Sonya has appeared on numerous late night TV shows including Late Night with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CNN, CBS and garnered rave reviews from the LA Times, Boston Globe, NY Times & NPR; gracing venues such as Carnegie Hall & The Hollywood Bowl amongst numerous notable stages around the world. In 2007 she joined forces with Herbie Hancock singing on his Grammy winning Joni Mitchell record titled, “River: The Joni Letters”. Herbie Hancock invited Sonya to join him on tour to sing in his band, in support of the record for the following year. During this time she worked alongside such greats as Wayne Shorter, Joni Mitchell, Milton Nascimento, Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, and many more.
Shortly after her year spent touring with Herbie Hancock, Sonya released her second album, "This Storm" on Decca Records produced by Malcolm Burn (Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, 2008) in collaboration with renowned rock band, The Slip, to much critical acclaim.
In 2009, Sonya joined forces with long-time friend and collaborator Garth Stevenson and together they created a collection of string-quartet based music, releasing “Convict of Conviction” in 2010 with producer Stewart Lerman (Antony and the Johnsons, David Byrne). Sonya Kitchell & The Brooklyn Strings were born and Sonya spent the next year performing with a string quartet ensemble exploring a more dramatic, cinematic side to her music.
Her songs have appeared on numerous TV shows and films including Perfect Stranger (Bruce Willis, Halle Berry), Private Practice and The Unit.
She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and is working on her fourth album.
Lighthouse
Sonya Kitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the wind
Through a door
That I never meant to open up
And leaves me stranded
Right here, where I stand
A distant land,
I'm lost again.
It comes in
While I move.
Like a hurricane
It swallows me too soon
And leaves me breathless
Gasping for some air
When nothing's there,
Nothing's there.
I need a lighthouse to guide me home
Need a sailor's son with knives of bone
To cut from this heart where sorrow's sewn
And spreads like wild fire, across the land.
It comes in
While I sleep
Kisses my toes
With lips that freeze my feet
And leaves me shivering
Lying in the cold
No warmth to hold
No warmth to hold.
I need a lighthouse to brave this storm
Need a sailor's arms to keep me warm
An embrace that's patiently born
From the raging sea, that crashes 'round me.
I need a lighthouse to guide me home
Need a sailor's son with knives of bone
To cut from this heart where sorrow's sewn
And spreads like wild fire, across the land.
The song "Lighthouse" by Sonya Kitchell is a soulful ballad about feeling lost and alone with no one to turn to for comfort. The singer compares these feelings to the sudden onslaught of a storm, sweeping her away with its force and leaving her gasping for air. She longs for someone to guide her home, to cut away the sorrow that has taken root in her heart and threatens to spread like wildfire across the land. The metaphor of the lighthouse and sailor's son with knives of bone creates images of hope and protection, bringing light to the darkness and carving a path through the storm.
The repetition of the phrase "It comes in" is particularly effective in creating a sense of inevitability and powerlessness. The storm, and by extension the singer's feelings of loss and despair, seem to come out of nowhere and overwhelm her, leaving her stranded and alone. The imagery of the storm kissing her toes with lips that freeze her feet, and the singer lying shivering in the cold with no warmth to hold, is haunting and visceral.
Overall, "Lighthouse" is a beautifully written and performed song that speaks to the universal experience of feeling lost and alone, and the desperate need for a guiding light to show the way home.
Line by Line Meaning
It comes in
The emotional pain comes into my life unexpectedly and without warning.
Like the wind
It arrives quickly and unexpectedly, like a gust of wind.
Through a door
It enters through an opening, like a previously closed door.
That I never meant to open up
I didn't intend for this pain to be a part of my life.
And leaves me stranded
It leaves me feeling helpless with no escape.
Right here, where I stand
It affects me deeply, wherever I may be.
A distant land,
The pain feels very far away and hard to reach.
I'm lost again.
The pain leaves me feeling alone and directionless.
While I move.
Even when I try to push through and keep going, the pain follows me.
Like a hurricane
It is powerful and all-consuming, like a destructive storm.
It swallows me too soon
The pain overtakes me before I have a chance to prepare for it.
And leaves me breathless
I feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with the pain.
Gasping for some air
I desperately need a break from the pain and a chance to breathe.
When nothing's there,
Even when I search for relief, there's no escape from the pain.
Nothing's there.
The pain leaves me feeling completely alone and unsupported.
I need a lighthouse to guide me home
I need someone or something to show me the way out of this pain and towards a place of safety and comfort.
Need a sailor's son with knives of bone
I need someone who is strong and capable, with the tools to cut away the sorrow and pain that has taken hold of my heart.
To cut from this heart where sorrow's sewn
I need someone to help me remove the pain and sadness that I'm holding onto.
And spreads like wild fire, across the land.
The pain feels like it's out of control and spreading rapidly in all directions.
While I sleep
Even in my unconscious state, the pain still affects me.
Kisses my toes
The pain feels like it's creeping up on me from the bottom, like a kiss on my toes.
With lips that freeze my feet
The pain feels cold and numb, like it's causing my feet to freeze.
And leaves me shivering
I feel physically and emotionally cold and shaken by the pain.
Lying in the cold
The pain feels like it's leaving me exposed and vulnerable, like I'm lying out in the cold.
No warmth to hold
I feel like there's nothing comforting or supportive to hold onto in the midst of the pain.
No warmth to hold.
The pain leaves me feeling completely alone and unsupported.
I need a lighthouse to brave this storm
I need someone or something to help me weather the storm of pain and sadness that I'm facing.
Need a sailor's arms to keep me warm
I need someone to hold me close and comfort me during this difficult time.
An embrace that's patiently born
I need someone who is willing to wait out the storm with me and provide unconditional support.
From the raging sea, that crashes 'round me.
The pain feels like it's coming at me from all sides, like a stormy sea crashing around me.
Writer(s): Sonya Kitchell
Contributed by Ethan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.