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.
What the Devil Brings
Simone White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
outline of your body in mine
echoing inside whispering sounds like
hold me hold me
let me kiss you
take me with you
don't understand I've got to shake your hand like a man
I know what the devil brings
ever since you left I've thought of nothing else
been a man possessed by the way your touch felt
all day I kept your kiss like a charm
sparkle of your mouth on mine
hung around my neck knocking on my chest
telling me to hold you hold you
let me kiss you
take me with you
I forgot myself under a spell
tripped in the arms of a shadow and fell
oh you've got to stop this haunting
I know what the devil brings
I hang my head
in shame
for you, boy
Simone White's "What the Devil Brings" is a song that explores the haunting memories of a past relationship. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been haunted by the memory of her lover who has since left her. The song begins by describing the singer sleeping with her lover's ghost in her arms. She describes the outline of her lover's body and how it echoes and whispers "hold me, hold me, let me kiss you, take me with you". This illustrates the deep desire that the singer has to be with her lover again, but she understands that it's impossible and she needs to move on.
The second verse of the song speaks to the singer's struggle to come to terms with her obsession with her past lover. She carries around a charm of an image in her mind of her lover's kiss and the sparkle of her mouth on hers. She knows that she needs to let go of the past, but she's under a spell and finds herself tripping in the arms of a shadow and falling. She is trapped by memories and desires that are impossible to satisfy.
The song ends with the singer hanging her head in shame for the effect that her lover's departure has on her. She understands that she needs to stop this haunting memory and let go of the past. It's clear that this relationship has caused psychological pain that's difficult to overcome.
Line by Line Meaning
last night I slept with your ghost in my arms
I had thoughts of you wrapped around me till I fell asleep
outline of your body in mine
imagining being close to you, feeling the shape of our bodies together
echoing inside whispering sounds like hold me hold me
the remnants of your voice secretly asking me to hold on to you
let me kiss you
a request to be close enough to touch lips
take me with you
a desire to go where you go
don't understand I've got to shake your hand like a man
I want to properly say goodbye before you leave
oh you've got to stop this haunting
these thoughts of you are haunting me and I need them to stop
I know what the devil brings
I am aware of the negative consequences that can arise from holding on to you
ever since you left I've thought of nothing else
my mind has been consumed by thoughts of you since you left
been a man possessed by the way your touch felt
I have been overwhelmed by how your touch made me feel
all day I kept your kiss like a charm
I treasured your kiss throughout the day, seeing it as something special
sparkle of your mouth on mine
feeling the magic of your lips on my own
hung around my neck knocking on my chest
my reminder of you was constantly on my mind, beating like a drum
telling me to hold you hold you
urging me to never let go of the feeling of being near you
I forgot myself under a spell
I was lost in my desire for you
tripped in the arms of a shadow and fell
I stumbled in the darkness of my thoughts, overwhelmed by feelings I couldn't control
I hang my head in shame for you, boy
my feelings of love and desire for you have brought me shame and I feel sorry for myself
Writer(s): SAMUEL BING, SIMONE WHITE
Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Greywillow
Her voice, the images, the light, so breathtaking!
Simone White
Thank you Greywillow! x
Fifteen Days
Brilliant lyrics and production with an amazing voice!
Iam
give me chills every time!
Donzel Alessandro
No words. You make me feel like an angel. An angel who lives in an alternative paradise created by a king who kissed her queen, daughter of the melancholy that is our essence. Nessuna parola. Mi fai sentire come un angelo. Un angelo che vive in un paradiso alternativo creato da un re che baciò la sua regina, figlia della malinconia che è la nostra essenza. PS: you seems like the characters of the painter Bernardino Luini, one of the greatest painter in the renaissance. ERGO: you are beautiful!
gzolty
Wow! Simone A beautiful video of a beautiful song sung by a beautiful women with a beautiful voice.
Brandy Stevens
Love this, definitely sharing with friends...
Steve Ibach
OMG! Beautiful Simone.
pimplywimp
lovely!
TheCloudsandTheSkies
Discovered you after watching the pretty one. You are absolutely brilliant!