They recorded a demo (which now circulates as 'The Original Demos') and eventually an album, 'The Fatherless and the Widow' for R.E.X. Records in 1993. The record featured Chris Dodds (of Slocum's band Love Coma) on drums. Shortly after the release of the album, Slocum left Love Coma to pursue Sixpence full time. The band added Tess Wiley (guitar), J.J. Plasencio (bass) and Dale Baker (drums) for 1995's 'This Beautiful Mess'. Both albums, with featured the group's early explicit Christian contemporary music sound, were produced by Armand John Petri.
In 1997, the group signed to Steve Taylor's Squint Entertainment and prepared for the release of a self-titled album, with their work slowly began garnering attention from a wider audience. In 1999, "Kiss Me" was released as a single, propelling Sixpence into the national pop spotlight. This song was also notably used in the romantic comedy film 'She's All That'. The next year, the band recorded a cover of Britpop originators The La's "There She Goes", which became their second hit single. This recording was added to Sixpence's self-titled album, an album that received several releases, as a 13th track.
'Sixpence None the Richer', featuring a confessional, melodic sound reminiscent of contemporary power pop bands as well as the softer side of earlier classic rock groups, provided both a critical and commercial breakthrough for the band. The group, made up then of Leigh Nash with Dale Baker, Matt Slocum, Sean Kelly, and Justin Cary, had both "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes" as top 40 hits receiving lasting airplay, and the parent album took the #1 slot on Billboard's 'Top Contemporary Christian' chart. In terms of the group's religiously inspired melodies and lyrics, they had evolved to even more of a subtle, emotionally minded focus based on personal storytelling rather than proselytizing.
The band had a follow up album ready to release, but Squint Entertainment started to fall apart. Though leaving the band in limbo for several years, they still toured to an enthusiastic fan-base. Finally, Squint Entertainment was taken over by Word Records, allowing Sixpence None the Richer to record the album 'Divine Discontent', which was released in October of 2002. It differed significantly from the first pre-release version of the album that had circulated, with five songs removed and six added, but still received some positive critical reviews.
On February 26, 2004, Matt Slocum announced via a letter to CCM Magazine that the group had disbanded. That same year, Best of was released, which also collected some of the Divine Discontent outtakes, and tracks from compilations.
Matt Slocum has started a new band, the Astronaut Pushers which released their debut EP in 2005. He has also recorded and performed with the seminal ambient rock group Hammock. Leigh Nash released her debut Solo Album Blue on Blue on 15 August 2006 on her personal label, One Son Records. The first single, My Idea of Heaven, was released to USA radio the week of 14 July 2006.
In November 2007, Sixpence None the Richer reunited. The band has released a new EP, entitled My Dear Machine, with tour dates planned throughout 2008 in the States and Europe. In October 2008, they released their first Christmas album entitled, The Dawn of Grace.
Website: http://www.sixpencehq.com/
The Lines of My Earth
Sixpence None the Richer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need a drink, but the well has run dry
And we in the habit of saying the same things all over again
For the money we shall make
This is the last song that I write
'Til you tell me otherwise
And it's because I just don't feel it
'Til you tell me other wise
And it's because I just don't feel it anymore
It should be our time
This fertile youth's black soil is ready for rain
The harvest is high, but the well has gone dry
And they in the habit of saying the same things all over again
About the money we shall make
This is the last song that I write
'Til you tell me otherwise
And it's because I just don't feel it
This is the last song that I write
'Til you tell me otherwise
And it's because I just don't feel it anymore
The Lines of My Earth by Sixpence None the Richer is a song that seems to highlight the frustration that comes with being in a rut. The first verse talks about the "lines of my earth" being "brittle" and "unfertile," portraying a sense of dryness or drought. The singer needs a drink, but the well has run dry, and they are stuck in a cycle of saying the same things over and over again for the sake of money. This repetition seems to be leaving the singer disillusioned and lacking inspiration, and they feel like they can't write any more songs.
The chorus repeats the same lines twice, reflecting the sense of repetition and lack of progress that the singer is feeling. The second verse starts by saying "it should be our time," suggesting that there is potential for growth and success, but it's being held back by the same old patterns. The narrative voice portrays a sense of frustration with the situation, acknowledging the potential of the "fertile youth's black soil" that is "ready for rain" and a productive harvest, but feeling held back by the lack of resources and creative energy, frustrated by the fact that they keep repeating the same things instead of moving forward.
Overall, The Lines of My Earth seems to be a commentary on the difficulty of breaking out of cycles of repetition and finding the inspiration to move forward creatively.
Line by Line Meaning
The lines of my earth, so brittle, unfertile, and ready to die
The state of my life is weak and unproductive, and it feels like it's coming to an end.
I need a drink, but the well has run dry
I'm thirsty and in need of something to sustain me, but all my resources have been depleted.
And we in the habit of saying the same things all over again
For the money we shall make
We keep repeating ourselves and doing the same things for the sake of making money.
This is the last song that I write
'Til you tell me otherwise
And it's because I just don't feel it
This is the last song that I write
'Til you tell me other wise
And it's because I just don't feel it anymore
I'm not inspired to create anymore, and I won't do it again until I feel differently.
It should be our time
This fertile youth's black soil is ready for rain
The harvest is high, but the well has gone dry
And they in the habit of saying the same things all over again
About the money we shall make
We should be thriving and successful, but instead we are struggling because we are relying on the same tired methods to make money.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATTHEW PRESTON SLOCUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind