The child of research scientists and born in Barbados, Flint was raised in Aberdeen. At the age of 18 she moved to Edinburgh to study, where she joined the city's acoustic scene and formed the band Gingergreen. She was an original member of the Edinburgh Sound Collective and also spent six months singing and playing percussion with folk group Scuff. In 2004 she moved to London.
Debut release The Secret Boy’s Club was recorded in a living room on a shoestring, with an ear for a good tune, a mischievous sense of fun and an ever-expanding arsenal of playschool instruments (and cardboard boxes), it’s a slice of the good, old-fashioned lyrical wrapped in the home-made whimsical.
Flint was the winner of the inaugural New Lyric Award, presented by Ray Davies and Channel 4’s Ideasfactory, and spent March 2006 touring with Rough Trade’s folk darlings Cara Dillon and Sam (“brother-of-Seth”) Lakeman, playing 16 dates across the UK as chief tour support.
She released singles, 'Go Faster Stripes' (December 2007) and 'Christopher, You're A Soldier Now' (April 2008), which preceded her debut album Dirty Birds, which was released on the 15th of September, 2008 (after a limited edition run that was hand-produced by Flint in mid-2007).
In 2009, Flint formed the band Shipwreckers for live shows, featuring two members of London indie-rock band Revere – Nicholas Hirst (guitar; piano; accordion; percussion) and Kathleen McKie (cello) – and her former bandmate Andrew Thompson (bass; vocals; percussion).
http://www.myspace.com/katflint
Dirty Birds
Kat Flint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kept in a cage to save us all
And I walked the long way home
Down all the streets we never go down
We never go down
He must've been ten years old
Pressed to the steamy window
Watching the Soho girls perform
The girls perform
And you are on the other side of the city that I cross at night
On a sequin trail of red, red lights
I'll be watching all the dirty birds
In flight
In flight
This is the secret life
This is where TV came to die
And here is where sex is sold
Twenty pound notes are passed and rolled
They're passed and rolled
They cover the walls in flowers
To muffle the drinkers after hours
I kicked the curb right there
Cities are sordid love affairs
Are love affairs
And you are on the other side of the waters that we'll swim at night
And it's not quite home yet
But that's alright
I'll be watching all the dirty birds
In flight
In flight
I will grow my wings and fly away from here, I will
I will grow my wings and I will fly away from here
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
From here, we will
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
From here, we will
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
From here, we will
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
From here, we will
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
From here, we will
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
From here, we will
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
From here, we will
The song "Dirty Birds" by Kat Flint tells the story of a person wandering through the streets of a city filled with secrets and hidden desires. The opening lyrics mention boys with a basketball being kept in a cage to save everyone. This could be a metaphor for keeping something innocent and pure caged in, safe from the dangers and temptations of the outside world. As the person walks the long way home, they describe the streets they never go down, perhaps suggesting that they are exploring places that are new and unknown to them.
The second verse tells the story of a young boy watching the "Soho girls" perform, possibly referring to the red light district where sex and entertainment are sold for money. The chorus repeats the phrase "dirty birds in flight," suggesting that the people living in this city are like birds flying around, indulging in their secret desires and living their unconventional lives.
The following verses describe the sordid love affairs and the flower-covered walls that muffle the sound of the drunken revelers. The final verse talks about growing wings and flying away, perhaps suggesting that the singer wants to escape this world and find their own freedom.
The song has a dreamy, melancholic quality to it, accentuated by the haunting vocals and sparse instrumentation. It paints a vivid picture of a gritty, nocturnal cityscape filled with secrets and scandal.
Line by Line Meaning
Boys with a basketball
Young boys playing with a basketball
Kept in a cage to save us all
The boys are kept confined for safety reasons
And I walked the long way home
The singer takes a different route home from usual
Down all the streets we never go down
The artist explores unfamiliar parts of town
He must've been ten years old
A young boy observed by the artist
Pressed to the steamy window
The boy is looking through a steamy window
This is where dreams are born
The boy is looking at a place that inspires dreams
Watching the Soho girls perform
The boy is watching a performance by girls in Soho
And you are on the other side of the city that I cross at night
The artist's love interest lives on the other side of the city
On a sequin trail of red, red lights
The way to the love interest is marked by bright, flashy lights
I'll be watching all the dirty birds
The singer will be observing questionable activities
In flight
The artist will be observing people going about their questionable activities
This is the secret life
The activities observed by the singer are kept hidden from mainstream society
This is where TV came to die
The environment is not considered suitable for mainstream entertainment
And here is where sex is sold
The location is known for providing sexual services
Twenty pound notes are passed and rolled
Money is exchanged in a quick and discreet manner
They're passed and rolled
Money is exchanged quickly to avoid attention
They cover the walls in flowers
Flowers are placed on the walls to dampen sounds
To muffle the drinkers after hours
The flowers are meant to reduce noise from the patrons after closing time
I kicked the curb right there
The artist is physically present in the location
Cities are sordid love affairs
Living in the city can be a volatile and passionate experience
And you are on the other side of the waters that we'll swim at night
The love interest is across the water, accessible by swimming at night
And it's not quite home yet
The singer doesn't feel fully comfortable in the current location
But that's alright
The artist is ok with this feeling of discomfort
I will grow my wings and fly away from here, I will
The singer plans to take control of their life and leave the current location
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here, we will
The singer is possibly talking to others who share their desire to leave
From here, we will
The group will leave from this location
We will grow our wings and we will fly away from here
The group will take control of their lives and leave the current location
Contributed by Skyler G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gregg mudhuwiwa
such a great album and artist
gregg mudhuwiwa
@Kirstin Kennedy it's such a stunning album which I'm still listening to after more than a decade too.
Thanks Kat and any new music would be appreciated.
Kirstin Kennedy
Please, please Kat Flint make a new album. This has been one of my favorites for over a decade and I would be over-the-damn-moon if you could give us more.
Calum Ross
Thanks for uploading this Pedro, I have the album but it's super handy being able to find it on YouTube
Liam Ross
Ain't that the truth.