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".
No sense
Cat Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you remember
That night at context
Making up shit
Like we were animals
We made no sense
No sense
Can you see, can you see, can you see
Can you see, can you see, can you see
The moon is so hollow
What's the use
When I can see right through you
What's the use
All the hearts that touch your cheek
How they jump they move they embarrass
All the hearts that touch your cheek
How they jump they move they embarrass
They make no sense, no sense, no sense
No sense, we had no sex
The lyrics to Cat Power's song No Sense depict a night of making up stories and acting like wild animals, without any real purpose or meaning behind it. The repetition of "Do you remember" seems to convey a sense of nostalgia or longing for a moment that has been lost. The phrase "we made no sense, no sense" is repeated twice, emphasizing the lack of coherence or logic in their actions. The line "we had no sex" suggests that their night of craziness did not lead to any physical intimacy or connection.
The second half of the song shifts focus to the moon and the idea that it is hollow, which may be a metaphor for something else. The line "what's the use when I can see right through you" may indicate a sense of disillusionment or disappointment with someone who has been revealed as insincere or fake. The repeated phrase "all the hearts that touch your cheek, how they jump they move they embarrass" suggests that the person being addressed has a charismatic, captivating quality that causes others to act out of character. The song ends with the repeated phrase "they make no sense, no sense" once again emphasizing the idea of confusion or disorientation.
Overall, No Sense is a song about a fleeting moment of unpredictability and recklessness, but also hints at a deeper sense of dissatisfaction or disillusionment. The repetition of key phrases throughout the song reinforces the idea of searching for meaning or understanding in a situation that seems chaotic and nonsensical.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you remember
Asking if the listener remembers a past event
Do you remember
Repeating the previous line
That night at context
Referring to a specific night or event
Making up shit
Engaging in creative storytelling or fabrication
Like we were animals
Acting or behaving in an instinctual or primal manner
We made no sense
The behavior or actions were illogical or irrational
No sense
Repeating the previous line to emphasize lack of logic
We had no sex
Clarifying that sexual activity did not occur
Can you see, can you see, can you see
Asking if the listener can perceive something
Can you see, can you see, can you see
Repeating the previous line
The moon is so hollow
Describing the moon as lacking substance or depth
What's the use
Questioning the purpose or value of something
When I can see right through you
Implying that the listener is insincere or transparent
All the hearts that touch your cheek
Referring to other people's affection for the listener
How they jump they move they embarrass
Describing the intense, awkward emotions elicited by the listener
They make no sense
The feelings or reactions are illogical or irrational
No sense
Repeating the previous line to emphasize lack of logic
No sense, we had no sex
Repeating the chorus
Lyrics © BEGGARS MUSIC, LTD.
Written by: CHAN MARSHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@erinleigh2549
Do you remember
Do you remember
That night in context
Making up shit, like we were
Animals
We made no sense, no sense
We had no sex
Can you see, can you see, can you see
Can you see, can you see, can you see
The moon is so hollow, what's the use
When I can see right through you,
What's the use
All of the hearts that touch your cheek
How they jump, they move, they embarrass
All of the hearts that touch your cheek
How they jump, they move, they embarrass
They made no sense, no sense, no sense
No sense, we had no sex
@urbsinhorto
A high school friend and unreciprocated romantic interest was really into Cat Power and this album when it came out. We'd hang out and drive around with this on her van stereo and her blowing her Parliament smoke in all kinds of seductive ways next to me. Even though I was into all kinds of underground and indie stuff I feel like I was way too immature to appreciate an album and musician like this at the time. I was naive and she was so experienced - even jaded at such a young age. She scared the crap out of me. She moved after high school and we slowly lost touch. When I hear this music and this artist I think of her and I hope she is well. Good memories. Strange and slightly scary ones are in hindsight often the best kind.
@MsZoombye
i always come back to moonpix
@JinxedOut
One of my favourite albums at the moment, played this track too many times on spotify so I'm here out of desperation. This song mellows me out so much. Why can't I be Cat Powerrrr
@analeebefree
this song played at a very rough period in my life when I had ended things with a previous abusive ex. it got me through a rough time that I'm still managing to recover from. 2-3 years later.
@jamiwagner6649
me too. way back when abuse v
was excused and hush hush
@danthefan5378
Sorry & Healing to Anyone who went thru Abuse. From what i've read most of Moon Pix was written on a very emotinally rough night for Chan after a very bad dream.
@jowlorenz9555
real abuse is not being used at all ...
@tingting8052
It gets me through whenever im down
@laoh7215
you're so brave
@D0ST03VSKY
This is what emotions sound like when channeled through a sensible human being... As real as it gets.