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".
Naked If I Want To
Cat Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Naked if I want to
Can I fly fireworks on the fourth of every single July
Can I buy an amplifier on time
My sweet time
And I got no money
I will pay this time
I will pay you before I die.
And would you let me walk down your street
Naked if we all wanted to
Can I fly fireworks on the fourth of every single July
Can I fly an aeroplane way up high in all the sky
And I got no mercy
I will pay this time
And I got no mercy
I will pay you before I die.
The lyrics of Cat Power's "Naked If I Want To" appear to be an exploration of personal freedom and a reflection on society's norms and expectations. The repeated question, "Would you let me walk down your street naked if I want to?" suggests a desire to break free from societal conventions that dictate what is appropriate and acceptable behavior. The song appears to be a plea for acceptance and understanding, an appeal to be given the space and freedom to be oneself, even if it means stepping outside accepted norms.
The subsequent questions about fireworks and plane-flying similarly suggest an impulse to break free from restrictions. The singer of the song wants to know if they can indulge these desires without judgment or punishment. The refrain "And I got no money, I will pay this time" might suggest that the singer has been judged or punished in the past for their desires, and they want to make it clear that they are willing to pay any price to be themselves.
Overall, the lyrics of "Naked If I Want To" seem to be a bold declaration of individualism and a desire to break free from society's constraints. By highlighting the desire to do things that are outside of social norms, the song challenges listeners to question what they consider to be acceptable behavior and to think about the ways that society might limit personal freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you let me walk down your street
Am I allowed to behave freely and unconventionally in your space?
Naked if I want to
Can I express myself without any restrictions, even if it means being vulnerable?
Can I fly fireworks on the fourth of every single July
Am I permitted to celebrate joyfully and loudly on a regular basis?
Can I buy an amplifier on time
Is it acceptable for me to indulge in my passions, even if I can't afford them upfront?
My sweet time
I will take my time and be patient in achieving my goals.
And I got no money
I am currently struggling financially.
I will pay this time
I understand the value of prioritizing and committing to my responsibilities, especially when it comes to debts.
And I got no money
I am still facing financial difficulties despite my efforts to be responsible.
I will pay you before I die.
I will make sure I fulfill my obligations, even if it takes me a long time to do so.
And would you let me walk down your street
Are you willing to accept and tolerate my unconventional behavior?
Naked if we all wanted to
Can we all express ourselves freely and unconventionally in your space?
Can I fly an aeroplane way up high in all the sky
Am I allowed to dream big and pursue my wildest aspirations?
And I got no mercy
I am facing hardships and difficulties, and there is no escape from them.
I will pay this time
I accept the consequences of my actions and I am willing to make amends.
And I got no mercy
I am continuing to face the consequences of my actions.
I will pay you before I die.
I am determined to make things right and fulfill my obligations.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JERRY A. MILLER JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
xg1027
Oh, god. This is beautiful!
Italo Medeiros
na edição de que país essa música entra no jukebox?
Tania
fuckin beautiful!
Adrienne Gravens
finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SuperSenhorAnonimo
É MENTIRA ELE SÓ QUER TE COMER D:
Anna Ibañez
É TUDO A MESMA PESSOA, AFE ZÉ PORRA ATÉ AQUI? AOSIDUHOASIUDHOAISUDHOASIUDHOAISUDHOAISUDHOAISUDHOASIUDHOASIUDHOASIUHDOASIUHDOAISUDHOASIUDHOASIDUHOASIUDHOASIUDHAOSIUDHAOSIUDHAOSIUHDAOSIUDHOAISUDHAOSIUDHAOSIUDHOAISUDHOAISUDHOASIUDHOASIUDHAOSIUDHOASIUDH VOU MOSTRAR PRA ELA EIN
Arthur Fernandes
ninaum te amo
kKakak kaakakka
fukin LOVE u Chan
Nina
TAMBÉM TINHAMU
Jesse Irwin
Does the piano ruin this for anyone else? It's like olives with vanilla ice cream.