She was r… Read Full Bio ↴Catie Curtis (born 1965) is an American singer-songwriter.
She was raised in the small city of Saco, Maine, and played her first performances there. She was originally a drummer, but later changed instruments to acoustic guitar.
After leaving Saco, she went to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. While at college, she became involved in the local coffeehouse circuit. At the same time, Curtis worked as a waitress and social worker while continuing to write and perform.
She moved to Boston, Massachusetts in the early 1990s, after deciding to make a career out of music. She and her partner are married and have two adopted daughters.
Curtis has toured extensively in North America in support of her albums, including playing at several festivals, such as the Newport Folk Festival. She has also supported, among others, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dar Williams, Girlyman and Bonnie Raitt. She also played on the final Lilith Fair tour.
Her songs have featured in Alias, Dawson's Creek, Felicity and Chicago Hope, as well as in several independent films. She won the Best Album Award from the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards for her self-titled 1997 album. In 2006, she and Mark Erelli won the Grand Prize in the International Songwriting Competition for their song People Look Around, a song written in response to the hurricane Katrina disaster.
A film documentary on Curtis, entitled Tangled Stories, has been directed by Robert Millis. An interview with her is also featured on his current affairs program, American Microphone.
Silhouette
Catie Curtis Lyrics
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You watch me pretending that I am really looking out
You say, "Come here, I can't see you in this light"
But I'm much safer beside the moon tonight
'Cause when I am a silhouette
I have no fear, I can love you from here
When I am a silhouette
Don't come too close or you'll see my edges rough
And you'll make me wonder if I will be enough
You make me worry that somehow you will see
There is always something small and trembling in me
But when I am a silhouette
I have no fear, I can love you from here
When I am a silhouette
I can give myself to you and you'd never see through, never through
No place to hide in your single bed, no look of mine that you haven't read
Always been an easy read just once I want to be a mystery
So though you tell me that it will be all right
I'm much safer beside the moon tonight
'Cause when I am a silhouette
I have no fear, I can love you from here
When I am a silhouette
I can give myself to you and you'd never see through, never through
The song Silhouette by Catie Curtis is a bittersweet and introspective ballad that delves into the complexities of relationships and the need for distance and privacy sometimes. The opening lines "Watch me at the window from your place on the couch, You watch me pretending that I am really looking out" sets the mood for the rest of the song. The singer is feeling vulnerable and exposed, and she knows that her partner is watching her, but she wants to maintain some distance from him. She feels much safer "beside the moon tonight," hidden in the shadows, where she can love him without fear.
As the song progresses, the singer admits that she's afraid of being seen up close because her edges are rough, and she worries that she won't be enough for him. She's afraid that he'll discover something small and trembling in her that she can't hide. However, when she's a silhouette, she can love him freely without fear or worry. There's a sense of longing and yearning in the song, as the singer wishes for the chance to be a mystery to her partner, just once.
The chorus repeats the sentiment that when she's a silhouette, she can love him without fear, and she can give herself to him without him seeing through her. The song ends with the singer admitting that there's "no place to hide" in her partner's bed, and that he's always been able to read her easily. Yet, she still wants to maintain some distance and safety, even though he reassures her that everything will be alright. It's a poignant and relatable song that captures the complexities of human emotions and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Watch me at the window from your place on the couch
I know you're there, watching me, but I'm pretending to look outside while secretly observing you while you stay put on the couch.
You watch me pretending that I am really looking out
I'm making it seem like I'm more interested in what's happening outside, but in truth, I'm fixated on you.
You say, "Come here, I can't see you in this light"
You're trying to get me to move closer so you can see me better, but I'd rather stay where I am in the shadows.
But I'm much safer beside the moon tonight
I'm staying in the dark where I feel protected because I'm afraid of being exposed.
'Cause when I am a silhouette
When I'm in the shadows, hidden and indistinct.
I have no fear, I can love you from here
When I'm a silhouette, I'm not scared to express my love for you, partly because I'm not in a position that would make me feel vulnerable.
I can give myself to you and you'd never see through, never through
When I'm just a shape, you're not able to read my emotions like you can when you look directly into my face, so I can allow myself to be more open with you.
Don't come too close or you'll see my edges rough
If you get too near me, you'll start seeing my imperfections that I'm trying to conceal.
And you'll make me wonder if I will be enough
Once you see all my flaws, I fear you'll decide I'm not enough for you.
You make me worry that somehow you will see
I'm anxious that you'll notice some of my flaws or concerns.
There is always something small and trembling in me
There's always a part of me that's nervous or jittery.
No place to hide in your single bed, no look of mine that you haven't read
When we're in your bed, there's nowhere for me to hide because I'm completely exposed to you. Additionally, you're able to read my every facial expression, so it's hard for me to keep my emotions hidden.
Always been an easy read just once I want to be a mystery
I'm usually an open book to you, but sometimes I wish I could be enigmatic and less predictable.
So though you tell me that it will be all right
Even though you say everything will be okay,
I'm much safer beside the moon tonight
I'm still going to stay in the shadows because it feels safer to me.
'Cause when I am a silhouette
Once again, when I'm in the dark and nondescript
I have no fear, I can love you from here
In this state, I'm not frightened to love you, and in some ways it makes loving you easier because I'm not as self-conscious.
When I am a silhouette
Being in the obscure, shadowy area.
I can give myself to you and you'd never see through, never through
Here, it's easier for me to be vulnerable with you because you won't be able to see through me as easily.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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