Born into a family of artists, White spent her early years moving from town to town. Her mother was a folksinger, her father a sculptor, grandma was a burlesque performer and auntie was a pop song writer. Grandfather was a poet who favored the sonnet. Drawn to the arts, Simone acted in plays and films, made photographs and wrote. Needing an instrument for the songs she wrote a cappella, Simone taught herself to play guitar.
Moving to NYC from London in 2000, White began to play music onstage. She recorded her first album with producer David Domanich and musician and friend Frank Bango. White released the album, The Sincere Recording Company Presents, in 2003 on Bango's label The Sincere Recording Company.
I Am The Man, her second album, was recorded with producer Mark Nevers, (Lambchop/Calexico/Will Oldham/Silver Jews), in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2006 she was signed to the UK label Honest Jons. I Am The Man was released by Honest Jons/EMI in the UK, Japan, Italy and Holland in 2007 and released in France, Germany and the United States in 2008 through distributors Indigo and Forced Exposure. The album was a favourite with critics from MOJO and Q Magazine to the Daily Mail.
The Beep Beep Song, one of the songs from White's second album I Am The Man was used in an Audi R8 advert in the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, South Africa, Sweden and was shown in the half time ad break of the Rugby World Cup Final of 2007.
In 2007 and 2008 White toured in the United Kingdom and Europe headlining and supporting various bands: Nouvelle Vague, Alela Diane, Teitur, Stephen Fretwell and Little Dragon. In 2008 she played at the festivals Greenman and WOMAD in the UK.
White was a part of Damon Albarn's critically acclaimed "Honest Jons Revue" which toured in July 2008 to the Barbican Center in London, Les Nuits Fourviere Festival in Lyon, and the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. The Honest Jons Revue included the artists Tony Allen, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Damon Albarn, Kokanko Sata Doumbia, Lobi Traore, Afel Bocoum, Candi Staton, Simone White and Victoria Williams.
On 12 June 2009, White's third album, Yakiimo was released digitally, with a physical release following on 22 June 2009. This album was again released through Honest Jons in the UK.
White's albums frequently include covers of songs originally recorded by her friend and collaborator Frank Bango. Such recordings include Roses Are Not Red, Wrong About You, Worm Was Wood and Bunny In A Bunnysuit.
White currently lives in Venice, California.
White's album, Silver Silver, was released in 2012.
She released "Genuine Fake", a collection of acoustic recordings, on 8 September 2017.
Great Imperialist State
Simone White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A hat upon his head and a shovel in his hand
Till the soil, plant the seed, wait a while, cut the leaf
And send another cup of tea to me
I'm a spoiled child of the Great Imperialist State
I cannot kill my meat nor grow the food upon my plate
I never walked a mile to the well,
What will become of you and me
What will become of us, who will give us trust
Will you believe me, when I say I never loved profiting from your pain
That I felt shame, when I looked the other way
Woke up this morning, the revolution knocking down my door
Those capitalist pigs? No, they don't live here anymore
Slipped out the back door into my car
How far can you drive, how far
There's a farmer in a distant country working on the land
Food turned into flowers for the uptown florist stand
What you saved another paid to turn his soil into sand
The world will not deliver on demand
What will become of us, who will give us trust
Will you believe me, when I say I never loved profiting from your pain
That I felt shame, when I looked the other way
Simone White's song Great Imperialist State reflects upon the concept of imperialism and how it plays out in the world, affecting many people's lives. The opening lyrics introduce a farmer in a distant country, working hard to till the land and grow crops, while the singer enjoys the spoils of living in a "Great Imperialist State." The juxtaposition between the two characters highlights the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities across the globe.
The chorus of the song further emphasizes the singer's awareness of the injustice of her privilege as she comments on her inability to even grow her own food or hunt for her meat. She questions what will become of people like her when resources eventually run scarce. The bridge of the song takes a more reflective tone, as the singer contemplates her role in perpetuating the system of oppression that she benefits from, and expresses her shame for turning a blind eye to others' suffering.
In the final verse, the lyrics take a more revolutionary turn, as the singer refers to the overthrow of the capitalist pigs and their rule. She comments on how people in power will try to escape and run away from the consequences of their actions, but the damage has already been done.
Overall, Great Imperialist State serves as a poignant commentary on the impact of imperialism, capitalism, and globalization on different societies and individuals around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a farmer in a distant country working on the land
There's a hardworking farmer somewhere far away who puts in the time and effort to cultivate crops.
A hat upon his head and a shovel in his hand
He wears his hat to shield him from the sun and uses his shovel to dig and tend to the land.
Till the soil, plant the seed, wait a while, cut the leaf
He prepares the soil for planting, sows seeds that will grow over time, and eventually harvests the mature crops.
And send another cup of tea to me
He contributes to the world's agricultural stock, which ultimately helps provide tea and other goods to those who consume them.
