- published: 27 Feb 2009
- views: 9502380
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland. She has enjoyed commercial and critical success since, picking up three nominations before winning a BRIT Award, and a Grammy Award nomination. She is also the recipient of an Ivor Novello Award. Tunstall has a contralto vocal range.
She has released four albums internationally: Eye to the Telescope (2004), KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza (2006),Drastic Fantastic (2007) and Tiger Suit (2010). She has also done a guest appearance in an episode (S1E04) of the comedy series This is Jinsy on BBC Three.
Kate has a half-Chinese, half-Scottish mother and an Irish father. She was 18 days old when she was adopted by an English family in St Andrews, Scotland. Kate never got to meet her biological father. Her adoptive father was employed as a physics lecturer at the University of St Andrews, and her adoptive mother was a school teacher. Tunstall's family also includes an older brother named Joe and a younger brother named Daniel. Her parents had no interest in music and owned no records — the only tape her father owned was a comedy recording by mathematician and musical satirist Tom Lehrer.
Standing on hallowed ground, standing on hallowed ground
All folks like to stop here
And they're not even from this town
When I make myself some money
And my path in life is found
I'm taking off to find my hallowed ground
Well, I'm drinking in the graveyard
And I'm roving through the park
Dreaming through the daytime
And just waiting for the dark
Cause that's when I can see them
Pouring out the gutsy song
Stamping their bony feet to lead them on
Stamping on hallowed ground, stamping on hallowed ground
All folks like to stop here
And they're not even from this town
When I make myself some money
And my path in life is found
I'm taking off to find my hallowed ground
Well, they hung them from the windows
And they burnt them at the stake
All their misdemeanors
But they meant I made mistakes
So keep your cauldrons quiet
And keep your neck in brace
You're lucky to be living in this place
Living on hallowed ground, living on hallowed ground
All types like to live here
And they're not even from this town
When I make myself some money
And my path in life is found
I'm taking off to find my hallowed ground
Well, the pyres are all ashes
And the water's running clear
The screaming of repentance
Is too distant now to hear
So I'll row my boat like Flora
And I'll ride like Paul Revere
I'm going to get the fuck away from here
Get the fuck away from hallowed ground, get away from hallowed ground
People, get away here
Well, I'm trying to get out of this town
When I make myself some money
And my path in life is found
Well, I'm taking off to find my hallowed ground
I'm taking off to find my hallowed ground