She performs as a solo artist and with her floating band (formerly Mythical Beasts), and is officially managed by Marchwood Media.
Talis plays guitar and bouzouki for her own tracks, and has been an active musician on the filk circuit since 1990. She had been nominated for 31 Pegasus Awards as of 2011, and had by that time won seven nominations (for Still Catch The Tide, Archetype Café, X Libris and Velvet, along with 'Best Performer' once and 'Best Writer/Composer' twice).
Her songs tend to be narrative in structure, featuring a mixture of mythology (particularly pagan mythology), green issues, left-wing political and social issues, tributes to her much-loved science fiction and fantasy fandoms (such as in the song Goodnight Sarah Jane, written in memory of Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen), and everyday life approached from unexpected angles, among other topics.
In her home county of Wiltshire, and the wider Swindon area, Talis is also a well-known environmentalist, a member of the Green Party, and a vocal opponent of Whitehall's austerity regime (see The Grey Men of Whitehall, Fair England etc).
http://www.talis.net
Rapunzel
Talis Kimberley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was gonna be the next big thing -
Who said 'see how they run when It falls'?
Well it ain't over till the fat man sings
And he's too drunk on his own sweet wine to care
I've bribed him with a crate of something red -
Watch me, I'm sliding sown Rapunzel's hair
The way Rapunzel said:
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel sends her best regards
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel knows you mark the cards
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
Don't look now but there's something afoot
Off and running down the road like a thing gone mad
We're getting away from the point
I'm not having any more of this.
Change was never a demon in my eyes
I've never judged a monster by its name
And the oracle's away and her locum lies
Well isn't that the game?
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel sends her best regards
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel knows you mark the cards
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
This time I got a clue and a half
Don't you reckon it's about damn time I did?
I see better now in the dark
And I'm looking where I put my feet, so
Heads up, there's a balloon, my mind's made up
I want to grab a piece of this big sky
My ghosts are getting keen to have their day
Let's see if this one flies -
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel sends her best regards
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel knows you mark the cards
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
The lyrics of Talis Kimberley's song "Rapunzel" appear to be referring to a situation where the singer had high hopes for something, but has now become disillusioned with it. The lines "It was gonna be the next big thing - Who said 'see how they run when It falls'? Well it ain't over till the fat man sings / And he's too drunk on his own sweet wine to care" suggest that the singer had high expectations and that someone had warned them that things might not go well. However, the singer isn't willing to give up yet, and has even bribed someone to keep them drunk and oblivious. The references to Rapunzel and the "sweet lords of light" seem to suggest that the singer is seeking some sort of divine intervention or assistance.
Line by Line Meaning
I take a pretty dim view of it all
I am not optimistic about the situation.
It was gonna be the next big thing -
There were high hopes for this endeavor.
Who said 'see how they run when It falls'?
Who predicted the fallout of failure?
Well it ain't over till the fat man sings
The situation is not yet resolved.
And he's too drunk on his own sweet wine to care
The person with power is oblivious to the situation.
I've bribed him with a crate of something red -
I tried to win favor with a bribe.
Watch me, I'm sliding sown Rapunzel's hair
I am taking a risky action, similar to the fairy tale character.
The way Rapunzel said:
Similar to how Rapunzel would have put it:
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel sends her best regards
Rapunzel wishes you well.
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
I am the only one relaying this message.
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel knows you mark the cards
Rapunzel is aware of your deceitful ways.
Don't look now but there's something afoot
Something suspicious is happening.
Off and running down the road like a thing gone mad
The situation is spiraling out of control.
We're getting away from the point
We are losing sight of the objective.
I'm not having any more of this.
I refuse to tolerate this any longer.
Change was never a demon in my eyes
I do not fear change.
I've never judged a monster by its name
I do not make assumptions about others.
And the oracle's away and her locum lies
The authority figure responsible is absent or deceptive.
Well isn't that the game?
This is just how things are.
This time I got a clue and a half
I have a better understanding of the situation.
Don't you reckon it's about damn time I did?
I should have figured this out sooner.
I see better now in the dark
I am better equipped to handle uncertainty.
And I'm looking where I put my feet, so
I am being more cautious.
Heads up, there's a balloon, my mind's made up
I am going to seize this opportunity.
I want to grab a piece of this big sky
I want to achieve something significant.
My ghosts are getting keen to have their day
I am motivated to confront my fears.
Let's see if this one flies -
Let's see if this endeavor is successful.
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel sends her best regards
Rapunzel is still wishing you well.
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
This is still being relayed solely by me.
Sweet lords of light - Rapunzel knows you mark the cards
Rapunzel still knows you cannot be trusted.
Sweet Lady bright - guess you've only my word for that
This is still just me delivering the message.
Contributed by Abigail J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.