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.
Soldier
Sonya Kitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To no satisfaction, was note as need
And when he walks, stands tall as he can
For he's a man, yeah, he's a man
And when he crumbles, resolve to the ground
Like burnt bits of paper, life flutters round
All eyes turn away, no one wants to see
For we've been out runnin' for all of our lives
No chance and stop and we'd surely lose sight
In the back of his mind is a smiling face
The one who said, "You know, it's no race"
The one who said, "You got time to breathe"
'Cause child you're born, we're all born free
In the back of his mind is the back of a room
So dust enshrouded and no dust broom
Stands a chance to clear the cobwebs away
So live in the back, in the dark it'll stay
And we've been out runnin' for all of our lives
No chance, and stop, and we'd surely lose sight
Tell me son, what are you livin' for?
Tell me boy, what are you livin' for?
Tell me son, what are you livin' for?
Tell me, tell me, what are you livin' for?
The lyrics of Sonya Kitchell's 'Soldiers Lament' explore the theme of resilience and the cost of fighting for the things we believe in. The opening lines, "He fight and he pray, he love and he bleed/ To no satisfaction, was note as need" capture the exhaustion of someone who has given their all to a cause but still feels unsatisfied. The singer describes the man's determination to keep going, to "stand tall as he can" even when he feels like "burnt bits of paper" on the ground. However, despite his determination, the man is met with indifference when he crumbles; "all eyes turn away, no one wants to see/ A man who has lost, in the fight to be free".
The chorus, "we've been out runnin' for all of our lives/ No chance and stop and we'd surely lose sight" suggests that there is a constant push to keep moving forward, to not stop and rest, or risk losing sight of the goal. The song also alludes to the importance of having a support system, someone to remind you of the things that truly matter. In the bridge, the singer describes the memory of a person who told the man, "child you're born, we're all born free", someone who reminded him to take a breath and remember that he had time.
Overall, 'Soldiers Lament' is a poignant reflection on the cost of resilience and the weight of carrying on in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
He fight and he pray, he love and he bleed
He struggles, prays for help, loves and sacrifices to no avail
To no satisfaction, was note as need
All that he did didn't bring him any satisfaction
And when he walks, stands tall as he can
He tries to hide his vulnerability and pain by appearing strong
For he's a man, yeah, he's a man
Despite his struggles, he's determined to maintain his dignity as a human being
And when he crumbles, resolve to the ground
When he finally breaks down, he falls apart completely
Like burnt bits of paper, life flutters round
His life seems to fall apart like burnt scraps of paper, blown about in the wind
All eyes turn away, no one wants to see
People don't want to acknowledge or witness his despair
A man who has lost, in the fight to be free
He's lost in the struggle to be free and live a fulfilling life
For we've been out runnin' for all of our lives
We've all been searching for something our entire lives
No chance and stop and we'd surely lose sight
If we stop we're afraid we'll lose sight of what we're searching for
In the back of his mind is a smiling face
He has a memory or image of someone who brings him happiness
The one who said, "You know, it's no race"
This person whose memory he cherishes told him not to rush, that he had time
The one who said, "You got time to breathe"
This person told him to take a break and relax
'Cause child you're born, we're all born free
This person reminded him that we all have the potential for freedom and a happy life
In the back of his mind is the back of a room
There's a memory or a forgotten space in his mind
So dust enshrouded and no dust broom
It's a neglected or forgotten place covered in dust with no means to clean it
Stands a chance to clear the cobwebs away
This space represents a chance to clear away old doubts and mental roadblocks
So live in the back, in the dark it'll stay
He has the choice to leave this space forgotten and abandon it
Tell me son, what are you livin' for?
The song asks the listener to question their own motives for living
Tell me boy, what are you livin' for?
The song repeats the question, emphasizing that it's important to have purpose
Tell me son, what are you livin' for?
The song repeats the question a third time, challenging the listener to really think about their life's purpose
Tell me, tell me, what are you livin' for?
The song urges the listener to answer the question and to strive for a meaningful existence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SONYA KITCHELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wenruan999
He fight and he pray, he love and he bleed
To no satisfaction, was note as need
And when he walks, stands tall as he can
For he's a man, yeah, he's a man
And when he crumbles, resolve to the ground
Like burnt bits of paper, life flutters round
All eyes turn away, no one wants to see
A man who has lost, in the fight to be free
For we've been out runnin' for all of our lives
No chance and stop and we'd surely lose sight
In the back of his mind is a smiling face
The one who said, "You know, it's no race"
The one who said, "You got time to breathe"
'Cause child you're born, we're all born free
In the back of his mind is the back of a room
So dust enshrouded and no dust broom
Stands a chance to clear the cobwebs away
So live in the back, in the dark it'll stay
And we've been out runnin' for all of our lives
No chance, and stop, and we'd surely lose sight
Tell me son, what are you livin' for?
Tell me boy, what are you livin' for?
Tell me son, what are you livin' for?
Tell me, tell me, what are you livin' for?
@FallenAngelTWA
The Unit, one of the best series I've ever seen. Hats off.
@randysutherland6530
Agreed
@dogjmunu
Absolutely!! They did us a mis justice by canceling the show.
@robertwilliams5491
Dam i miss this show...
@TheKenchy83
One hell of a ride........ An epic series, followed by an epic song. NEED THE UNT BACK!!!!
@hiirule2
Best. Show. Ever.
@mohdshahiran300
The unit bring me this song
@soldieremre
Words are not sufficent to identify this song's emotion.wonderful...
@chrischancer1247
Used brilliantly In 'the unit'....Still miss Sgt Grey....'What you doing Bob?'
@treyjohnson64
Damn fine show.... hat off to all you warriors