Vonda Shepard was born in New York but her family relocated to California when she was fairly young. She played piano from an early age. Her father is Richmond Shepard, a mime and improv actor. Vonda has three sisters: Rosetta, Luana, and Brianna. Her mother left the family when Vonda was ten, and her father raised the four girls by himself.
After performing as a backing singer for many years she was eventually given her own recording contract. Shepard's first chart appearance was in 1987 when she recorded a duet with Dan Hill entitled 'Can't We Try'. She released her first self-titled album in 1989 with little fanfare. The album did yield one chart single, Don't Cry Ilene, a mid-tempo, piano-driven jazz-RnB flavored song dealing with the break-up of a relationship between a black woman and a white man, arising from adult peer pressure. The track is sung from the perspective of the woman's white female friend, who harbors a desire to have the man for herself, but keeps her distance out of respect for her friend. The song peaked at 17 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for 12 weeks.
After her third album, Shepard was signed up to appear on Ally McBeal after being spotted by the show's creator David E Kelley. While on the show she recorded two full soundtrack albums and was featured on two other Ally McBeal compilations. The songs Shepard recorded for Ally McBeal soundtrack albums were mainly covers of old songs with lyrics that paralleled what was happening in the title character's life onscreen. Since appearing in the show, Shepard has released two more studio albums and a live album.
Shepard is married to music producer Mitchell Froom and they had their first child, Jack Froom, on 15 April 2006.
chinatown
Vonda Shepard Lyrics
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There's a blue light bulb
Hanging from the sky
Threw a mattress on the floor where we can hide
Hold my hand to the subway door
I can make us invisible
All the way to Chinatown
Steam is rising from the street below
Neon sign like a carnival
You bring the color to a grey rainbow
My guitar and a bottle of the red
So much pain that I want to forget
On our way to Chinatown
Take you over to my side of town
Show you how the real world gets down
Trouble, I thought I could hold you down
All the way to Chinatown
Sheets of rain banging on the window
Turning into a blanket of snow
Getting good of pulling over the wool
Miles away there'™s another world
I know I am the luckiest girl
Found my heart in Chinatown
Take you over to my side of town
Show you how the real world gets down
Trouble, I thought I could hold you down
All the way to Chinatown
The lyrics to "Chinatown" by Vonda Shepard evoke a sense of escape and freedom. The singer describes a small room in which she and her lover have ensconced themselves, hoping to get away from the world outside. The blue light bulb hanging from the sky adds a surreal, dreamlike quality to the scene, underscoring the sense of detachment from reality. The singer explains that she will take her lover by the hand and lead them to the subway, where she will work her magic and make them "invisible" all the way to Chinatown.
Once they reach their destination, the singer describes an intoxicating sensory experience. There is steam rising from the street and a neon sign that glows like a carnival. She tells her lover that they bring color to an otherwise gray rainbow. The singer's guitar and a bottle of red wine serve as their only companions on this journey. But the joyous image is somewhat tempered by the acknowledgement that there is pain beneath the surface. The singer wants to forget what has caused her so much hurt, and Chinatown represents a temporary escape.
The final verses of the song describe the stormy weather outside, contrasting with the warmth of the tiny room. The singer reflects on how far away she is from the outside world and how lucky she feels to have found happiness in Chinatown. Even as the storm rages on, the singer feels secure in the company of her lover. The song ends on a note of defiance, with the singer vowing to show her lover how "the real world gets down" in her part of town.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a room about 20 feet wide
I have a small room that is only about 20 feet wide.
There's a blue light bulb
There is a blue light bulb in the room.
Hanging from the sky
It looks like it's hanging from the sky.
Threw a mattress on the floor where we can hide
I put a mattress on the floor so we can hide.
Hold my hand to the subway door
Hold my hand as we go to the subway station.
I can make us invisible
I can make us feel invisible or unnoticed.
All the way to Chinatown
We are traveling all the way to Chinatown.
Steam is rising from the street below
There is steam rising from the street below.
Neon sign like a carnival
The neon sign looks like it belongs in a carnival.
You bring the color to a grey rainbow
You add color and brightness to my life, which can be dull at times.
My guitar and a bottle of the red
I have my guitar and a bottle of red wine with me.
So much pain that I want to forget
I have experienced a lot of pain that I want to forget.
On our way to Chinatown
We are on our way to Chinatown.
Take you over to my side of town
I will show you around my side of town.
Show you how the real world gets down
I will show you what it's really like in the real world.
Trouble, I thought I could hold you down
I thought I could handle any trouble that came our way.
Sheets of rain banging on the window
There's heavy rain pounding against the window.
Turning into a blanket of snow
The rain is turning into snow, and there is a thick blanket of it outside.
Getting good of pulling over the wool
I am getting better at seeing through deception.
Miles away there's another world
There is a completely different world miles away from where we are now.
I know I am the luckiest girl
I feel lucky and grateful for what I have.
Found my heart in Chinatown
I found love and happiness in Chinatown.
Trouble, I thought I could hold you down
I thought I could handle any trouble that came our way.
All the way to Chinatown
We traveled all the way to Chinatown.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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