Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer

Album: Sixpence None The Richer (1997)

Charted: 4 2

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Songfacts®:

Written by the group's guitarist Matt Slocum, this dreamy truffle of a pop song had humble beginnings. Released on their third album, which came out November 22, 1997, it was issued as a single on August 11, 1998.

This being the late '90s, TV producers were on the lookout for fresh songs to provide dramatic underscore for big scenes, like maybe a pivotal kiss in a popular teen drama. "Kiss Me" got some attention when it was used on the second season of the WB TV show Dawson's Creek, first on November 11, 1998 and then on another episode that aired April 28, 1999. In between, it was used in the movie She's All That, which premiered January 29, 1999. With just about every teenage girl in America hearing the song on the TV show, the movie, or the many radio stations that put the song in rotation, it cracked the Top-40 on February 27, 1999 and made it all the way to #2.
The late '90s were the big years for TV show soundtracks, and shows like Ally McBeal, Party of Five, Mad About You and Friends would often integrate music into episodes to enhance not only the scenes but also the soundtrack albums, which sold very well. "Kiss Me" was the first track on Songs From Dawson's Creek, which made it to #7 on the US albums chart. Even before the show hit air, it had a powerful musical impact: promos for the first season of the show in 1997 featured Paula Cole's song "I Don't Want To Wait," which gave the song a big sales boost. Dawson's Creek was also notable for putting some songs on the soundtrack album that hadn't yet appeared on the show.
Sixpence None the Richer is a Contemporary Christian trio from Austin, Texas. Their name comes from a passage in C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity.
This was the most-played radio song in 1999 in 11 different countries, including Canada, UK, Australia, Japan and Israel.
Vocalist Leigh Nash recalled to Baeble Music the song's origins: "It's pretty crazy," she said, "Matt wrote that song overseas. At the time he was reading some Dylan Thomas poetry, and I think he just started writing that song, and the words were a little different, the song was a little bit darker, but it was basically the same song, and we performed it the very night he wrote it."

