Gilmore is said to have become interested in music as a result of her father's record collection, which included work by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello, and Tom Waits, among others. At 16 she left home and began working in a recording studio where she was discovered by her now long-time collaborator, producer and sometime co-songwriter Nigel Stonier, who became her husband in a ceremony in October 2005.
Thea recorded her debut album aged just 17 and then entered a spell of productivity which, in the four and a half years from January 1999 to August 2003, saw her record and release six albums including four "official" releases and two cult albums which were only intended for internet release but which have long since been available in the shops. In 2001, with the release of Rules For Jokers, she hit some kind of national nerve and garnered some attendant airplay but it wasn't until 2003's Avalanche that Thea finally began to make significant waves. Avalanche became Radio 2's Album Of The Week and spawned two hit singles including her first certifiable Top 40 hit Juliet. Thea has gathered countless plaudits over the years - "the best British singer songwriter of the last ten years - and then some" (Uncut), "so good its scary" (Mojo), and "Gilmore is already in a league of her own" (Q) immediately spring to mind - but Avalanche was truly a quantum leap forward and "a breakthrough record" (Times) to boot. And you can bet that Thea remains the only artiste to have her under-$50 video shown on Top Of The Pops.
Increasing radio support and acclaim from the music press led to a lucrative tour of the US in 2004, in support of legendary folksinger Joan Baez. During this time, Gilmore was diagnosed with clinical depression and also split from her personal relationship with Nigel Stonier after seven years, although they continued touring and working together.
In 2005, Gilmore continued touring commitments, for the first time not releasing a new album (the covers collection Loft Music was widely released during 2004). In October 2005, she and Stonier, who, in the light of Gilmore's depression diagnosis, re-started their personal relationship, married in a ceremony near their home in Cheshire.
Gilmore finally returned to recording with the release of Harpo's Ghost in August 2006, after a three-year absence of new material. The album was once again acclaimed in the music press and UK radio lent their support to the single "Cheap Tricks." Gilmore has been touted by Uncut magazine as "the best British singer-songwriter of the last 10 years...and then some" and has gained steady acclaim for each of her albums.
On November 14th, 2006, Gilmore gave birth to her first child with Stonier, a son named Egan, having conducted a UK tour in the autumn while heavily pregnant.
Thea Gilmore writes lyrics that somehow combine awesome poetic grace together with a 21st century barbed undercurrent. She also delivers razor sharp missives on life, love, sex, death, politics and wars (both personal and global) and all with an achingly-beautiful delivery which melts hearts in an instant. Someone once remarked that Thea is a hellraiser with a voice like honey and if you get to meet her you will know what this means. Barely out of her teenage daze, Thea was being compared to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Ryan Adams and Tom Waits and now at 31, Thea is going to make you think sweet somethings all over again.
www.theagilmore.net
Forgotten
Thea Gilmore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down behind the armchair seat
I've been propping up this coffee cup
Looking down, down into the street
And I hate what I've become, said
I hate the insecurity of freedom
Holding every breath, counting every step
Hey yeah, Hey yeah, Hey yeah,
All is forgotten
Hey yeah, Hey yeah, Hey yeah,
Mmm, that's it
And you have always craved a conscience
And I have constantly avoided that with
Sincere regrets, sir, I must inform you
I will not be another feather in your cap
Hey yeah, Hey yeah, Hey yeah,
All is forgotten
Hey yeah, Hey yeah, Hey yeah,
Mmm
I had it all worked out
Had all my T's crossed, my errors ringed
You got me all worn down
You had to go and ruin everything
I have been looking for loose change
Down behind the armchair seat
I've been propping up this coffee cup
Looking down, down into the street
All is forgotten
Thea Gilmore's song "Forgotten" talks about two different people who are dealing with their personal issues. The first verse portrays someone who's constantly searching for something, desperate to find any little bit of control he can get in life. He hates himself and his current situation, but at the same time, he has an intense fear of living with freedom. The second person portrayed in the song is someone who's been avoiding personal growth at all costs, despite constantly claiming to be interested in it. The singer notes that he won't allow himself to be part of someone else's quest for self-improvement.
The chorus of the song is the only optimistic part of the song, with the lyrics "All is forgotten" repeated twice. It's unclear what precisely this phrase means or what is being forgotten, but it seems to suggest an ultimate release from the burdens and anxieties the singers are experiencing.
Overall, the song highlights the struggles of fear, control, and personal growth, presenting a poignant and raw picture of two individuals who are trying to come to terms with their experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I have been looking for loose change
I have been searching for something of value but only found trivial belongings.
Down behind the armchair seat
I have been looking in a place that is often overlooked and neglected.
I've been propping up this coffee cup
I have been trying to hold onto something familiar for comfort and stability.
Looking down, down into the street
I have been introspectively focusing on the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds me.
And I hate what I've become, said
I despise the person I have turned into and the weaknesses I possess.
I hate the insecurity of freedom
I detest the vulnerability that comes with independence and the unknown ramifications of my choices.
Holding every breath, counting every step
I am cautiously monitoring every movement of mine and holding back to prevent risks and potential failures.
Checking every sentence with a polygraph test
I am constantly questioning the authenticity and honesty of my own words and actions, doubting my own integrity.
All is forgotten
Despite these negative thoughts and feelings, everything fades into insignificance at times, allowing for a sense of peace and acceptance to arise.
And you have always craved a conscience
You have always yearned for moral principles and internal accountability.
And I have constantly avoided that with
And I have continually evaded ethical responsibility and personal morality.
Sincere regrets, sir, I must inform you
I express genuine remorse as I must tell you the truth,
I will not be another feather in your cap
I refuse to be used for personal gain or as a marker of success or achievement for someone else.
I had it all worked out
I thought I had it all planned and organized perfectly.
Had all my T's crossed, my errors ringed
I had everything perfectly executed and thought out in advanced.
You got me all worn down
Your actions have caused me to become drained, exhausted and defeated.
You had to go and ruin everything
Your actions have destructed all of my plans and hopes for the future.
Mmm, that's it
Despite everything, there's a sense of resignation and acceptance that things are as they are.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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