Whilst growing up, Nicholls attended Felsted School. She first found fame for performing cartwheels whilst streaking at an England vs. Australia cricket match at Lord's in May 1989, in which she joined fellow school players Derek Pringle and John Stephenson on the field of play; this footage was later included in the video Streaker, narrated by George Best.
Nicholls travelled to the United States later in 1989 and began performing with her band, Sheila Nicholls and the Splendid Frock, in New York City in the mid-1990s.
Nicholls then moved to Los Angeles where she recorded a solo album, the critically acclaimed Brief Strop, and started her own label, Essex Girl Records.
Shortly thereafter, Nicholls signed a deal with Hollywood Records, which began distributing Brief Strop. The song "Fallen for You," from the album, became a hit on College Radio stations and found its way onto the best-selling soundtrack for the movie High Fidelity. She toured extensively with the album, including several gigs alongside k.d. lang.
In mid-2002, Nicholls released her second album, Wake, in which she worked with producers Glen Ballard and Jez Colin. The album's first single, "Faith," co-written with Ballard, received ample radio play and reached the pop charts. Nicholls third album, "Songs From the Bardo" was released in August 2009.
Ruby
Sheila Nicholls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ruby's smiling to make sure you feel comfortable inside your smiling world
Behind your smiling tape
Ruby take us to the Promised Land,
Ruby you are Moses with a different band
Speak the truth girl so the slaves will understand
We'll find our real smiles hidden in the desert sand.
No one suspects her no one can see a difference,
She can play you better than you ever could play her but its boring she's kind of bloated;
And sometimes she finds she will play herself now that is dangerous that is lying.
That is lying.
So she is leaving she is taking everything, she's not coming back, no she's not coming back.
Ruby take us...
We've seen this smile before on Lilith's as she slammed the door.
Left Adam standing in the Garden of Eden he had a hard-on
And was ready for breeding, she didn't want but he couldn't hear.
She said, "Cook your own meals and have a wank my dear."
Ruby take us...
The song "Ruby" by Sheila Nicholls speaks about a woman named Ruby who appears to be happy and smiling all the time, but in reality, she is planning her escape. Her smiles are not genuine, but rather a way to make others feel comfortable and hide her true feelings. The lyrics suggest that Ruby wants to lead herself and others to a better place, the "Promised Land," and that she is like Moses with a different band, trying to deliver the truth to the slaves who are trapped in their own smiling masks. The song also references the story of Lilith and Adam from the Garden of Eden, where Lilith left Adam after refusing to be subservient to him and his desires.
The lyrics in "Ruby" shed light on the importance of being true to oneself and the need to break free from societal expectations and norms. Ruby is tired of playing the game of being happy all the time, and she is ready to take risks and leave everything behind to find her true self. The song also highlights the theme of empowerment and encourages others to stand up for themselves and speak the truth.
Line by Line Meaning
Ruby's smiling not because she's happy, but cause she's planning her escape,
Ruby's smile is not a sign of happiness; it's a facade to hide her plan of escaping.
Ruby's smiling to make sure you feel comfortable inside your smiling world
Ruby's fake smile is to make those around her feel at ease and content within their own disingenuous facades.
Behind your smiling tape
The smile is masking an internal strife and conflict.
Ruby take us to the Promised Land,
Ruby is urged to be a leader through her determination to escape oppression and find a better place.
Ruby you are Moses with a different band
Ruby is being eyed as a leader or counterpart to the leader(s) known within the Jewish and Christian faiths.
Speak the truth girl so the slaves will understand
Ruby needs to use truth in order to gain support and solidarity among those who are oppressed.
We'll find our real smiles hidden in the desert sand.
As they travel to freedom, they will uncover their genuine selves and find the authentic happiness that was previously disguised by societal expectations.
No one suspects her no one can see a difference,
Ruby's outward expression does not elicit any suspicion or evoke any difference between her and the majority.
Because she smiles the way you taught her, candy-coated.
Ruby's smile is a learned behavior enforced by society's expectations of how she should present herself.
She can play you better than you ever could play her but its boring she's kind of bloated;
Ruby is capable of utilizing the same facade as those around her, but finds it tedious and monotonous.
And sometimes she finds she will play herself now that is dangerous that is lying.
Ruby catches herself using her fake persona and recognizes that it is not truthful and potentially harmful to herself and others.
So she is leaving she is taking everything, she's not coming back, no she's not coming back.
Ruby has reached the point of leaving her old life behind and starting a new one without looking back.
We've seen this smile before on Lilith's as she slammed the door.
The smile is reminiscent of Lilith's, the first wife of Adam in Jewish mythology, as she left the Garden of Eden.
Left Adam standing in the Garden of Eden he had a hard-on
Lilith left Adam, who was sexually aroused at the thought of breeding.
And was ready for breeding, she didn't want but he couldn't hear.
Adam wanted to reproduce with Lilith, but she was not interested and he did not acknowledge her lack of desire.
She said, "Cook your own meals and have a wank my dear."
Lilith told Adam to fend for himself and engage in self-pleasure.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NICHOLLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind