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
Mute
Thieves' Kitchen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I’m not about to make mistakes – I just want to be set free
I have to go to where I’ve left - inside myself, to be left alone
Before too long my mind opens up to where I find myself – alone…
I take some pride and I realise that it won’t take much as my soul aches…
I had no reason to hate myself – don’t try to tie me down
Empty feelings and promises were not my design for life
Before too long my eyes open up to where I find myself – alone…
I take some pride and I realise that it won’t take much as my soul aches….
Your misery starts to take a hold – it doesn’t want my company
Its grip tightens on my self-esteem till I give in, finally
Can’t test the water, you’ve boiled it dry – nothing to soothe the pain
Before too long your mind should open up to where you’ve found yourself – alone…
You won’t take some pride and realise that it won’t take much before your soul aches…
You don’t take my words
You won’t take my thoughts
You can’t take my soul
You should open up your eyes to see
When will you learn to live your life?
When can I be left to live my life?
Heading for the shaft of light to see another day…
Heading for another fall in the same old way…
Before too long my mind opens up to where I find myself – alone…
I take some pride and I realise that it won’t take much as my soul aches…
You might take my words…
You might take my thoughts…
You might take my soul…
YOU CAN’T TAKE MY VOICE…
I WON’T LET YOU TAKE MY VOICE…
DON’T TAKE MY VOICE…
The song "Mute" by Thieves' Kitchen describes a situation where the singer feels trapped and controlled by someone in their life. The lyrics express the singer's desire for freedom and independence, despite the other person's attempts to hold them down. The opening lines suggest that the other person's gaze is significant, but the singer hopes to resist its influence. The following lines make it clear that the singer wants to break away and find solitude within themselves. As the song progresses, the singer becomes more assertive and confident in their desire to live their own life.
The chorus "Before too long my mind opens up to where I find myself – alone… I take some pride and I realise that it won’t take much as my soul aches…" suggests that the singer is embracing their individuality and strength even when it leads them to solitude. The line "Empty feelings and promises were not my design for life" highlights the singer's rejection of a life limited by another person's expectations or demands. In the final stanza, the singer asserts their voice and autonomy, refusing to be silenced or controlled.
Overall, "Mute" is a song about personal empowerment and the struggle to break free from those who hold us back. It encourages listeners to find their own path and to resist those who would try to silence or control them.
Line by Line Meaning
There’s something about the way you look at me – I hope you disagree
You look at me in a way that makes me uncomfortable, but I hope I’m wrong about it.
Well I’m not about to make mistakes – I just want to be set free
I don’t want to make any mistakes, I just want to be able to do what I want without any restrictions.
I have to go to where I’ve left - inside myself, to be left alone
I need to retreat into myself to be alone and find peace.
Before too long my mind opens up to where I find myself – alone…
After a while, I start to feel truly alone and introspective.
I take some pride and I realise that it won’t take much as my soul aches…
I start to feel better about myself and my situation, but that feeling can quickly fade away.
I had no reason to hate myself – don’t try to tie me down
I don’t see any reason to hate myself, so I don’t want anyone trying to control me or restrict me.
You test me now but don’t realise that you can’t win me round
You might try to change my mind or make me see things differently, but you won’t be successful.
Empty feelings and promises were not my design for life
I don’t want to live my life feeling empty or being promised things that never come true.
Your misery starts to take a hold – it doesn’t want my company
Your negative attitude starts to affect me, but I don’t want to be around it.
Its grip tightens on my self-esteem till I give in, finally
Your negativity can start to make me doubt myself or feel bad about myself until I finally submit to it.
Can’t test the water, you’ve boiled it dry – nothing to soothe the pain
You’ve taken things too far and there’s no turning back, there’s nothing left to ease the pain.
When will you learn to live your life?
You need to start living your own life and stop trying to control me.
When can I be left to live my life?
I just want to be free to live my life without any interference or negativity.
Heading for the shaft of light to see another day…
I’m moving towards a brighter future, where I can see and appreciate the good things in life.
Heading for another fall in the same old way…
Sometimes, despite my efforts to move forward, I fall back into old patterns or familiar problems.
You might take my words… You might take my thoughts… You might take my soul…
You might try to take everything away from me, but you can’t take my innermost thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.
YOU CAN’T TAKE MY VOICE… I WON’T LET YOU TAKE MY VOICE… DON’T TAKE MY VOICE…
I won’t let you silence me or take away my ability to speak my mind and express myself.
Contributed by Evan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.