Tell Me a Tale

Album: Home Again (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • London based singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka opens his debut album, Home Again, with this jazz number. The singer explained to The Sun that the song is a dig "at people who lie to big themselves up." He added: "That's one thing I can't do, pretend to be someone I'm not. I can only be myself. I can't hide if it's not me."
  • Paul Butler of the UK indie rock band The Bees produced this song in a basement studio in his house in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Kiwanuka penned this minor key song at Butler's house. He recalled to This Is Fake DIY: "I was upstairs with a guitar and just wrote it there and then. We'd been recording a session with some tracks that weren't really gelling, so I had to get away to try and focus. I wanted to do something a bit more up-tempo and then came downstairs with that song and it was exactly what we had been aiming for. It was all finished up really quickly and gave us a way into working on the rest of the record. It was when we really first found our groove, so I thought it would fit well as an opening track."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce PavittSong Writing

The man who ran Nirvana's first label gets beyond the sensationalism (drugs, Courtney) to discuss their musical and cultural triumphs in the years before Nevermind.

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Intentionally Atrocious

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.