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
Fearsome Crowd
Kat Flint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the shoulders of the strangers on the trains that map out every working week
And the streets run red with buses and blood from the fights that break out between friends
In a sea of eyes that look but never smile we're heading home
So we can all be alone
Oh, won't you fight the fearsome crowd?
I am waiting for you
To be brand new
Well, the end could hide inside a bag that looks just like the one I took to school
I was weighed down with the words and pregnant with potential
But I could never be cool
I could appease the fearsome crowd
But then I didn't need to
I was a child and I had better things to do
I was brand new
I was brand new
Ba dada
We don't go out, we just give in
We close our eyes
But in this fight will you be on my side tonight?
Tonight
Well, he said his bones would be the shrapnel piercing through the skin of modern life
And we blinked and sighed and all got back in line
The bones had severed city veins like a knife
They couldn't sow the fearsome crowd
We've all got too much work to do
But I hope that we can learn to be brand new
To be brand new
To be brand new
Kat Flint's song "Fearsome Crowd" speaks to the feeling of being overwhelmed and lost in a big city. In the first verse, Flint describes a city where the people are disconnected and unhappy despite their material success. The crowd is "fearsome" because it is a mass of people who are all pushing and shoving to get ahead, but nobody is really happy. The chorus cuts through this description by asking the listener to "fight the fearsome crowd" and to start anew. Flint is waiting for someone to make that change, and this change is not small, it involves being "brand new".
In the second verse, Flint describes her own experience of feeling weighed down and pregnant with potential. She was never cool but she had better things to do than try and change for the fearsome crowd. Flint describes the idea that the end could be hiding in a bag, but she is not sure what that end would even be. The last few lines of the song, Flint describes a man who says his bones will be the shrapnel that pierces through the skin of modern life. The image is violent and shocking. It suggests that the man will do something drastic to make a change, but the fearsome crowd ignores him and just gets back in line.
Overall, "Fearsome Crowd" is a song that speaks to anyone who has ever felt isolated, overwhelmed, or disconnected in a big city. It's a call to action to start anew, and to not be afraid to make changes that might seem scary or drastic. The fearsome crowd might be everywhere, but that doesn't mean we have to be a part of it.
Line by Line Meaning
In a city where the drunks are dressed in suits worth twice my rent, they fall asleep
The city is filled with well-dressed drunks who can afford to spend that much money, while the less fortunate people barely survive, and are left to watch in disappointment.
On the shoulders of the strangers on the trains that map out every working week
The strangers' shoulders serve as a pillow for the drunken ones, which represent how the strangers carry the burdens of the city and have become used to the routine of an ordinary life.
And the streets run red with buses and blood from the fights that break out between friends
The city has become so hostile that even friends choose to fight, showing how negativity has taken sway over everything.
In a sea of eyes that look but never smile we're heading home
People return home, tired and hopeless, with no sense of joy, trapped up in a sea of monotony.
So we can all be alone
At the end of the day, people choose to be by themselves, even if they are not happy-like this is a comfortable choice.
Oh, won't you fight the fearsome crowd?
The song is an appeal for help to stand up to the negativity that pervades the city and threaten people's happiness - won't you fight to make this place better?
I am waiting for you
The singer is waiting for someone to appear who can take up that task.
And I hope that we're allowed to be brand new
Hopefully things can change for the better and we can make a fresh start-like a brand new.
Well, the end could hide inside a bag that looks just like the one I took to school
The end is nearby, and it could be hidden or even disguised in something unassuming to reveal its reality.
I was weighed down with the words and pregnant with potential
The artist is clever and full of potential, but is burdened by the weight of knowledge (either others' or personal). They still have yet to achieve greatness.
But I could never be cool
Even with his talent, or knowledge and potential, they felt, they could never be cool (or fit in with the norm).
I could appease the fearsome crowd
Despite its attitude, the artist could comply with the fearsome crown.
But then I didn't need to
The singer realized there were better things for that potential than seeking the praise of the fearsome crowd.
I was a child and I had better things to do
When they were younger, the singer had more important things to focus on, but as we grow up, we start to prioritize other things in life.
Ba dada
This is a filler line, having no specific meaning to it.
We don't go out, we just give in
Instead of standing up and taking control of their lives, people choose to give in to the negativity and not venture outside their comfort zones.
We close our eyes
Sometimes, we just need a break from everything to recharge ourselves.
But in this fight will you be on my side tonight?
Despite it all, the singer is still fighting and looking for help in the fight against the negativity in the city. They are asking for someone to join their crusade for betterment.
Tonight
This line adds emphasis to the previous line and helps the listener understand the urgency of the situation.
Well, he said his bones would be the shrapnel piercing through the skin of modern life
'He' represents a person who refuses to give in and believes his bones (tenacity) can help pierce through the negativity and make a change.
And we blinked and sighed and all got back in line
The people who followed 'him' are tired and have lost hope, they have given up, and returned to their mundane routine.
The bones had severed city veins like a knife
Despite failing to make a change, the attempt left a mark on the city-a sign that there was hope.
They couldn't sow the fearsome crowd
'They' signifies the attempt to bring change, but it failed in succeeding in convincing the fearsome crowd to change how they perceive the world around them.
We've all got too much work to do
People remain restrained, occupied with daily work and struggling to make ends meet, they barely get the time to devote themselves to a noble cause.
But I hope that we can learn to be brand new
Even still, the singer is hopeful that people can take a break from their otherwise dreary lives to make a fresh start - just like a new beginning.
To be brand new
This line is a repetition of the previous line, reiterating the concept and the singer's hopes for change.
Contributed by Avery L. 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.