Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer/songwriter originally from Sydney,… Read Full Bio ↴Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer/songwriter originally from Sydney, New South Wales; later moving to Hobart, Tasmania[/placeform] where she began performing music in 2006 before relocating to Melbourne in 2010.

Barnett puts a lot of effort into sounding effortless. Her songs are wild and wooly and wordy, her lyrics plainspoken and delivered like she’s making them up on the spot.

Barnett was originally a part of several bands, including Immigrant Union and The Olivettes before focusing on her solo work. In 2012, Barnett started her own record label, Milk! Records, and recorded her debut EP I've Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris in a friend's lounge room and released it later that year. Late 2012 also saw the release of a new single, "History Eraser," which was backed with Jen Cloher's "Mount Beauty" for a split seven-inch release.

In 2013, Barnett released her second EP, How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose. Along with "History Eraser," the EP spawned a second single, "Avant Gardener." Her second EP received international acclaim, taking her and the band, Dave Mudie (drums), Bones Sloane (bass) and Dan Luscombe (guitar) all around the world.

Barnett would later combine those two EP releases into one for The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, which was released internationally on 20 May 2013 via House Anxiety/Marathon Artists. It was named the album of the week by Stereogum.

Barnett's debut LP, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, was released in 2015 to widespread acclaim. At the 2015 ARIA Music Awards, she won four awards from eight nominations. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards and International Female Solo Artist at the 2016 Brit Awards.

In 2017, she released Lotta Sea Lice, a collaborative album with Kurt Vile.

Barnett's second album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, was released in 2018.

Porcelain
Courtney Barnett Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I found you at the store, pretty as porcelain
You are worth so much more, than what you're going for
Don't let them handle you, you better start praying
That ain't no way to be, I got a colour TV

I'll listen a thousand times, you can repeat yourself
If it helps clear your mind, it's just another night
Call me when you are done, I'll count my tickets up

No need to feel so low, you're just as low as you could go

Overall Meaning

The song Porcelain by Courtney Barnett is interpreted as a social commentary on the commodification of women in mass consumer culture. The first verse speaks of finding a woman as pretty as porcelain in a store, a reference to the objectification of women in the marketplace. The singer acknowledges the value of the woman, stating that she is worth much more than what she is going for. This line could be interpreted as an implicit critique of capitalist culture and how it reduces women to monetary values.

The next lines highlight the idea of women being treated as objects by society. The singer croons, “Don't let them handle you, you better start praying / That ain't no way to be, I got a colour TV.” This can be interpreted as advice to the woman to not let herself be controlled by society and to start praying, possibly to find the strength to resist the urge to conform. The line about the color TV could be a subtle suggestion that the woman can also break away from the mainstream and not feel pressured to conform to societal norms.

The chorus of the song offers a comforting presence, the singer is ready to listen to the woman's problems and will not judge her. The idea of counting tickets up can also be another reference to commodification, where the singer reminds the woman that she too is a valued commodity in society and shouldn't feel low for being sold as such. It's a powerful message delivered through the simple lyrics of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I found you at the store, pretty as porcelain
I stumbled upon you in the store, your beauty resembling the delicacy of porcelain

You are worth so much more, than what you're going for
You possess a value far greater than what others may see at first glance

Don't let them handle you, you better start praying
Don't let others control or manipulate you, you should take control of your own fate

That ain't no way to be, I got a colour TV
Being subservient to others is not ideal, and I possess luxuries that show independence

I'll listen a thousand times, you can repeat yourself
I am willing to hear you out multiple times, even if you have to reiterate your thoughts

If it helps clear your mind, it's just another night
If it aids in easing your thoughts, it's just another ordinary night

Call me when you are done, I'll count my tickets up
Contact me when you are finished, I will be counting my achievements or successes

No need to feel so low, you're just as low as you could go
There is no reason to feel down as you have already reached rock bottom and can only move upwards

Contributed by Jasmine G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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