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
Keep Up
Thea Gilmore Lyrics
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See its pink veneer
Hear the motorway soprano
And the Front Street road pitches to the river bank
The drivers side is hanging off and rusted
And as for me I don't want to get adjusted
So I'll head out of this cage before they shut the gate
Keep up
Mr. White boy he's worth a packet
But poor Joe's pickin' fleas off his mohair jacket
Teaching them trapeze every Saturday in the square
And I don't know why she's doing what she's doing
Yeah I'm confused is this rack or is this ruin
Call me when you decide you want her knees up round your ears
Keep Up oh
Keep up
Joe shakes his head says he don't know where the bones is
You'll be six feet down before you catch up with the Jones's
And there you are planning your big getaway so
Strip the sky I will hang out of the window
See its pink veneer
Hear the motorway soprano
And the front street road pitches to the river bank
In Thea Gilmore's song "Keep Up," the lyrics paint a picture of a protagonist who is disillusioned with the world around her and wants to escape the monotony of her life. The opening line "strip the sky" creates an image of stripping away the layers of false reality to reveal the true beauty of the world. The singer hangs out of the window to escape the confines of her "cage." She sees the pink veneer of the sky and hears the sounds of the motorway soprano, which represents the monotony and noise of everyday life. The Front Street road pitches to the river bank, which could represent the ups and downs of life. The driver's side of the car hanging off and rusted could represent the decay and destruction of the modern world.
In the second verse, the lyrics take on a more cynical tone. The singer observes the stark contrasts between the rich and poor, represented by Mr. Whiteboy and poor Joe. Mr. Whiteboy is wealthy but superficial, while Joe is struggling to make ends meet. The line "teaching them trapeze every Saturday in the square" could be interpreted as a distraction from reality or a coping mechanism. The singer is confused about the motives of the people around her and is looking for something more meaningful. The final verse is a call to action, encouraging the listener to keep up and not be left behind. The message is to break free from the confines of modern society and live life on your own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Strip the sky I will hang out of the window
I am going to hang out the window and watch the brilliant sky.
See its pink veneer
The sky is pink in color and looks beautiful.
Hear the motorway soprano
I can hear the sound of vehicles on the highway which sounds like sopranos singing.
And the Front Street road pitches to the river bank
The street slopes towards the river bank.
The drivers side is hanging off and rusted
The driver's side of the vehicle is damaged and rusty.
And as for me I don't want to get adjusted
I don't want to conform to the ordinary life, I want to live on my own terms.
So I'll head out of this cage before they shut the gate
I will leave this constricting lifestyle before it is too late.
Keep up oh
Stay with me or keep pace with me.
Mr. White boy he's worth a packet
Mr. White boy is wealthy and has money.
But poor Joe's pickin' fleas off his mohair jacket
Joe is not wealthy and is struggling with some problems.
Teaching them trapeze every Saturday in the square
Joe is teaching trapeze to someone in the square.
And I don't know why she's doing what she's doing
I don't understand her actions or behavior.
Yeah I'm confused is this rack or is this ruin
I am confused about whether this is a good or bad situation.
Call me when you decide you want her knees up round your ears
Call me when you are ready for intimacy with her.
Joe shakes his head says he don't know where the bones is
Joe is confused and he does not know where he stands.
You'll be six feet down before you catch up with the Jones's
You will be dead before you reach or catch up with those who are rich and successful.
And there you are planning your big getaway so
You are planning a big escape from all this.
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