Clark joined Sufjan Stevens' touring band in 2006, bringing with her a tour EP entitled Paris Is Burning. It contains three tracks, including a cover version of Jackson Browne's These Days.
Clark released her début album, Marry Me, 10 July 2007 on Beggars Banquet Records. Named after a line from the cult-hit television show Arrested Development, the LP features appearances from drummer Brian Teasley (Man or Astro-man?, The Polyphonic Spree), Mike Garson (David Bowie's longtime pianist), and horn player Louis Schwadron (The Polyphonic Spree).
In 2008 Clark was nominated for three PLUG Independent Music Awards: New Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year, and on 6 March 2008, she won the Female Artist of the Year award.
Her second album for 4AD, entitled Actor, was released on 5 May 2009. It was written entirely by Clark and produced by Clark and John Congleton of The Paper Chase.
The Strange Mercy Songfacts reports that Clark wrote her third album in Seattle. She decamped to the Northwestern city to escape from the information overload she was experiencing at home and recorded Strange Mercy in a studio provided by Death Cab For Cutie drummer Jason McGerr. The album was released by 4AD on September 12, 2011 and peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200, making it her first Top 20 LP.
2) A pseudonym of singer-songwriter Vincent Bernardy, who has written and recorded music since 1980. see also St. Vincent Folk
3) A singer/songwriter from Victoria, Australia.
Cruel
St. Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forgive the kids, for they don't know how to live
Run the alleys casually cruel
Cruel, oh
Bodies, can't you see what everybody wants from you?
For you could want that, too
They could take or leave you
So they took you, and they left you
How could they be casually cruel?
Cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
Bodies, can't you see what everybody wants from you?
If you could want that too, then you'll be happy
You were the one waving flares in the air so they could see you
And they were a zephyr, blowing past ya
Blowing fastly so they can't see ya
Cruel, cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
The lyrics to St. Vincent's song "Cruel" are about being used, specifically in the context of how someone's physical body can be used and objectified by others. The verses address the bodies themselves, asking if they can see what everyone wants from them. The chorus then turns towards the people who use and abuse those bodies, with the lyrics directing them to "forgive the kids" because they don't know how to live, and describing them as "casually cruel." The bridge makes a plea for understanding, with the repeated lyrics "If you could want that too, then you'll be happy."
It's important to note that there's a tension within the lyrics between wanting to be desired and being objectified. The idea that "If you could want that too, then you'll be happy" implies that there's some level of happiness that comes from being desired, but the repeated refrain of "casually cruel" highlights the danger and harm that can come from being viewed as nothing more than a body for others to use. Ultimately, the lyrics ask listeners to consider the ways in which they view other people's bodies and to push against the objectification that can lead to cruelty.
Line by Line Meaning
Bodies, can't you see what everybody wants from you?
People want something from you, can't you see that?
Forgive the kids, for they don't know how to live
Kids are ignorant, they don't know what they're doing
Run the alleys casually cruel
Being cruel is just a part of everyday life for some people
Cruel, oh
Being cruel is the norm
For you could want that, too
Maybe you also want what people want from you
They could take or leave you
People are indifferent to you
So they took you, and they left you
They took what they wanted and abandoned you
How could they be casually cruel?
How can people be so cruel without a care in the world?
Cruel, cruel, oh
Being cruel is pervasive
You were the one waving flares in the air so they could see you
You were trying to be noticed, to stand out
And they were a zephyr, blowing past ya
They were fleeting, insignificant
Blowing fastly so they can't see ya
Moving quickly so as to avoid you
Cruel, cruel, oh
Being cruel is insidious
Cruel, cruel, oh
Being cruel is ubiquitous
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Anne Clark
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind