Fern Kinney is an American R&B and disco singer from Jackson, Mississippi, … Read Full Bio ↴Fern Kinney is an American R&B and disco singer from Jackson, Mississippi, USA, who is best remembered for her releases, "Groove Me" and "Together We Are Beautiful".
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Kinney began singing in the late 1960s, and joined the vocal group, The Poppies, replacing their former singer, Patsy McClune. Kinney remained in the group with Dorothy Moore and Rosemary Taylor for about two years, and also released a solo single, "Your Love's Not Reliable", during this time, however it was not a success.

In the early 1970s she began working as a session musician and backing vocalist. Among the songs she sang on were King Floyd's "Groove Me", and her former "Poppie" bandmate Dorothy Moore's 1976 Top 10 single, "Misty Blue".

By then having settled as a housewife, Kinney in 1979 decided to attempt a comeback, and she recorded her own version of "Groove Me", but changed the rhythm on the song to turn it into a disco dance track. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard dance chart. Her next single "Together We Are Beautiful", released in 1980 was another disco song, but with a slower and more sultry beat. It had been recorded by the British vocalist, Steve Allan, eighteen months earlier. It failed to chart in the United States, but oddly reached number one in the United Kingdom.

Kinney's subsequent releases attempted to continue in the disco style, however by this time the disco fad had reached its peak and Kinney was unable to repeat her success. By 1983 she had returned to her earlier career as a backing vocalist. In 1994, Music Club released an album (MCCD 167) of Kinney's records called Chemistry The Best Of under the licence from Malaco Records, which contained 17 tracks.

Under Fire
Fern Kinney Lyrics

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I′m sentimental
I've got a gentle lover
Ever comin′ my way
With continental
Experimental
Advances of love I obey
With the champagne
(Goin' around)

My defences
(Slowin' down)

I′m under fire
He′s searchin' my desire
Can′t you see I'm under fire?
Living his desire
Open up my heart door higher
He′s got me under (fire)

All men are sexy
I never meant be
To come along and tear me apart
You were waiting and hesitating
Another was invaded my heart
I resisted
(All the way)
He insisted
(So to say)

I'm under fire
He′s searchin' my desire
Can't you see I′m under fire?
Living his desire
Open up my heart door higher
He′s got me under (fire)

With the champagne goin' round
My defences slowin′ down

I'm under fire
He′s searchin' my desire
Can′t you see I'm under fire?
Living his desire
Open up my heart door higher
He's got me under (fire)

Fire, he′s got me under fire...

Repeat last verse and fade.

Overall Meaning

The song "Under Fire" by Fern Kinney is about a woman who finds herself succumbing to the advances of a man she has feelings for. The lyrics indicate that the woman is typically sentimental and has a gentle lover who comes her way with experimental advances, which she obeys. However, when she is with the man in question, represented by the lyrics "he's got me under fire," she finds herself unable to resist his desire. Despite initially resisting, she realizes that he has invaded her heart and she is totally under his influence.

The lyrics suggest that the woman's defences are lowered by the presence of champagne and as a result, the man is able to search her desire and open up her heart door higher. This shows the woman is caught between wanting to resist the man and also being under his power, hence the title 'under fire.' The song's chorus emphasizes this conflict between her desire and her reluctance to act on it. The lyrics show that the relationship is not necessarily a healthy one, and that it may not be wise to give in to another person's desires too easily.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm sentimental
I am emotional and sensitive

I've got a gentle lover
I have a kind and soft-hearted lover

Ever comin' my way
Always available to me

With continental experimental advances of love I obey
I follow the innovative and unfamiliar ways of love he approaches me with

With the champagne (goin' around) my defences (slowin' down)
Under the influence of champagne, my emotional guards are weakened

I'm under fire
I am in a vulnerable position

He's searchin' my desire
He is exploring and fulfilling my desires

Can't you see I'm under fire?
Don't you see I am susceptible?

Living his desire, open up my heart door higher
Granting his wish, I allow him to enter my heart even further

All men are sexy
All men are attractive

I never meant to come along and tear me apart
I didn't intend to become emotionally broken by falling in love