After dropping out of high school, Marshall started performing under the name Cat Power, while in Atlanta, backed by musicians Glen Thrasher, Mark Moore, and others. She soon moved to New York City, New York, United States in 1992, then later opening for Liz Phair in 1994, she met Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar, who encouraged her to record, and played on her first two albums, 1995's Dear Sir and 1996's Myra Lee. In 1996 she was signed to Matador Records, and released her third album, What Would the Community Think, which spawned a single and music video, "Nude as the News".
Shortly following the release of What Would the Community Think Marshall disappeared from the musical scene, initially working as a baby sitter in Portland, Oregon and then moving to a farmhouse in Prosperity, South Carolina with boyfriend Bill Callahan (who performs under the name Smog). The plan was to permanently retire from music but during a sleepless night resulting from a nightmare, Marshall wrote several new songs. These songs would make up the bulk of Moon Pix. The album was recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne in eleven days with backing musicians Mick Turner and Jim White of the Dirty Three. The album was well-received by critics, and gained her recognition in the indie rock scene. However, during the subsequent tours she grew tired of her own material. This resulted in a series of shows during 1999 involving Marshall providing musical accompaniment to a series of screenings of the silent movie The Passion of Joan of Arc. The shows combined original material and many covers, many of which would later see release on The Covers Record, a collection of cover songs recorded at various sessions in 1998 and 1999. A selection of covers that didn't make it on to the album were recorded at Peel Acres, home of the highly influential and legendary British DJ John Peel. The session was broadcast on his BBC Radio 1 show and featured Marshall's own interpretations of Bob Dylan's "Hard Times in New York Town" amongst others.
In 2003 she resumed releasing original material with You Are Free, a diverse and critically acclaimed album that featured guest musicians such as Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, and the Dirty Three's Warren Ellis.
2004 saw the release of Speaking for Trees, a critically polarizing DVD which featured a single two-hour static shot of Marshall performing in a woodland. It was accompanied by an audio CD containing the 18-minute song "Willie Deadwilder", which featured M. Ward on guitar. 2005 found Cat Power out on the road again, touring the world and playing sold-out solo shows, including an Australian tour supporting Nick Cave. The shows largely consisted of material for her next album.
Cat Power's seventh record, The Greatest, was released in January, 2006. This was not a "Greatest Hits" record but rather a collaboration with Al Green's guitarist Teenie Hodges and many other well-known R&B musicians. A tour followed in the fall of 2006.
Early in 2006, Marshall announced the cancellation of her upcoming United States tour, citing "health-related issues". A few days later, Matador announced the cancellation of her two shows in London and Paris. She resumed touring in April 2006, playing some of the most well received shows of her career both with the Memphis Rhythm Band and as a solo performer.
In 2007, she played live music for the spring/ summer Chanel Haute Couture collection in Paris and appeared in Wong Kar Wai's film My Blueberry Nights as Katya. Also in 2007, she became the first female ever to win the Shortlist Music Prize when The Greatest was voted album of the year in June. Earlier in the year she was nominated in the Best International Female category at the annual Brit Awards, alongside more mainstream artists like Christina Aguilera and Nelly Furtado.
On January 22, 2008, Cat Power released a second collection of covers called Jukebox--her eighth LP overall. It included versions of songs by artists such as Hank Williams, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Patsy Cline and Janis Joplin.
Since then, she has released an EP called "The Dark End of the Street" on vinyl, only.
Cat Power released her first original song since 2008 just before Christmas 2011 when an MP3 of "King Rides By" was made available on her official site, in exchange for a donation of at least $0.99 to the Festival of Children Foundation and the Ali Forney Center charities. (King Rides By Songfacts).
In 2012, Cat Power released her 9th studio album, Sun which received generally positive reviews from critics. The album was included in several year-end lists by music critics and publications. Rolling Stone magazine, in their list of the "50 Best Albums of 2012", ranked it at sixteenth place, writing "the idea of the brilliantly morose Chan Marshall making a dance-rock record is almost absurd. Yet the groove-powered Sun is a perfect fit." The A.V. Club placed the album at number twenty-two on their list of the "Best Albums of 2012." Billboard also placed the album at number nine in their list of the "10 Best Albums of 2012."The L.A. Times and Filter magazine both placed the album at number six in their lists of the best albums of 2012. Sun was also included on two separate "Best Music of 2012" lists compiled by NPR, appearing at number five on the list compiled by Bob Boilen,while topping the list compiled by Robin Hilton. The album was also listed twenty-eighth on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012. Thus, becoming Cat Power's most successful original album.
In April 2015, Marshall announced that she recently had a baby.
In February 2016, Marshall had to cancel her New Zealand shows due to health reasons. According to an official press release, this is the first time in Marshall's 18-year touring history she has been forced to postpone, but is "determined to make it back ASAP, and in good health".
