Chan Marshall has said that she wrote this song upon waking up with a really bad hangover.
For a detailed discussion see the entry on Rap Genius:
http://rapgenius.com/Cat-power-369-lyrics
369
Cat Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel tired
Awake all night
Heads so heavy like a waste basket
I feel choke
Emotionally broke
Everything comes around still at the night
I feel alone
I want out
I want on my own
I want everything I own
I find letters, pictures
Memories of which I can't seem to let go
In your bedside table in your pocket in your wallet
You'll know
Abusive
A stranger in bed
Elusive
Forget everything you said
You've got the right to have that hand on your own
But the moment you hit it you're on your own
You already took over
Want now you want to hit the road
In love like a steamboat running on 'need to float'
I don't need 5 times a day
To tell me to go
3 6 9
You drink wine
Monkey on your back you feel just fine
Free
Free, everything you ever wanted
Fuck me
The lyrics to Cat Power's song "369" seem to describe the emotional turmoil of a toxic relationship. The singer in the song is exhausted and emotionally drained, unable to sleep and weighed down by heavy thoughts. They feel alone and trapped, desiring to be free and have everything they own, including their independence.
The lines about finding letters, pictures, and memories that they can't let go of suggest that the relationship is over, but the singer is still struggling with letting go of the past. The partner in the relationship is described as abusive, a stranger in bed, and elusive. The singer acknowledges that the partner has the right to be alone, but once they become violent, they're on their own. The final lines of the song are ambiguous, but they seem to suggest that the partner is trying to leave the singer and the relationship, but the singer doesn't need to be told five times a day to go.
Overall, the song is a raw and powerful depiction of a relationship that has gone wrong. It captures the hopelessness, pain, and confusion that often accompany toxic relationships and highlights the difficulties of moving on from them.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel
Starting off expressing sadness through a vague statement.
I feel tired
The sadness has escalated to exhaustion.
Awake all night
The exhaustion is causing the singer to struggle with sleep.
Heads so heavy like a waste basket
Expressing how extreme the exhaustion is making them feel.
I feel choke
Continuing to express a sense of suffocation.
Emotionally broke
The singer is reaching a point of emotional collapse.
Everything comes around still at the night
The singer is struggling to escape their thoughts and anxieties.
I feel alone
The artist is now also feeling isolated.
I want out
The artist wants to escape their current situation.
I want on my own
They want independence and autonomy.
I want everything I own
They want to claim everything that is theirs.
I find letters, pictures
Shifting the focus to an explorative act.
Memories of which I can't seem to let go
The singer is struggling to move on from past memories.
In your bedside table in your pocket in your wallet
The memories are tied to a specific person and the singer knows exactly where to find them.
You'll know
The person the memories are linked to will understand what they represent.
Abusive
A sudden shift to a more negative description and emotive word choice.
A stranger in bed
Describing the person who was linked to the memories as a stranger now.
Elusive
Describing them as hard to pin down and understand.
Forget everything you said
The singer has reached a point where they no longer trust the person associated with the memories.
You've got the right to have that hand on your own
The person is allowed to make their own choices and the artist acknowledges that.
But the moment you hit it you're on your own
However, their actions have consequences and they will have to deal with the aftermath alone.
You already took over
The person has exerted power over the artist in some way.
Want now you want to hit the road
The singer no longer wants them around.
In love like a steamboat running on 'need to float'
Describing the intensity and recklessness of the relationship.
I don't need 5 times a day
Expressing the singer's independence and self-reliance.
To tell me to go
They don't need someone constantly pushing them and telling them what to do.
3 6 9
A nonsensical phrase that represents the singer's detachment from reality.
You drink wine
Another person's habitual activity.
Monkey on your back you feel just fine
Despite the habit, they still feel okay with their life.
Free
Expressing a strong desire for freedom and liberation.
Free, everything you ever wanted
There is a sense that freedom would bring happiness.
Fuck me
An exclamation of frustration or anger towards the current situation.
Lyrics © BEGGARS MUSIC, LTD.
Written by: CHAN MARSHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on He-War
i love the cats