She moved to Los Angeles from New York City in late 2008, to pursue her career as an actress, with lead and supporting in roles in small but critically well-received independent films (Eden, The 10 Commandments of Chloe, Cookies N' Cream, Delirious, My Normal) and television (NCIS).
But after some time in Hollywood, she returned to music; "settling in front of the keyboard felt to Naama like a homecoming, like settling back into her soul."
Growing up, she was obsessed with music: listening to the jazz records of her mother, an abstract expressionist painter; to her father playing flamenco and classical guitar; Shostakovich and Prokofiev in her ballet classes while doing plies in front of the barre and then later fiddling away at those songs on her piano. When she first learned to drive Naama only had three CDs to put on in the car... Paco de Lucia. Billie Holiday. Glenn Gould.
After a year writing songs and performing at open mic venues in Los Angeles, she made her debut record "The Unexamined Life" with award-winning producer Cyrus Melchor, and received some critical attention, as well television placements ("Ringer", "CSI") for her singles "Before You Lose It" and "Kachemare." During its production, and while touring around California, Kates began writing her second record, "King for the Day" which she self-produced with a quartet and Grammy-nominated engineer Scott Fraser.
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"[Naama Kates'] just-out "King for the Day" LP is an ever-deeper plunge down a rabbit hole of poetical pop, playing out in moody, brooding and bracingly curious-minded lyrics and slightly skewed musical planes. Kates delivers her disarmingly self-revelatory observations in a blessedly uncontrived vocal style, and her often structurally complex pieces benefit big-time from a new band that includes drummer Rich West, trombone ace Mike Richardson and bassist John Carfi. Whatever "alternative" may or may not denote, Kates' highly accessible brand of pop cabaret ultimately is music of insight, surprise and pure delight. "
John Payne ~ LA Weekly
"To be a fan of Naama Kates, is to know that her music often eludes commercial categorization, giving each song on the album the unpredictable edge so often escaping artists in their quest for musical prowess. The captivating unpredictability of her compositions combined with her jazzy vocal stylings bring to mind great artists like Fiona Apple, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette, Girl In A Coma, and Natalie Merchant, yet her style is distinctly of her own making. She definitely pushes listeners beyond their normal comfort zone, calling them to question not only their relationships, but their lives and raison d’etre. It’s often an arduous, trouble-filled journey, but according to Naama Kates, it’s one worth investigating."
Lawrence Davis ~ Splash Magazine
"Her debut album, “The Unexamined Life,” is possibly the best album you may never hear. That’s because her sound isn’t for radio, she won’t be seen peddling Pepsi products and chances are you’ll have to discover her via her live shows in Los Angeles or online formats like this one. That’s not to say Naama Kates won’t be successful. She will. I labeled “The Unexamined Life” as a jazzy Fiona Apple. (Read the review HERE.) However, there’s really no label or specific genre that Kates belongs to, not because she doesn’t fit in, but because she is destined to stand out. "
Jason Tanamor ~Yahoo!News
"Naama Kates is maddeningly difficult to pin down. She refuses to categorize her sound, relying instead on the descriptions applied by listeners. In fact, it’s hard to tell if there’s even a specific sound she’s striving for, admitting to the constant evolution of her music. She isn’t even sure that she’ll still be a singer-songwriter five years from now. Kates is as ethereal and whimsical as her music; yet, it’s this intangibility that makes her so attractive, as an artist and as a person. She is a mystery waiting to be solved and a hidden treasure that begs to be discovered, and soon audiophiles everywhere will have another opportunity to welcome Kates into their musical libraries with her sophomore album King for the Day."
René Garcia Jr. ~ Working Author
"Singer-composer-actress Naama Kates' songs are like minifilms, experiences in sound, word and energy that stop and start again, accelerate and explode and collapse and fall to the floor to catch their breath and reassess. When she's playing solo, just her and a piano, she's a bit wistful and introspective, delivering her material in a soulful yet refreshingly unmannered vocal style. With her small ensemble she lays into complexly structured pieces whose violin, cello and trombone ornaments bring a cabaretlike mystique to the proceedings."
John Payne ~ LA Weekly
Help Yourself
Naama Kates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For myself, for myself
What are you afraid of losing, I cried
Just myself, just myself
Why can't anybody help me, I cried
Help yourself, help yourself
Help yourself
And time goes by while you're practicing
Honesty's a faulty word
And dum-da-dum, here come the strings
Dum-da-dum da-da, da dum-da-dum da da
Why can't anybody love me, love me
Losing game, losing game
Here's a common misconception: life's short
Life's not short, short at all
Here's another misconception: you can change
You can't change, you can't change, you can't change
You can't change you can't change you can't change
A soul
Fruits to bear and gifts to bring
And time goes by while you're practicing
Honesty's a faulty word
And dum-da-dum, here come the strings
Dum-da-dum da-da, da dum-da-dum da da
Why am I afraid of dying, I cried
For myself, for myself
What are you afraid of losing, I cried
Just myself, just myself
Why can't anybody help me, I cried
Help yourself, help yourself
Help yourself
The first three stanzas of the song "Help Yourself" by Naama Kates are sung by a person who is in the midst of a personal crisis and is feeling isolated and helpless. The singer asks why they are afraid of dying and what they are afraid of losing, both of which they answer with the simple statement of "myself." The singer then asks for help, but is met with the response, "Help yourself." This line can be interpreted in different ways; it could mean that the singer needs to find their own way to help themselves, or it could be a commentary on the lack of support that people receive from others in their time of need.
The second part of the song offers some philosophical musings on life and the human condition. The lyrics suggest that life is not short at all, contrary to a common belief, and that people cannot change who they are at their core. The final lines of the song repeat the questions from the beginning, highlighting the cyclical nature of life and the singer's continued sense of isolation and helplessness.
Overall, "Help Yourself" is a poignant and introspective exploration of human vulnerability and the desire for connection and support, even in the face of life's inherent challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Why am I afraid of dying, I cried
I am questioning why I am scared of death and expressing my emotions through tears
For myself, for myself
I fear death for my own sake and well-being
What are you afraid of losing, I cried
I am curious about what others fear losing and expressing my emotions through tears
Just myself, just myself
Others fear losing themselves and their identity just as I fear losing myself
Why can't anybody help me, I cried
I am expressing my frustration with how no one seems to be able to assist me
Help yourself, help yourself
The solution to my problems is within myself, so I should take initiative and help myself
Fruits to bear and gifts to bring
There are accomplishments and offerings to make in life
And time goes by while you're practicing
One must practice and work on themselves while time passes by
Honesty's a faulty word
The idea of honesty is not always reliable and truthful
And dum-da-dum, here come the strings
The lyrics introduce a change in the rhythm and tone of the song
Why can't anybody love me, love me
I am questioning why it seems difficult to receive love from others
Losing game, losing game
The process of finding love is often challenging and may lead to loss
Here's a common misconception: life's short
A common misperception is that life is brief or fleeting
Life's not short, short at all
In fact, life is not short and can feel long and overwhelming
Here's another misconception: you can change
Another misguided belief is that people can change their inner selves and traits with ease
You can't change, you can't change, you can't change
The truth is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to change who you are
A soul
The song ends with a simple, reflective statement about the soul
Contributed by Elliot L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.