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
Mainstream
Thea Gilmore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going at it Hell-for-leather
Red lights flashing on
Some little pop song
Boys get out your Balzac
The Empire's gonna strike back
The critics and the diplomats are living in a tin shack
Climb the ladders they built
Angels in the abattoir
Junking up a good guitar
Stale city bandwidth
You don't get the language
But don't pick on the girl who's only turning on the lightswitch
Are you going to swim the mainstream?
Are you going to swim the mainstream?
Or are you going to make that lightning?
Are you going to swim the mainstream?
Heads-up, they'll say
History was a big mistake
Chews you up, spits you out
Then asks you what the lip's about
An old tin army
A young James Dean
And another kinda war that is waging in your bloodstream
A wildfire, wild-card
This girl's been barred
They drew the weapons, read the rules
Sent the rebels back to school
They'll book you for the next crime
Get you in the nick of time
So don't trust the captain who is sailing in a straight line
Are you going to swim the mainstream?
Are you going to swim the mainstream?
Or are you going to make that lightning?
Are you going to swim the mainstream?
Now say your prayers, stay polite
Busy saving daylight
Age plays dirty tricks
You're looking like a counterfeit
He's gonna train us
Can you really blame us
If we grow up we're all going to be famous
The song "Mainstream" by Thea Gilmore is a powerful critique of the entertainment industry and its impact on culture. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a system that values conformity and commercial success over genuine artistic expression. The opening lines describe the pressure artists face to conform to mainstream standards - to go "headstrong" and "Hell-for-leather" despite the "heavy weather" they might face. The imagery in the song is powerful, as we are shown "red lights flashing on / some little pop song" - a symbol of commercialism taking over art.
The second verse delves deeper into the problems of the mainstream. The artist notes that there are "angels in the abattoir," meaning that good things are being destroyed to feed the machine of the mainstream. The system itself is "stale," and those who are part of it - "the critics and the diplomats" - are living in a "tin shack." The message is clear: the mainstream is built on the backs of those who are not truly invested in creating lasting artistic works.
The song ends with a call to action, urging listeners not to "swim the mainstream." The final lines suggest that there is hope for a future in which genuine artistry can thrive - but only if artists are willing to "make that lightning" instead of simply conforming to the mainstream.
Overall, "Mainstream" is a powerful and insightful song that speaks to the problems of commercialism and conformity in the entertainment industry. The lyrics are poignant and the message is clear - if we want to create meaningful art, we need to reject the mainstream and create our own path.
Line by Line Meaning
Headstrong, heavy weather
Despite the difficult circumstances, the singer of the song is determined and unwavering
Going at it Hell-for-leather
The singer is willing to take risks and put in a lot of effort to succeed
Red lights flashing on
The singer is aware of obstacles and dangers along the way
Some little pop song
The mainstream media and culture is filled with superficial, disposable content
Boys get out your Balzac
The artist is urging others to seek out deeper, more meaningful literature
The Empire's gonna strike back
The mainstream is powerful and will push back against those who challenge it
The critics and the diplomats are living in a tin shack
Even those who have achieved success in the mainstream are still limited and constrained by its narrow and shallow perspective
Break-neck, full-tilt
The artist is moving quickly and with great intensity
Climb the ladders they built
The mainstream offers a pre-existing structure for success, but it may not be fulfilling or authentic
Angels in the abattoir
Despite the cruel and violent world, there is still beauty and goodness to be found
Junking up a good guitar
Mainstream music is often artificial and manufactured, lacking the true passion and creativity of more independent artists
Stale city bandwidth
Urban life is often stagnant and uninspiring
You don't get the language
The singer is not fluent in the superficial and empty language of the mainstream
But don't pick on the girl who's only turning on the lightswitch
Do not dismiss or belittle those who are trying to bring about positive change, even if their efforts are small
Are you going to swim the mainstream?
The singer is challenging the listener to decide whether to conform to the mainstream or rebel against it
Or are you going to make that lightning?
The artist encourages the listener to pursue their own unique and brilliant ideas and creations
Heads-up, they'll say
Others will caution or doubt the artist's choices
History was a big mistake
Those who are comfortable with the status quo will resist change, even if it is necessary progress
Chews you up, spits you out
The mainstream consumes and discards those who do not fit its mold
Then asks you what the lip's about
The mainstream does not understand or appreciate genuine, authentic expression
An old tin army
The mainstream has antiquated and rigid norms and values
A young James Dean
The artist seeks to emulate the cool, rebellious spirit of icons like James Dean
And another kinda war that is waging in your bloodstream
The struggle against societal norms and conformity is intense and personal
A wildfire, wild-card
The artist is untamed and unpredictable, which can be both empowering and dangerous
This girl's been barred
The mainstream has closed doors to women and other marginalized groups
They drew the weapons, read the rules
Those in power have set up rules and consequences to protect their own interests
Sent the rebels back to school
The system will punish those who try to rebel against it, often forcing them to conform or face consequences
They'll book you for the next crime
The mainstream is quick to vilify and punish those who break its rules or conventions
Get you in the nick of time
The mainstream's control is pervasive and can be difficult to evade
So don't trust the captain who is sailing in a straight line
Those who blindly follow the mainstream and its leaders may be missing out on important truths and opportunities for change
Now say your prayers, stay polite
The mainstream values conformity and obedience over honesty and authenticity
Busy saving daylight
The mainstream is preoccupied with superficial pursuits and distractions
Age plays dirty tricks
The mainstream is often biased against those who are not young and conventionally attractive
You're looking like a counterfeit
The mainstream values appearance and image over substance and authenticity
He's gonna train us
The mainstream seeks to mold and control individuals to fit its norms and expectations
Can you really blame us
The artist is questioning the listener's own complicity in conforming to the mainstream
If we grow up we're all going to be famous
The mainstream promises wealth and success to those who conform, but this comes at the cost of personal fulfillment and authenticity
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THEA GILMORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamiegoddard562
Great track
@SheenaVocals
So fun being in this video!
@jamiegoddard562
Love this
@billcauliflower
The first Thea song I ever heard - on an UNCUT compilation CD - and I was hooked. Love all your work. When are you coming to Australia, though? been hanging out to see you perform live.A 38-quid video filmed on security cams, love it, haha
@keithmills778
Same here! UNCUT led to several CD purchases of artists I heard for the first time on the compilation CDs.
@WhiskeyBrewer
Remember seeing this on TOTP2 when they used to do new videos at the end, back when it was on BBC2 mind
@qaphqa
That is exactly how I came across this song! Prompt album purchase and, before long, I got to see Thea in concert, too :-)
@tequilacrush
I worked in this store when this was recorded :)
@sadblokeproductions
Inspired video!
Brilliant song too.
@cerys424
Love this song. Been a fan ever since.Loving new single 'Sounds Good To Me'. x