Phillips began her musical career as a vocalist in the early 1980s, singing background parts for Christian artists such as Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill, and others. After a short time, Phillips was signed to a solo contract with Myrrh Records (under her given name) where she went on to record four Christian pop albums: Beyond Saturday Night, Dancing with Danger, Black & White in a Grey World, and, The Turning, which teamed her with producer and future husband T-Bone Burnett. Throughout the Myrrh period, Phillips wrote more and more of her own songs and several were Top 10 singles on Christian radio.
Since Cyndi Lauper was popular at the time and also had an high-pitched, idiosyncratic vocal style, Myrrh insisted on promoting her as "the Christian Cyndi Lauper." Phillips was never comfortable with this image, and it was a bone of contention between her and the label. She began using the name "Sam" professionally in 1988 when she left Myrrh Records and signed with Virgin Records, partially in order to distance herself from her somewhat embarrassing Myrrh-imposed persona.
Like many Christian artists before her, she expanded into more secular content at the new label. She released The Indescribable Wow, which featured the orchestrations of Van Dyke Parks. Cruel Inventions, which was released in 1991, included a guest appearance from close friend Elvis Costello, and she (with her husband) supported Costello on his 1991 tour. 1994's Martinis & Bikinis was widely praised by music critics and was even nominated for a Grammy Award; this was Phillips' first nomination.
In 1995, Phillips made her silver screen debut in the Bruce Willis blockbuster Die Hard With a Vengeance, in which she played a mute terrorist. She was originally supposed to have a speaking part in the film but it was decided that her character would be silent, since it made her appear much more imposing and lethal, although it also placed her in a more stereotypically femme fatale role at the same time.
In 1996, Phillips released Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop), which was more experimental musically and ended up being her worst-selling album to date. After releasing a contractual obligation "best-of" album for Virgin in 1999, the label dropped Phillips from their roster.
In 2001, Phillips signed with Nonesuch Records and released a stripped-down acoustic album called Fan Dance, which featured some of the most critically acclaimed songwriting of Phillips' career. Van Dyke Parks contributed string arrangements for a track or two. Phillips also began writing music for and scoring the television series Gilmore Girls, and even appeared on-screen during the final episode of season six, performing Taking Pictures. In 2004 she released A Boot and a Shoe, another collection of acoustic cabaret songs in the same vein as her previous album.
Sam returned with a new album don't do anything in 2008. In October 2009 Sam launched Long Play, an exclusively web-based membership site which promised subscribers 5 digital EPs and 1 full-length digital album over the course of about one year. A physical "best of" compilation of Long Play songs, titled Solid State, was released in June 2011.
How to Quit
Sam Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With holes that would let the light through
Red smoke and sequins, an invisible floor
Faith is running toward the sound of water
Blind dancing in the footlights
Torn-curtain talent, sparks from a lucky guess
I'm officially astray
When no one's listening
I have so much to say
I thought I knew how to quit
Drunk on memory we start up
Stockings on the rooftop, exotic innocence
Living on air, desire, and reverie
Gravity pulls our lives down
Holding on to change, I want to walk the deep
Can't get free from freedom
When I refuse to choose
Walls go with me
When I leave my fate to lose
The song "How to Quit" by Sam Phillips is a beautiful and mysterious piece that carries hidden depth in its words. The singer expresses how they were initially broken and flawed before finding someone who accepted them wholeheartedly. The lines, "I was broken when you got me / With holes that would let the light through," describe how their flaws and imperfections made them radiant and lovable.
The song then goes onto touch on the theme of faith, how it is like running towards the sound of water - hopeful, but not entirely certain. The singer compares themselves to a blind dancer in the footlights, who performs without fully seeing. They also speak of sparks from a lucky guess, hinting at the idea of things falling in place by chance, rather than through careful planning.
The singer feels as though no one truly understands them or listens to what they have to say, but they still have a lot they want to share. They talk about how they thought they knew how to quit, but their love and memories of their partner are too strong. They refer to "Stockings on the rooftop, exotic innocence," and "Living on air, desire, and reverie" - which can be interpreted as memories of their partner that they can't let go of.
The last lines of the song speak of the singer feeling trapped, even with the freedom of choice available to them. They say, "Can't get free from freedom / When I refuse to choose / Walls go with me / When I leave my fate to lose." The lines hint at how even though the singer is free to choose their path, they are still bound by the consequences of their choices.
Overall, "How to Quit" is a thought-provoking song that deals with themes of faith, love, and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I was broken when you got me
I was in a state of emotional and mental disorder when you came into my life
With holes that would let the light through
My emotional state was such that it allowed people to look beyond the surface and see what was inside
Red smoke and sequins, an invisible floor
I appeared to be something glamorous, but in reality, there was nothing substantial underneath
Faith is running toward the sound of water
Belief in oneself is depicted as the basic drive that motivates us to move ahead in life
Blind dancing in the footlights
Talents of a person which are wasted away under the bright lights of fame
Torn-curtain talent, sparks from a lucky guess
Unpolished traits and abilities that are yet to be explored are portrayed, coupled with the occasional flashes of brilliance that come along unexpectedly
Camera can't find me
The singer implies that real-life experiences are more valuable than any representation of life on camera
I'm officially astray
Despite being within the system and conforming to the norms, the artist feels lost inside
When no one's listening I have so much to say
People often fail to listen when in actuality the artist has a lot to say
I thought I knew how to quit
The artist thought he had control over something but actually didn't
Drunk on memory we start up
While reminiscing, people tend to draw on memories as a form of emotional intoxication to propel themselves forwards
Stockings on the rooftop, exotic innocence
Childish eccentricity and fun are appreciated as important parts of life
Living on air, desire, and reverie
People subsist on hope, passion, and dreaming in order to cope with difficulty
Gravity pulls our lives down
Everything continuously moves towards destruction, ultimately leading to the end of life
Holding on to change, I want to walk the deep
People yearn for change, even when it potentially leads to instability and chaos; to self-explore the life outside the norm
Can't get free from freedom
The freedom that was designed to bring relief and liberty has become a confining and restricting factor
When I refuse to choose
People are often indecisive about their choices in life, leading to recurring confusion and difficulty
Walls go with me
Despite traveling from place to place, the emotional baggage that people carry with themselves remains intact
When I leave my fate to lose
Even when people gamble everything, including their future, it is seen as a necessary evil and part of the process of learning and self-discovery
Contributed by Hudson I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.