Overall, the song reflects on the bittersweet nature of love and how it can affect our lives in unexpected ways.
Line by Line Meaning
I said I wanted you
I expressed my desire to have you
And you from the start
I knew you from the beginning
I could tell you apart
I could distinguish you from others
But my heart fell and broke in two
However, my heart was broken and shattered into two pieces
You felt the pain for my foolish games
You suffered because of my immature behavior
Didn't know what I stood to lose
I wasn't aware of what I was about to lose
I realized, that you'd be my life, it's true
I came to the realization that you are my everything
Love's been a strain, a strain in my heart
Love has been a source of pain for me, affecting my heart
I'm numb to the feeling
I've become immune to the emotions of love
It's too late, to run away
It's now beyond the point of escape
The final frame will never know
The last moment will never be aware of what happened before
Just float away, in our parade
We should just let go and allow ourselves to drift away
Of love and pain, away we go, away we go
We will depart from the combination of love and suffering
I said I wanted to
I had the intention to
Do all I can, to be a good man
To be a decent person, I wanted to do my utmost
But the scene I fell in to
However, the situation I got myself into
Took me away, but what can I say?
Led me astray, but I couldn't do anything about it
It's the times, I'm living through
It's the era in which I exist
And we can't pretend
We cannot act as if
We're reaching the end, it's true
We are concluding, it's factual
Love's been a strain, a strain in my heart
Love has been a source of pain for me, affecting my heart
I'm numb to the feeling
I've become immune to the emotions of love
It's too late, to run away
It's now beyond the point of escape
The final frame will never know
The last moment will never be aware of what happened before
Just float away, in our parade
We should just let go and allow ourselves to drift away
Of love and pain, away we go, away we go
We will depart from the combination of love and suffering
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN JOSEPH BURTON, DEAN COVER, MICHAEL SAMUEL KIWANUKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@funkyflash0802
I said I wanted you
And you from the start
I could tell you apart
But my heart fell and broke in two
You felt the pain for my foolish games
Didn't know what I stood to lose
I realized, that you'd be my life, it's true
Love's been a strain, a strain in my heart
I'm numb to the feeling
It's too late, to run away
The final frame will never know
Just float away, in our parade
Of love and pain, away we go, away we go
I said I wanted to
Do all I can, to be a good man
But the scene I fell in to
Took me away, but what can I say?
It's the times, I'm living through
And we can't pretend
We're reaching the end, it's true
Love's been a strain, a strain in my heart
I'm numb to the feeling
It's too late, to run away
The final frame will never know
Just float away, in our parade
Of love and pain, away we go, away we go
@thughlife232
I'm envious of people who hear this song for the first time
@shanea9613
I just discovered him. Far out. So amazing.
@harung1993
I am so grateful that I get to see this guy live in Boston and I am grateful to read all comments for this song. I am not alone , you are all my people.
@nyxquake8218
This guy's a master musician of this generation. Can't stop listening!
@Thapelomthimunye
the guitar solo is life
@HeatherArrington
Equal parts sway & sensuality…a reverb of sadness. It always slaps so hard.
@TheworldiseffdUP
Musicians and singers, where would the world be without them.......😊😊😊
@sunnmcheaux
His guitar work is so superior to the studio version, it's wild. Amazing song and artist either way. This live version was an instant entry on my list of favorite songs/performances.
@rodriguezelfeliz4623
Idk, I kind of like the studio version a bit more, at least for the main riff
@booboo.4463
Discovering this music for the time while on LSD is a whole different experience !
amazing