Formed in Berkshire in 1998 by guitarist Phil Mercy and bassist Paul Beecham, the band quickly acquired singer Simon Boys and drummer Mark Robotham, but the search for a suitably talented keyboard player was to take nearly two years, with the intervening time spent writing and rehearsing with sequencing software. Recording for their independently released debut album Head (2000) began just six weeks after the arrival of Wolfgang Kindl on keyboards.
Writing began almost immediately for the next CD, but a few months later Paul Beecham announced his departure due to family commitments and the band recruited bassist Andy Bonham. Andy introduced some fretless bass playing for variation and the less pressured Beecham was able to contribute some oboe playing to the second album, Argot (2001).
The next lineup change came with Simon Boys leaving for nearly identical reasons as Paul Beecham. Never ones to miss an opportunity, the remaining members decided to shake things up a bit and persuaded Amy Darby to join on lead vocals and woodwind. Shibboleth, the third album, was released in 2003.
After some touring and appearances at various prog friendly festivals in the USA and Europe, Wolfgang Kindl decided to return to his native Germany and start a family. This kicked the band into a period of hibernation. Without knowing the palette of sounds and influences that a new keyboard player would bring, Phil Mercy found himself uninspired to write new material and he instead concentrated on updating his recording studio and ironing out the many problems that the process uncovered.
Eventually, when it looked like the studio update would become a never ending saga, It was discovered that Anglagard alumnus Thomas Johnson was living and working in Oxford. A few emails and a pub meeting later and Thieves' Kitchen had a new keyboard player.
Phil, Amy and Thomas quickly forged a blissful writing team and soon had much of the material written that was to become The Water Road. Thomas had brought with him a darker and more symphonic approach which blended well with Phil's Canterburyesque fusion stylings. Amy's folk influences were also highlighted with the introduction of her harp playing. With the richness that was starting to become apparent in the sound of the new material it was decided to go all the way to achieve a more orchestral and organic sound. Ironically, considering the extensive update of Phil's studio, this involved the band recording the backing tracks live without a clicktrack as an ensemble in Aubitt Studios. This allowed the tempo to ebb and flow naturally as the mood required. Mark Robotham also set aside his hitherto ubiquitous electronic kit and used acoustic drums for greater sensitivity. Additional instruments were added, with Anna Holmgren of Anglagard on flute, Stina Peterssen on cello and Paul Beecham making a reappearance on oboe and soprano sax.
The Water Road was released in 2008 to critical acclaim.
While work continued on new material, during delays caused by various factors, including Thomas Johnson's relocation back to Sweden and his work on the new Anglagard release (all with everyone's full blessing and encouragement), it became apparent that Thieves' Kitchen was not destined to be the busy live act that both Andy Bonham and Mark Robotham would wish for, so they and Thieves' Kitchen amicably parted company.
Their places have been taken for the recording sessions by the rhythm section from Sanquine Hum, Paul Mallyon on drums and Brad Waissman on bass.
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www.thieveskitchen.co.uk
Integrity
Thieves' Kitchen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too much to ask for you to change your tone
Same old things I hear every day about things that I have done
When will we start to have some fun?
Taking everything away doesn’t make me stay
But you have it now in any other way
You washed away my glitter, took away my pride
All you see now is the emptiness inside
No more integrity…
Why should I have to say what is on my mind
You should know that you’re not the feeling kind
Maybe you got bored with me but find it hard to say
You’ve no idea how it makes my temper fray
Sanity’s a token thing, well that is how it seems
Taken now by you, all I have is my dreams
Bob Holness My wholeness is no longer running free inside of me
Shackled down by your selfish misery
I want to make up to a brand new day, but will you be there?
Token gestures don’t mean that much to me, now you’ve begun to wear me down
But if your lesson’s not been learned by now… you’ve got to be set free
Greet the world in the same old tired way, don’t you want to see
Heave feelings pulling me way down to another place where I didn’t want to go
Take your thumb out of your mouth – you’ve got to be set free
Why don’t you tell me something that I want to hear?
Is it such a hard thing, telling me you care?
Far away I hear a voice telling me to get away
But how far can I run when I want to stay?