I'm a spoiled child of the Great Imperialist State
As a citizen of a wealthy nation that often exploits developing nations and their resources, I have become accustomed to a certain level of luxury and ease.
I cannot kill my meat nor grow the food upon my plate
I don't have to hunt or gather my own meals; instead, I rely on the food industry to provide me with food and meat that has been processed and packaged for consumption.
I never walked a mile to the well,
I've never had to work hard to obtain water or walk long distances to get it since it's often readily available.
when the tap runs dry, do tell
What can we do when the convenient way of getting water is no longer available or when resources are depleted or exhausted?
What will become of you and me
What will happen to us and our way of life if we are no longer able to rely on the privileges we've come to expect?
What will become of us, who will give us trust
In the face of uncertainty, who can we turn to for guidance and reassurance? Who can we rely on to provide for us?
Will you believe me, when I say I never loved profiting from your pain
When I say that I never liked benefiting from the suffering and struggles of others, will you take my word for it?
That I felt shame, when I looked the other way
I feel guilty for not speaking out or doing anything to stop the exploitation and injustices committed by my country and those in power.
Woke up this morning, the revolution knocking down my door
With a sense of urgency and upheaval, I am suddenly awakened to the realities of the world and how they may affect me.
Those capitalist pigs? No, they don't live here anymore
No longer do the greedy and oppressive capitalists have power and influence in the world I inhabit.
Slipped out the back door into my car
I try to escape before it's too late by running away in my car and avoiding the inevitable change that's about to happen.
How far can you drive, how far
How far can you run or flee from the consequences of the actions of the privileged few who exploit others?
Food turned into flowers for the uptown florist stand
The food that could have fed many has been repurposed as an ornamental display of wealth for the privileged few.
What you saved another paid to turn his soil into sand
Whatever good deeds you may have done or resources you may have conserved, someone else has likely used them for their own gain or to harm others and the environment.
The world will not deliver on demand
The world does not exist to serve us and fulfill our every desire and expectation. We must understand and respect the limitations of the resources and the people that make up our world.
Contributed by Alexis J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@WildAlchemicalSpirit
I don't know how she can perform this song without crying. Years later, I still cry listening to it. 💕
@NicosNicosNicosNicos
@cabernet5 I'm glad you appreciated the music.Turning an equally generous ear to the lyrics can help pick out references to economies dependent on 'first world' markets to the detriment of the local population.No industrialisation,dependence on imports for food because the whole economy is geared towards tea,coffee,bauxite etc, inherent instability being vulnerable to the whims of the market, Simone further mentions how sustainability is sacrificed. It's not a protest against employment,no.
@yosoymaiz
We hope you and your family are doing well in these times.
You are invited to Radio Maiz anytime.
Saludos amiga bonita.
@werich1
The problem in my opinion is, that the 1st world economy bloom on the shoulders of the less developed countries. would there be a real fair market without protective duties and with equally educated participants - i would feel much less guilty. You know - I woke up this morning with this song and noticed the lyrics for the first time, and it made me choke. regards...
@werich1
@cabernet5 Hello! With all respect to your trust into the free market - either you can't or won't understand that you indeed work hard 40h per week for your new toyota, your condominium, health insurance and pension while the farmer is working equally hard for making himself and his family something to eat and maybe some primitive comfort in life (TV, motorcycle and a decent reserve in case of a crop failure). But he is human - just like you and me!
@cabernet5
@NicosNicosNicosNicos These countries are industrializing. If you look at all of the indicators, the increase in urban jobs, the growth of cities, the development of native service industries, there is no significant country that i know of that is regressing in terms of industrialization. its a little over dramatic to say that the economy is at a serious risk of collapse due to a drop in prices... practically i am not familiar with any cash crop nation collapsing as a result of a price drop
@NicosNicosNicosNicos
@cabernet5 de-industrialization?No,on the contrary,if these countries could break away from their role as mere suppliers of raw materials and industrialise,it would be a different story. "ASK the third world tea farmer,i think he rather likes it that she buys his tea" Farmers are certainly glad that their crops are bought but there are some aspects of being "third world" that are undesirable, and a lot can have to do with one's economy being at risk of collapse every time world tea prices drop.
@werich1
So it's a story about the fortune to be born in a 1st world country and the question for arising responsibility.
@cabernet5
@werich1 there is no moral reason why you should feel guilty for being able to get more wealth for less physical labor than others elsewhere in the world. This 1st world economy determines that the work of a web developer is more valuable than the tea-grower, comparatively. Is it the web developer's fault that the market determined this? Eventually, with the money he makes selling tea to Simone White he will be able to send his kids of to college to become web developers;)
@cabernet5
@NicosNicosNicosNicos the cash crop economy is a viable way of economic growth for developing states. having the money for imports is a result of the income earned from cash crops. "inherent instability" and bieng prey to "the whims of the market" are rather unsubstantial objections to the greater real wages and profit earned from raising cash crops rather than produce. simone should actually ASK the third world tea farmer, i think he rather likes it that she buys his tea.