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".
King Rides By
Cat Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And space for your past.
Like a little novel,
I wanted to read again and again,
Would I be in your novel,
Would I begin and end in it.
And space for your little boy eyes,
Could you really believe,
I certainly dare you,
I do not want to scare you,
Anymore.
Oh what a fuss when the king rides by,
Oh what a fuss when the king rides,
Straight through my heart,
Straight through my life.
I need your love more than you'd ever know.
If I kissed and touched your hand,
A million things I will never understand,
Oh what a fuss when the king trades in,
Oh what a fuss when the king trades.
Oh love, my love, for someone else's hand,
Needing love more than you'll ever know.
You don't miss your water,
You don't miss your water,
'Till your well is gone.
In the song "King Rides By" by Cat Power, the singer muses about the passing of time and the memories that come with it. She wonders if time had a place and space for her past, like a novel she could read again and again, would she be a part of someone else's narrative. There is a sense of longing and uncertainty as the singer wonders about the significance of her presence in someone else's life.
The chorus is a powerful statement, "Oh what a fuss when the king rides by, straight through my heart, straight through my life." It's a metaphor for the way one person can come into your life and leave an indelible mark on your being, regardless of whether or not they stay. The repetition of "needing love more than you'll ever know" adds a poignancy to the song - the need for love is a universal human experience, yet it can be so difficult to express and receive it.
The ending of the song highlights the importance of taking things for granted. "You don't miss your water, 'till your well is gone" is a proverbial expression that means you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. It adds to the sense of longing in the song, as the singer realizes that the love she needs may not be there when she needs it most.
Overall, "King Rides By" is a powerful and emotional song that touches on themes of love, loss, and the passing of time.
Line by Line Meaning
If time had a place,
If it were possible to put time somewhere,
And space for your past.
And a physical location to contain your memories of the past.
Like a little novel,
Just like a small book,
I wanted to read again and again,
I wish to read it repeatedly,
Would I be in your novel,
Would I be a part of your story,
Would I begin and end in it.
Would my life start and end in this story.
If I had a place,
If I had a special location,
And space for your little boy eyes,
If I had room to store memories of your childhood gaze,
Could you really believe,
Would you be able to trust me,
I certainly dare you,
I challenge you,
I do not want to scare you,
I don't mean to frighten you,
Anymore.
Ever again.
Oh what a fuss when the king rides by,
What chaos and attention when the king appears,
Oh what a fuss when the king rides,
When the king is traveling,
Straight through my heart,
He goes directly into my heart,
Straight through my life.
And affects my whole existence.
I need your love more than you'd ever know.
I require your affection more than you can recognize.
If I kissed and touched your hand,
If I kissed and grasped your hand,
A million things I will never understand,
Many things I won't ever comprehend,
Oh what a fuss when the king trades in,
What an uproar when the king makes a transaction,
Oh what a fuss when the king trades.
What chaos when the king makes a deal.
Oh love, my love, for someone else's hand,
My affection, for another's possession,
Needing love more than you'll ever know.
Desperately requiring love more than you'll ever understand.
You don't miss your water,
You don't realize the value of something,
You don't miss your water,
You don't realize the value of something,
'Till your well is gone.
Until it dries up or runs out.
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP
Written by: MARSHALL, CAT POWER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vivixalkioti791
If time had a place
And space for your past
Like a little novel
You wanted to read again and again
Would I be in your novel?
Would I begin and end in it?
If I had a place
And space for your little boy eyes
Could you really believe?
I certainly dare you
I do not want to scare you
Anymore
Oh, what a fuss when the king rides by
Oh, what a fuss when the king rides
Straight through my heart
Straight through my life
Need your love more than you'll ever know
A light kiss, the touch of your hand
A million things I will never understand
Oh, what a fuss when the king trades in
Oh, what a fuss when the king trades
All of my love
For someone else's hand
Need your love more than you'll ever know
You don't miss your water
You don't miss your water
'Til your well is gone
@juniorpereira200
still remember being the only one in the crowd singing along to this version at her gig in Brazil in 2013.
she saw that and pointed at me and i'm forever blessed.
@margaritamaximova4556
amazing
@maximoplf
Na época ela ainda era gatinha, né?
@alavro15
Beautiful
@eyong001
How does one find and download or purchase this version? Ive been looking everywhere
@LemonScissors
This is one of my all time favourite songs. I have such relaxing intimate moments alone with myself when i sit to listen to it.
@jlnamron
Great sound, Chan. I have become totally obsessed with this version of "King Rides By!"
@bugivuginaprugi
Who is Chan?
@fauller7141
Música foda do caralho! Toda vez que escuto essa música é como morrer um pouco, com um tiro bem no coração.
@linekill
Woahh.. Cat Power and Manny... Two of the greatest personalities in their areas..