KT Tunstall's Fantastic Lyrics
Scotland's Eco-Friendly Pop Music Star Releases a Mystical Second CD
Drastic Fantastic, the second studio CD from KT Tunstall, propels the versatile Scottish singer-songwriter further into pop music stardom with lyrical mysticism.
The Scottish singer-songwriter who took the world by storm with her award-winning 2004 debut Eye to the Telescope released her second studio CD, Drastic Fantastic, in late 2007. The new album -- a mix of pop, folk-punk, and mysticism -- grants KT Tunstall eternal exodus from the massive groundling ranks of guitar-wielding girls.
Who Is KT Tunstall?
A consummate writer of sugary-sweet melodies and versatile vocalist concocted from a mysterious formula containing equal parts of rock veterans Chrissie Hynde, Patty Larkin, and Patti Smith (shaken and stirred with an element, perhaps, of Lao-Tzu) Tunstall is, at age 31, a seasoned entertainer from whom fans have come to expect the universe.
Unlike most pop starlets, Tunstall doesn't sell sex to sell her music; she walks her talk, using bio-diesel-fueled tour buses and building eco-friendly housing; and she can really play guitar. Delving deeper, one can see there is a spiritual or mystical aspect to this grounded, fun-loving artist that also sets her apart from the stars who rely upon spectacle to survive.
The Mysticism of KT Tunstall's Lyrics
In the song "Little Favours", Tunstall's lyrics reveal a poet's heart: "So take me far away, hold me close to your heart, and do me this little favour, for I do love you." But her ideas and imagery often travel a few steps beyond, exposing a mysticism rarely found in pop music lyrics. Most songs on Drastic Fantastic, in fact, contain a theme to ponder in the greater context of the universe, for example:
- Saving My Face: "Leave it all to me, I will do the right thing, maybe I'll be everything I need" suggests a new autonomy, far from the dependent "ooh baby, I need you" of pop music today.
- If Only: "You're looking like you're looking for something, and now you're surrounded by silence" implies that the silence surrounding an empty heart is a spiritual void, perhaps one for others to avoid.
- Hold On: "Simplicity, a heart of gold, an old head on young shoulders, quiet and lovely, becoming part of me. And now I see, from a handful of names and a thousand faces, one light, burning fiercely." Here, Tunstall seems to refer to the Tao Te Ching passage that begins, "The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao; this is what gives her her radiance."
- Funny Man: "Funnyman got a plan to be something wonderful. Funnyman listening to the world turn in on itself, tuning in to a brand new universe. Funnyman will never be anything else" seems to prod the listener towards investing self, energy, and spirit into life or risk the inevitable stagnation that results from living only in fantasy.
Through her lyrics, KT Tunstall explores the universe and the universal elements of human life. And through her music, she discovers new challenges for herself and fans alike. Check out the albums Eye to the Telescope and Drastic Fantastic to learn more about this artist.
Sources
Tao Te Ching, by Lao-Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell, (Harper Perennial, 2006) p. 21.
Biographical info and lyrics from KT Tunstall's website (Accessed 11 January, 2008).