Comments: 28

Tlalocw from KansasMaybe as a straight, cis-gender male (Is that redundant? I want to be a good ally), some typical sexism is creeping in, but if a woman (the singer) is telling an unseen partner to wear particular shoes and a flowered hat, it makes me think she's talking to another woman. I'll respect what the band says, but I'll always think it's about two women. It's possible that since (as the Songfacts say) they performed it for the first time right after it was written, they didn't have a chance to step back and think about how the lyrics could be interpreted with a female vocalist.
Martin Adams from London UkIt's rather surprising to see so much imaginative speculation as to the song meanings in many of the comments below (especially about Lesbians and sexual inference!) In the magazine "Spin" June 1999, the writer of the song Matt Slocum said of it "It's like a painting of childish, innocent love. It's so whimsical, I feel dumb even talking about the meaning." So, not so deep then! Bearded Barley means Barley that is ripe and ready to harvest, so it full and bushy and makes a perfect hiding screen! Flowered hat is “Hat with a flower or two on”, hippies used to wear them all the time, and I would guess most of us have popped a flower in our hair at one time or another, on those lazy teenage summer days…
Christian-rock- Turned Pop-fan from Socal The story reminds me of the biblical story of Ruth and Boaz, who met, danced and fell in love on the threshing floor of his (previously his father's) farm, next to the fields of wheat and barley. I think the couple in the song is remembering doing exactly that, while dancing at the their outdoor wedding.
Aniruddh from LondonI have an explanation to offer to counter the Lesbian context of the song and its conflict with the Christian outlook of the band. The song was written by the male guitarist (which is a fact), who would have pictured a female while writing, which explains the flowered hat etc.
Daroxyma from Edmonton, AbIt does not matter, to me, what the song is about. I just don't like the sound of it.
Jamie from Erith, Kent, UkGiven the lesbian context of the song, I have always taken the terms "bearded barley," "flowered hat" "broken treehouse" to be references to the vaginal state at the various stages before during and after intercourse - bearded barley referring to the hymen still being intact, flowered hat referring to the engorged state at the height of orgasm and broken treehouse referring to the post coital stage, the treehouse alluding to something which was held in high esteem and to be aspired to but which has now been breached.
Esteban Erik Stipnieks from UnicoI have to add couple caveats to the previous comment first the extent and degree to which several ex Nazis resided in New Braunfels was almost a secret I KNEW not to talk about it when an off color joke was made about it at my Uncles house some time in the 1980s across the street from where the suicide took place. Matt was in High School when the Berlin wall fell and Leigh as previously stated was sophomore when the Soviet Empire ended. The grimmer aspects of Latvian Diaspora family life were not vocalized by a school mate of Matt (she graduated before he did) class mate of Leigh ( strangely I moved to Denton the city my parents met after Latvian independence). I appreciate the dichotomy of the two worlds much more so now than I did then.
Esteban Erik Stipnieks from UnicoThe song's rise was extremely ironic considering what happened in the hometown of Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum when the song became a hit May or June of 1998 an elderly couple committed suicide less than a mile from the high school where Leigh and Matt went to school. He was a Nazi Rocket Scientist that worked at Kelly AFB. At the estate sale silver wear and plates with the Swatzika were sold. They laid themselves out on a mattress in the garage. The ballistics of the blast were set up so as the suicide note in the New Braunfels Herald Zeitung as not to leave a big mess behind. It was a very quick easy and clean body removal. Naturally this house would be across the street from a house built by and inhabited by members of Latvian Diaspora while Leigh and Matt attended New Braunfels schools. If a cross-country runner for the Unicorns SHORTED a run called Encino they went by the house where the suicide took place. Oh yes their a nephew of a Waffen SS (Latvian Legion) member in Leigh's first grade class (father's half brother) that classmate is also half Hispanic and celebrated Latvian independence August 22 1991 New Braunfels high school ending for half his family WWII!
Thomas from Mannum, AustraliaWhitney's right. This song is about two chicks, getting it on (not that there's anything wrong with that!). What kind of dude wears a "flowered hat"? A she-dude, that's who!
Carli from Phoenix, AzI was born in '97 and there's no way I could have remembered this song from '99 but I randomly did just now, I'm actually pretty sure it just came to me and I remember riding in the car hearing it haha.
Whitney from Albuquerque, NmI'm sorry but I believe it IS about two women. Listen to the lyrics.. what kind of dude wheres a "flowered hat"??
Madison from Fairfax, VaThis song is NOT about lesbianism,this has absolutly nothing about gender. A christian rock band would NOT construct a song about gayness!:)
Doug from Kansas City, Moabsolutely love this song. Very catchy and its about love and what more do you need? Catchy group name too doncha think? I DO think though that folks can take the examination of a songs meaning a bit too far....
Paul from Washington Dc, DcWhere do so many people get the idea that this song is a hymn to Lesbianism, not, of course, that there would be anything wrong with if indeed it were. It's just that there are NO gender references in the lyrics at all. It's a cute, easy-on-the-ears ballad,nothing more. The need that so many people, gay and straight, seem to have to put labels on everything often irks me.
Kathy from New Orleans, LaI read that the songwriter and band member wrote it about himself and his wife.
Carrie from Roanoke, VaI like this song (which is surpisingly good for a Christian rock song), but the idea the father's map symbolizing the Bible doesn't seem to fit. After all, they're going out into the woods to make out. I don't see how the Bible would tell someone to do that...
Toni from Blubber, United Kingdomthis can't be about lesbianism
'cause in the bible one of the laws of god was to not to have sexual feeling or w.e for the same sex as your self
and if their christians....
it can't be
Kitty from Montreal, QcI think the song really is dealing with lesbianism but nothing is wrong with that! i think it's hot!
Ron from Tyler, TxI understand that the band used to do more explicitly religious material. I thought that "trail marked on your father's map" and "lift your open hand" might have religious significance. Other references seem to be purely romantic: (moonlight, fireflies, dancing, kissing). I am not aware, however, of any "meaning" of "bearded barley," "flowered hat" "broken treehouse." Would someone who is "into" Christian Rock give me an opinion about any significance?
Thanks.
John from Overland Park, KsI dislike using the word "sweet," because it implies a banal, saccharine feeling, but it is the word describes this song for me, because it brings up images of innocent love.
Dave from Cardiff, WalesAfter this song hit the upper-reaches of the cahrts the whole world over,Sixpence None The Richer also scored another hit with a cover of "There She Goes" by '80s band The La's (whose lead singer Jon Power later went on to form Britpop band Cast)
Pete from Nowra, Australiaso what's wrong in experimenting with lesbianism?
Shannon from Garland, Txi love this video.
Colin from Hong Kong, Hong KongWas the band started after two members met at a church meeting?
Christy from Gadsden, AlSixpence is awesome(how can you not like christian rock)..and the fact that "We'll take the trail marked on your father's map" from this song is refering to Christ is awesome!
Shawn from Boise, IdI heard this was about two girls experimenting with lesbianism...guess I was totally wrong. I liked the song either way...
Angelo from New York, NyThis song appears in the movie "She's all that"
Dennis from Toledo, OhThey have many songs that are much better than this one, especially on the self-titled album this song is on. I absolutely despise christian rock, but for some reason i really like sixpence. they have good guitar work and musically complex songs.