After moving to Atlanta for college, Kays continued to develop her skills as a singer, songwriter, and performer. She started writing her own music at the age of seventeen and regularly performed at open mic nights. Her talent caught the attention of online audiences through covers she posted on social media platforms, which helped her cultivate a devoted fan base.
In 2018, Kays independently released her debut EP titled "A House Too Big," featuring self-published singles. She initially shared her music on YouTube and expanded her presence to platforms such as TikTok, where she has amassed over 1.9 million fans on her sarakaysmusic account.
In 2020, Kays signed a contract with Atlantic Recording Corporation, marking a significant milestone in her career. Her first single released under the label, "Remember That Night," went viral on TikTok towards the end of 2020. The song achieved chart success in the Netherlands and Flanders in 2021, further elevating her profile.
In early 2021, Kays made her national television debut with a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, showcasing her growing recognition in the industry.
On August 6, 2021, she unveiled her EP "Struck By Lightning," a collection of seven tracks that has been referred to as a mini-album or album. Sara Kays' musical journey showcases her evolution from a young street musician to a rising star in the American music scene.
Chosen Last
Sara Kays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but I Still laugh until I cry
Group photos but I'm standing off to the side
I'm just camera shy
Always at the birthday parties
But never close to anybody
Walk in the grass and it's disregarded
Fast walk to the lunch table
And pack up before I'm ready to go
I don't speak my mind, I just sit and listen
I'm there on time 'cause they won't know I'm missing
Sometimes I would rather stay home
Than show up to be ignored and alone
Carpool everywhere, but there's never room
For me to go too
Ride my bike like all of us used to do
Oh, I don't have a clue
Why I'm at the birthday parties
When I'm not close to anybody
I've been chosen last since the kindergarten
Walk in the grass and it's disregarded
Fast walk to the lunch table
And pack up before I'm ready to go
I don't speak my mind, I just sit and listen
I'm there on time 'cause they won't know I'm missing
Sometimes I would rather stay home
Than show up to be ignored and alone
I've been chosen last since the kindergarten
Walk in the grass and it's disregarded
Fast walk to the lunch table
And pack up before I'm ready to go
I don't speak my mind, I just sit and listen
I'm there on time 'cause they won't know I'm missing
Sometimes I would rather stay home
Than show up to be ignored and alone
In Sara Kays's song "Chosen Last," the singer describes their experience of always being on the fringes of social interactions. From inside jokes they don't understand to group photos where they're off to the side, the singer feels excluded even while present. They attend birthday parties but never feel close to anyone, instead feeling "ignored and alone." The repetition of "I've been chosen last since the kindergarten" emphasizes the longevity of this feeling of being left out.
The singer's coping mechanisms include not speaking up and simply listening, as well as being prompt so as not to draw attention to their absence. But the sadness of the situation is clear in lines like "Sometimes I would rather stay home / Than show up to be ignored and alone." The song portrays a deeply relatable experience of feeling like an outsider and the painful isolation that can come with that.
Overall, "Chosen Last" is a poignant and empathetic reflection on the feelings of loneliness and exclusion that can come with being on the outside looking in.
Line by Line Meaning
Inside jokes that I never know
People in the group have their own inside jokes that I don't understand
but I Still laugh until I cry
But I still pretend to laugh and have fun even though I feel left out
Group photos but I'm standing off to the side
In group photos, I'm always on the edge or in the background
I'm just camera shy
I'm too nervous to be in the spotlight, even for a photo
Always at the birthday parties
I show up to all the events, even though I feel out of place
But never close to anybody
But I don't have any close friends within the group
I've been chosen last since the kindergarten
I have always been picked last for everything since I was young
Walk in the grass and it's disregarded
Even when I try to participate, it feels like I'm not seen or recognized
Fast walk to the lunch table
I quickly go to the lunch table so I can avoid being left out or singled out
And pack up before I'm ready to go
I leave events early so I can avoid feeling isolated or ignored
I don't speak my mind, I just sit and listen
I keep my thoughts to myself and just listen instead of sharing my opinions
I'm there on time 'cause they won't know I'm missing
I always show up on time because I don't want to be overlooked or forgotten
Sometimes I would rather stay home
Sometimes I'd rather avoid the hurt of feeling left out by not attending
Than show up to be ignored and alone
Than showing up and being completely invisible to the group
Carpool everywhere, but there's never room
Even when there are carpools, there's never enough space for me
For me to go too
I'm always left out of the carpool, even when I want to join
Ride my bike like all of us used to do
I try to go along with what the group does, like riding bikes
Oh, I don't have a clue
But I'm still clueless as to why I'm always left out
Why I'm at the birthday parties
I don't know why I always show up to these social events
When I'm not close to anybody
When I don't have any close friends within the group
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, SARA KAYS SONGS, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Sara Kays
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sparklemiller1969
Can I just vent for a second?
I first heard this song a couple weeks ago, randomly on my Amazon Alexa, and I really liked it. The first time I listen to it, I immediately thought of Lilo from Lilo and stitch, as I think this song perfectly describes her always being left out because people think she’s ‘Weird’ and some other of my favourite comfort characters.
But then I really thought about it, and when the realisation hit me like a truck I broke down.
I relate to this song so much it only took me like three weeks to realise it lol.
But, I’ve been chosen last since I can remember. I always had to ask the teacher if there was a job for me to do, because unlike most of my friends, my disability that I have causes my hands to not work as well as theirs, as well as my legs I can’t walk like them.
So, while my friends got to do all the fun jobs, I just got to be ‘supervisor’ which means I would sit around and just watch while all my friends had the fun….
From then on, I rarely asked to be a part of any projects. Because I knew I would always get chosen last… I missed out on so much in my 12 years of school because of my disability and the lack of inclusion (not on the school’s part though) my school did an excellent job of including me as much as they could, and I’m very grateful for that.
But now, I’m in my first year of college and it’s just the same again… Nearly forgotten, like I don’t exist, like I’ve faded into the back of the class, like I don’t even matter anymore. But they don’t understand. They just think I’m being dramatic or over exaggerating.
There were some days that I didn’t want to go to school because I would just be ignored. Even though I am a really sociable person, I would wheel up in my wheelchair and ask people if they wanted to play, but they never did. And the people that did, probably did it out of pity because they saw how lonely I was.
Even in college now, I still feel lonely… Despite how many friends I’ve made…. I just wish I wasn’t lonely…
Thank you for letting me vent. I’ll go now.
@megankahnke5816
I don't know how she does it but every song makes me feel something. She can describe everything so perfectly. Its crazy how she expresses so much emotion through the songs.
@evalynncleveland7370
I was just thinking that
@miekehermans7165
so does Tate McRae check her out :)))))
@megankahnke5816
@@miekehermans7165 I love Tate McRae
@nightcorewolf4452
Mieke Hermans i love her music! i recommend alec benjamin too, it’s similar in storytelling wise.
@meliyaniwenz874
I agree , she can tell us everything
@jenniferrhoderick2551
“The sidewalk was made for two, not three”
I practically live out this quote. I go on walks with my two “friends” and I always let them go ahead of me. Half the time I just end up turning around and going back home. I never even get a text asking when I left or where I went.
@Chaossxuledit
Sorry you feel like that virtual hug
@beny6224
Bestie hope ur ok x
@bethanypotato405
Same. I'll be walking with 2 of my friends and they'll just walk ahead of me and talk about so much stuff that I don't know about and they don't include me