Take away your selfish rules, hide your stupid pride
That I know is how you open up inside
Just because you’re living now with a different plan
Don’t ignore me, I’m no ordinary man
The song "Integrity" by Thieves' Kitchen is a story of a person who is tired of living their life according to someone else's rules and expectations. The opening lines "You run around my head, you won’t leave me alone, too much to ask for you to change your tone" show that the singer is being bullied and harassed, and they are not able to take it anymore. The lines "Taking everything away doesn’t make me stay, but you have it now in any other way" suggest that the person is being manipulated and controlled by the other party.
The lyrics also indicate that the singer has lost their integrity, which is reflected in the lines "No more integrity." The lyrics highlight the importance of being true to oneself and not compromising on one's values and beliefs. The lines "Sanity’s a token thing, well that is how it seems, taken now by you, all I have is my dreams" show that the singer is in a dire state of mind and under a lot of stress.
The chorus of the song "Integrity" discusses the desire for freedom and the need to break free from the emotional shackles of being controlled by someone else. The lines "But if your lesson’s not been learned by now… you’ve got to be set free, take your thumb out of your mouth – you’ve got to be set free" indicate that the singer has come to a realization that they need to take control of their life and break away from the person who is controlling them.
Overall, "Integrity" is a powerful song that captures the struggle of being in a toxic relationship and the importance of standing up for oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
You run around my head, you won’t leave me alone
I cannot stop thinking about you and it’s unsettling.
Too much to ask for you to change your tone
I wish you could communicate with me differently instead of criticizing me all the time.
Same old things I hear every day about things that I have done
You keep repeating what I did wrong and it’s tiring to hear it every day.
When will we start to have some fun?
I want our interactions to be more enjoyable and less stressful.
Taking everything away doesn’t make me stay
Your attempts to control me and take away my freedom are not keeping me around.
But you have it now in any other way
You are successful in controlling me in other ways.
You washed away my glitter, took away my pride
You have stripped me of my confidence and self-esteem.
All you see now is the emptiness inside
You only see the negative aspects of me and it’s draining.
No more integrity…
I feel like I have lost my sense of self and my values.
Why should I have to say what is on my mind
I shouldn’t have to vocalize my thoughts and feelings when you should already know how I feel.
You should know that you’re not the feeling kind
You lack the empathy to understand how I feel.
Maybe you got bored with me but find it hard to say
You might have lost interest in me but are hesitant to admit it.
You’ve no idea how it makes my temper fray
Your attitude towards me is causing me to become angry and frustrated.
Sanity’s a token thing, well that is how it seems
My mental stability is diminishing and it feels like it doesn’t matter to you.
Taken now by you, all I have is my dreams
You’ve taken everything from me and all I have left are my aspirations.
Bob Holness My wholeness is no longer running free inside of me
I don’t feel complete and fulfilled like I used to.
Shackled down by your selfish misery
Your negativity is holding me down and preventing me from thriving.
I want to make up to a brand new day, but will you be there?
I want to start anew but I am unsure if you will be willing to do the same.
Token gestures don’t mean that much to me, now you’ve begun to wear me down
Your superficial efforts mean nothing to me and are becoming exhausting to deal with.
But if your lesson’s not been learned by now… you’ve got to be set free
If you still haven’t learned from the mistakes we’ve made, then it’s time for us to end this and move on.
Greet the world in the same old tired way, don’t you want to see
You are stuck in your old ways of living and it’s preventing you from experiencing new things.
Heave feelings pulling me way down to another place where I didn’t want to go
Your negative emotions are dragging me down to a place where I don’t want to be.
Take your thumb out of your mouth – you’ve got to be set free
Stop hesitating and take the necessary steps to move on from this.
Why don’t you tell me something that I want to hear?
You never say things that I want to hear that could benefit me.
Is it such a hard thing, telling me you care?
It seems difficult for you to express your feelings in a positive way.
Far away I hear a voice telling me to get away
Something inside me is telling me to distance myself from you.
But how far can I run when I want to stay?
I am conflicted about leaving you because I still care about you.
Take away your selfish rules, hide your stupid pride
Stop trying to control me and let go of your own ego.
That I know is how you open up inside
You can only be vulnerable and show your true self when you let go of your selfishness.
Just because you’re living now with a different plan
You may have altered your lifestyle but that doesn’t mean our issues have been resolved.
Don’t ignore me, I’m no ordinary man
Don’t underestimate my worth and importance in your life.
Contributed by Isabelle L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.