It Ain't Fair
Cat Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All around me
But I don't even
Have a friend
Lord knows
I been trying
And he knows
I just can't win
Yeah
Seems to turn
Out wrong
Sometimes
I wish now
That I never
Been born
Whoa
Nobody
Nobody cares
Nobody cares
Baby
You know
I've had my share
Just ain't fair
(Just ain't fair)
Just ain't fair
(Just ain't fair)
Some folks
Got it easy
They live
The life of love
And play
Lord knows
I got
To struggle now
Trying
To make my way
Yeah
I'm walking all day
I'm gonna
Reach the town
I believe
I hope
I can make it yeah
Beacuse my feet
Ain't gonna
Let me stop
Talking about
Jesus
Nobody
Nobody cares
Nobody cares
Baby
I've had my share
Just ain't fair
Just ain't fair
It just ain't fair
It just ain't fair
It just ain't fair
I've had my share
Cat Power's song "It Ain't Fair" is a melancholic ballad that speaks to the feeling of isolation in the midst of a crowded world. The opening lyrics, "People all around me, but I don't even have a friend," paint a picture of a person who is surrounded by others, yet feels completely alone. The repetition of "Lord knows" throughout the song suggests that the singer is reaching out to a higher power for help or solace, but is struggling to find comfort there as well.
The theme of struggle continues throughout the song, as the singer expresses frustration with their lot in life. "Everything I do seems to turn out wrong" suggests a sense of futility or hopelessness in the face of setbacks. The line "Sometimes I wish now that I never been born" is a bleak acknowledgement of the deep despair that can accompany a persistent feeling of failure.
The second half of the song turns from self-reflection to a commentary on the unfairness of life. The lyrics "Some folks got it easy, they live the life of love and play" suggest a resentment towards those who seem to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. The singer acknowledges the need to struggle in order to get by, but also expresses a longing for someone to care about them: "Just ain't fair, nobody cares, baby I've had my share."
Overall, "It Ain't Fair" is a powerful meditation on the feeling of loneliness and the sense of injustice that can accompany a difficult life. Its sparse, mournful instrumentation and plaintive vocals complement the mood of the lyrics perfectly, making for a haunting and moving listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
People
The song starts with the loneliness that surrounds the singer, even in the presence of others.
All around me
The singer is physically surrounded by people but has no emotional connection with them.
But I don't even
She feels isolated and excluded from everyone else and doesn't have a companion.
Have a friend
Although she has people around her, there is no one who knows her or truly cares about her.
Lord knows
The singer is very much aware of her situation and has tried to change it but without success.
I been trying
The singer has been putting in effort into finding companionship and support.
And he knows
The singer believes that God is watching over her and knows about her struggles.
I just can't win
Despite her efforts, the singer feels like she's constantly losing the battle of life.
Everything I do
The singer feels like no matter what she does, it never quite works out in her favor.
Yeah
The singer is expressing a sense of frustration with her life and the world around her.
Seems to turn
The singer feels that her life has a pattern of negative outcomes.
Out wrong
The singer feels like her life is moving in an unwanted direction.
Sometimes
The singer admits that she has moments of extreme despair and hopelessness.
I wish now
The singer is expressing regret for having been born and feels like her life has no meaning.
That I never
The singer is desperate to escape the pain and difficulties of her life.
Been born
The singer feels like her existence is pointless and has caused her nothing but pain.
Whoa
The singer is expressing emotional turmoil and anguish.
Nobody
The singer feels like she lacks any sort of meaningful support or love from those around her.
Nobody cares
The singer feels like those around her are indifferent to her pain and struggles.
Baby
The singer is using a term of endearment to make the statement more emotional.
You know
The singer is invoking empathy from the listener as she expresses her pain.
I've had my share
The singer is acknowledging that she has experienced a significant amount of pain in her life.
Just ain't fair
The singer is expressing a sense of injustice about her situation.
(Just ain't fair)
The singer repeats the line to emphasize the sense of injustice and unfairness of life.
Some folks
The singer acknowledges that some people seem to have an easier life than she does.
Got it easy
The singer believes that some people have a comparatively effortless life.
They live
The singer is implying that some people are privileged and have a life of comfort.
The life of love
The singer is implying that some people have the benefits and joys of love in their life.
And play
The singer is conveying the idea that some people get to enjoy life and its pleasures.
Lord knows
The singer reiterates her belief in God and His presence in her life.
I got
The singer is acknowledging that she has a difficult life and has to work hard to sustain it.
To struggle now
The singer is acknowledging that she has to work hard to survive and make a living.
Trying
The singer is implying that despite the difficulty of her life, she is still working hard to better it.
To make my way
The singer is expressing the hope and determination to make a better life for herself.
Yeah
The singer is expressing a sense of doubt about her future and whether she can improve her life.
I'm walking all day
The singer is conveying how tiring and exhausting her daily routine is.
I'm gonna
The singer is expressing determination and a willingness to push through her difficulties.
Reach the town
The singer is motivated to reach a goal or destination that will bring her happiness or change her life positively.
I believe
The singer is conveying that she has faith and hope for her future.
I hope
The singer is expressing a desire and wish for a better life.
I can make it yeah
The singer is trying to reassure herself that she will overcome her difficulties and achieve her goals.
Because my feet
The singer is using a metaphor for her willpower, determination, and endurance.
Ain't gonna
The singer is expressing a sense of defiance and courage in the face of adversity.
Let me stop
The singer is determined to keep going and push through her difficulties, no matter what.
Talking about
The singer is declaring that she will keep spreading the message of God and hope, regardless of her struggles.
Jesus
The singer is expressing her relationship with God and how it keeps her going through difficult times.
It just ain't fair
The singer repeats the line to emphasize the sense of injustice and unfairness of life.
I've had my share
The singer is acknowledging that she has experienced a significant amount of pain in her life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on He-War
i love the cats