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".
Manhattan
Cat Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People come and people go
All the friends that we used to know
Ain't coming back
Ain't coming back
Ain't coming back
Well see you got your secret on
You say hey and nothing to hide
You and secret life
Don't look at the moon tonight
You'll never be never be never be Manhattan
Don't look at the moon tonight
You can never be never be never be never be Manhattan
Your badge and your suitcase on
Your suit and your hair's not right
Cause nobody knows this woman by your side
It's not me you know, it's a useful woman by your side
It's not me you know, it's a useful woman by your side
Manhattan
See your heart has a rhythm
Well see you got your secret on
She say hey and nothing to hide
You and your secret life
Don't look at the moon tonight
You'll never be never be never be Manhattan
Don't look at the moon tonight
You can never be never be never be never be Manhattan
See your heart has a rhythm
You got your secret on
And you say you got nothing to hide
You, you, you and your secret life
You'll never be never be never be Manhattan
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
Even in a basement light
Free speech lipstick in the moonlight
?
Now we're in a dark back room
Dancing to a different tune
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
The song "Manhattan" by Cat Power is a beautiful and poetic representation of the bustling city of Manhattan. The song starts by describing the people coming and going on the street, and how the friends that they used to know are not coming back. The repetition of the line "Ain't coming back" emphasizes the fleeting nature of relationships and life in general. The lyrics also refer to the rhythm of the heart and how we all have our secrets that we try to hide from others.
The chorus warns against looking at the moon tonight because it symbolizes the unattainable nature of Manhattan. The singer is trying to warn herself and others not to romanticize the city too much as it will never be what we imagine it to be. The lyrics also refer to the idea of the singer being replaced by a "useful woman" in someone else's life. This could represent how people are often easily replaced in the city, and how we all have to adapt to the ever-changing environment.
Overall, the lyrics of "Manhattan" are a melancholic but honest representation of the city and how we all have to navigate our way through it.
Line by Line Meaning
The hotel above and the street below
The bustling city and its life are personified by the hotel above and the street below.
People come and people go
The city is transient, with people constantly leaving and arriving.
All the friends that we used to know
The singer reflects on how fleeting relationships can be in such a place.
Ain't coming back
The past is gone, and those friends aren't coming back.
Ain't coming back
The same sentiment is repeated, highlighting the finality of the situation.
Ain't coming back
The singer is resolute about the impossibility of change.
See your heart has a rhythm
The singer observes that the individual has his/her own innate rhythm.
Well see you got your secret on
The singer acknowledges that everyone has a secret.
You say hey and nothing to hide
The singer understands that others might pretend not to have any secrets.
You and secret life
The singer recognizes that each person retains a private life.
Don't look at the moon tonight
The moon represents a distant, unattainable ideal.
You'll never be never be never be Manhattan
The singer warns the listener that the city is teasingly elusive.
Don't look at the moon tonight
The singer repeats the warning, emphasizing the impossibility of achieving a certain ideal.
You can never be never be never be never be Manhattan
The singer reiterates the same underlying message, implying that the city is exclusive and unique.
Your badge and your suitcase on
The singer notes that the character is traveling.
Your suit and your hair's not right
The singer notices that the character is anxious about his/her appearance.
Cause nobody knows this woman by your side
The singer insinuates that the character is pretending to be someone else.
It's not me you know, it's a useful woman by your side
The singer asserts that she isn't the woman being referred to, but rather someone else.
It's not me you know, it's a useful woman by your side
The singer confirms her previous statement.
Manhattan
The chorus returns to emphasize that the song is ultimately about the city itself.
See your heart has a rhythm
The singer reminds the listener of his/her innate rhythm.
Well see you got your secret on
The singer reiterates the importance of personal secrets.
She say hey and nothing to hide
The singer uses a female pronoun this time to emphasize the universal nature of secrets.
You and your secret life
The singer once again highlights the private life that each person possesses.
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
The singer describes a chaotic and loud environment.
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
The same description of the environment is repeated, emphasizing its significance.
Even in a basement light
The setting is dark and dingy.
Free speech lipstick in the moonlight
The line is somewhat cryptic, but it might refer to the desire for personal expression or freedom within such a city.
?
The meaning of this line is uncertain.
Now we're in a dark back room
The singer continues to describe the surroundings.
Dancing to a different tune
The singer notes that the singers are separate from the chaos around them.
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
The same description of the environment is repeated, emphasizing its significance.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: CHAN MARSHALL, RAYKEEA WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yves5991
The hotel above and the street below
People come and people go
All the friends that we used to know
Ain't coming back
Ain't coming back
Ain't coming back
See your heart has a rhythm
Well see you got your secret on
You say hey and nothing to hide
You and secret life
Don't look at the moon tonight
You'll never be never be never be Manhattan
Don't look at the moon tonight
You can never be never be never be never be Manhattan
Your badge and your suitcase on
Your suit and your hair's not right
Cause nobody knows this woman by your side
It's not me you know, it's a useful woman by your side
It's not me you know, it's a useful woman by your side
Manhattan
See your heart has a rhythm
Well see you got your secret on
She say hey and nothing to hide
You and your secret life
Don't look at the moon tonight
You'll never be never be never be Manhattan
Don't look at the moon tonight
You can never be never be never be never be Manhattan
See your heart has a rhythm
You got your secret on
And you say you got nothing to hide
You, you, you and your secret life
You'll never be never be never be Manhattan
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
Even in a basement light
Free speech lipstick in the moonlight
?
Now we're in a dark back room
Dancing to a different tune
Hollerin' at me hollerin' at you
@g.97hughey94
Ciel Skyler what generation might that be?
People try to put us down
Talking bout my generation
Just because we get around
Talking bout my generation
Things they do look awfully cold
Hope I die before I get old
@arkhamparadise1319
This song is so underrated. But this makes me bizarrely happy because it feels like there is a little group here enjoying this intimately.
@deannasean4815
Here Here!
@kassandrakid9440
That is how cat power works. Not sure how old you are but back in the 90s when it was possible to see her live in a small venue, that was definitely the experience that almost everyone had. A lot of people were silent, still and crying. I don’t think that I’ve ever been to a show where people showed more respect. Everyone was kind of in awe.
@manderson9514
Makes you want to get up and dance! ❤️
@lilnut2388
@@deannasean4815 Listen to Jamison Faulkner - Way Back When‼️‼️
@Angelina-rq8vx
yes there is 😩😩
@stephpavone
Oh man...I had some seriously crazy times living in the east village in my twenties. I can’t go back to the city yet. I think my heart would break. Chan has this ability to manifest melancholy in this way like nobody else can...
@renatahelena9155
Where do u live now girl? Im curious..
@ryanmcfarland5060
I get it…I remember when this album came out. I was in Seattle with my ex and Chan was going off in new directions on Sun…she knows how to capture such raw emotion in a setting. still a underrated musician
@shelahstanford1091
Dash and Lily brought me here! Loving this song.