She grew up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, studied in Washington, D.C., and finally relocated to Los Angeles, where she started seriously writing her own songs. Her first album, Catherine Feeny was produced by fellow singer/songwriter Joe Purdy and was released in the UK in January 2003. Shortly later, she met producer Sebastian Rogers who then produced her second album: Hurricane Glass, which was released in the UK in June 2006. It includes the single Mr Blue which features in the 2006 film Running With Scissors, starring Annette Bening and Gwyneth Paltrow and based on the Augusten Burroughs book of the same name. For several years she lived in Norwich before moving to Oregon in 2008, where her third album, entitled People in the Hole, was recorded and made available to fans at www.catherinefeeny.com. She also released the album "Remember where you are" as part of the group Come Gather Round Us.
She was originally signed to UK indie Tallgrass Records before signing to EMI in 2007. She is published by Warner-Chappell.
She has toured with Hal, Aberfeldy, Martha Wainwright, Dr. John, John Prine, Suzanne Vega, and The Hotel Cafe Tour. She has accompanied Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics on the "Only The Names Have Been Changed" tour.
Her passion for music was evident early on. She sang as a child, took classical voice lessons and played both the piano and the violin. It wasn't until she started singing in bands as a teenager that the guitar became her instrument of choice. "I took it up because I could play songs that I loved right away. In fact, I stole my Dad's guitar when I started playing."
Influenced by a variety of genres and artists including Joni Mitchell, The Smiths, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth and Sinead O'Connor, Catherine's musical tastes have clearly encouraged her own creative style. "I've always loved a well-written song," she comments. "When I'm in the zone, writing is the most satisfying thing in the world. It can be so magical."
Album highlights include the heart-on-sleeve opening track Touch Back Down, the Lucinda Williams-esque Hurricane Glass, the politically weighted Unsteady Ground and Mr Blue with its immaculate pop streak.
"It's a struggle for me to be honest sometimes because I like to please people, but I think I'm pretty honest with myself. It's strange when you encounter people who aren't. That 'disconnect' inspired Touch Back Down. Unsteady Ground is about the crap the government and the media were feeding us before we attacked Iraq, while the title track 'Hurricane Glass' is about the death that comes before a rebirth."
"Performing live is something I work very hard at. There are many distractions to the little creative voice that whispers in my ear and makes me who I am as an artist, but I enjoy rising to a challenge - it let's you know you're alive."
Radar
Catherine Feeny Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess I never told you
You're smiling
I've been steady pulling for you
To make amends
With all the friends who told you
That selling out was wrong
I didn't mean to hurt you
You're easy
If need be I'll send someone a-searching
Nevermind your heart
Nevermind your soul
You're a rainbow
The spaceman, spaceman
Spends his time a-racing
Chasing stardust
A million miles away
And when his air runs out
He'll have turn around
He'll fall all the way down
To the ground
You can leave me
In orbit
Til I'm nothing more than
The one the radars lost
The one the radars lost
The one the radars lost
On the ground
Together, together
We're so very clever
Flip nickels, the weather
It rains in the fountain
I guess you never knew
There's someone like you
Around every single corner
And I'm so fucking bored
You can leave me in orbit
Til I'm nothing more than
The one the radars lost
The one the radars lost
The one the radars lost
On the ground
Goodbye now, goodbye now
Go ahead and close your eyes now
You're frozen from skating too far out on the ice
When someone pushed you down
There was no one else around
No one to pick you up
From icy waters
Please bring me down
Please bring me down
Please
In "Radar," Catherine Feeny sings about a feeling of being lost and directionless. The song begins with the chorus of "Magnolia," repeating the name and attempting to reach out to whomever it is directed to. She sings about wanting to make amends with those friends who may have discouraged or opposed her decisions, particularly those that may have led to "selling out." The use of the name "Roberta" further emphasizes this theme, as it is often associated with the idea of conformity or fitting in. However, the next line, "you're easy," shows that Catherine Feeny is not interested in following the crowd and may even find it unfulfilling.
The song then shifts to the persona of the "spaceman," who is chasing after stardust and ultimately falls back down to earth. This seems to represent the idea of chasing after something big and seemingly unattainable, only to eventually come crashing down. The repeating chorus of "the one the radars lost" also evokes a sense of being lost and unrecognized.
The final section of the song returns to the sense of being lost and looking for direction. The line "Please bring me down" shows a desire to be grounded and find one's place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Magnolia, Magnolia,
Addressing someone named Magnolia
I guess I never told you
Admitting to not having expressed something before
You're smiling
Noticing that Magnolia is happy
I've been steady pulling for you
Offering support to Magnolia
To make amends
Trying to reconcile with someone
With all the friends who told you
Referring to others who have given advice/opinions before
That selling out was wrong
Implying that selling out is a negative action or choice
Roberta, Roberta,
Addressing someone named Roberta
I didn't mean to hurt you
Expressing regret for causing pain
You're easy
Identifying that Roberta can be manipulated or influenced
If need be I'll send someone a-searching
Offering to help Roberta find someone or something
Nevermind your heart
Ignoring or dismissing Roberta's feelings
Nevermind your soul
Disregarding or not valuing Roberta's inner being
You're a rainbow
Comparing Roberta to something colorful or happy
The spaceman, spaceman
Introducing a character named 'spaceman'
Spends his time a-racing
Describing what the spaceman does
Chasing stardust
Pursuing something intangible or unreachable
A million miles away
Illustrating the distance between the spaceman and his goal
And when his air runs out
Anticipating a potential obstacle the spaceman may face
He'll have turn around
Suggesting the spaceman may have to change course or give up
He'll fall all the way down
Imagining a possible outcome of the spaceman's journey
To the ground
The location of the spaceman's potential 'fall'
You can leave me
Offering to be left behind
In orbit
Using space terminology to express distance or isolation
Til I'm nothing more than
Accepting the possibility of being forgotten or overlooked
The one the radars lost
Describing oneself as insignificant or unimportant
On the ground
Returning to Earth or reality
Together, together
Identifying a group of people
We're so very clever
Praising the group's intelligence or ability
Flip nickels, the weather
Describing mundane things that the group does
It rains in the fountain
Pointing out something unusual or unexpected
I guess you never knew
Making an observation about someone's lack of knowledge
There's someone like you
Acknowledging that there are others similar to someone
Around every single corner
Implying that similar people can be found easily or commonly
And I'm so fucking bored
Expressing dissatisfaction or frustration
Goodbye now, goodbye now
Saying farewell
Go ahead and close your eyes now
Nonchalantly instructing someone to do something
You're frozen from skating too far out on the ice
Describing a predicament or problem someone is in
When someone pushed you down
Pointing out an action taken against the person in the predicament
There was no one else around
Emphasizing the lack of support or assistance for the person
No one to pick you up
Highlighting the consequences of not having help
From icy waters
The location of the problem or predicament
Please bring me down
Requesting help or relief
Please bring me down
Repeating the request for emphasis
Please
Making the request more polite or urgent
Contributed by Julian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.