Prior to The Tops Frankie released an EP “outside.now.” and appeared on several independent compilations from Australia and Germany. “Pocketknife”, her debut album was released in Europe and Australia in mid 2007. Second single "Serves You Right For Using Violence" repeated the national radio play of The Tops.
Frankie also features in BerlinSong, a music documentary made by Uli Schueppel about songwriters in Berlin. The film premiered at the 2007 Berlinale Film Festival.
She consistently tours Europe and makes frequent visits back to Australia to tour and is playing the 2008/09 Falls Festival.
Her new album, "The Dance of a Stranger Heart" will be released in Germany, Switzerland and Austria on 3rd September 2010. An Australian release and tour is in planning for early 2011.
Death Of Me
Kat Frankie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you came along
When
Mother never more
Then death is out
I took the knife
I took the knife
Wrote a cross upon my heart
And sing like here
Held the ash
Till it caught upon the wind
It came for
Like a curse
From the cold I handed things
When you came along
When you came along
See
I believed in fate and fortune
I took the rope
I took the rope
And right here
Yielded it like a bird in hand
And fearful lost
To the hours
Where I come to call a thing
And if tears wet my eyes
On the sacramental stain
Another whisper comes before the psi
Before the low weight I
You'll be the death of me
I took the match
I took the match
And he said
My intentions into light
And file and swing
To the spark of a chorus crushing in
And when our flame dies
How will I get to make a wish
Another whisper comes before the psi
Before the low weight I
You'll be the death of me
You'll be the death of me
You'll be the death of me
The lyrics of Kat Frankie’s “Death of Me” are haunting and cryptic, reflecting the anguish and desperation of a protagonist who seems to be at the end of her tether. The song weaves together vivid images of death and destruction, all couched in poetic and metaphoric language. The opening lines, “When you came along, mother never more, then death is out” are enigmatic, suggesting a sense of liberation that comes with the arrival of a new persona, perhaps a lover or a friend. The next verse, “I took the knife and right here, wrote a cross upon my heart and sing like here,” is equally cryptic, invoking the image of a self-inflicted wound, which seems to be both an act of repentance and defiance. The verse that follows, “Held the ash till it caught upon the wind, it came for like a curse from the cold I handed things,” is equally haunting, suggesting a sense of finality and acceptance of fate.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the line “You’ll be the death of me,” echoes the sense of fatalism and resignation that permeates the entire song. The following verse, “I took the rope and right here, yielded it like a bird in hand and fearful lost to the hours where I come to call a thing,” seems to suggest that the singer is surrendering to her fate and is prepared to let go of her life. However, the song is not entirely despairing. The lines, “And if tears wet my eyes, on the sacramental stain, another whisper comes before the psi before the low weight I” suggest a glimmer of hope, perhaps hinting at the possibility of a spiritual or transcendental experience that could help the singer find redemption and forgiveness.
Line by Line Meaning
When you came along
The beginning of the troubles and chaos.
Mother never more
The feeling of being lost or abandoned.
Then death is out
The absence of hope, or a feeling of doom.
I took the knife
The act of self-harm or self-destruction.
Wrote a cross upon my heart
The attempt to heal or cleanse oneself spiritually.
And sing like here
An expression of the pain or sorrow that one is feeling.
Held the ash
The remnants of something that has been destroyed or lost.
Till it caught upon the wind
Letting go of the past and moving on.
It came for
The consequences of one's actions catching up to them.
Like a curse
The feeling of a heavy burden or punishment.
From the cold I handed things
The feeling of betrayal or abandonment by someone close.
See
The realization of the truth or reality of a situation.
I believed in fate and fortune
The hope or belief in a better future or destiny.
I took the rope
The act of giving up or feeling trapped.
Yielded it like a bird in hand
The surrendering of one's will or power to someone else.
And fearful lost
The feeling of being overwhelmed or helpless.
To the hours
The passage of time and the inevitability of change.
Where I come to call a thing
The attempt to understand or make sense of something.
And if tears wet my eyes
The emotional pain and suffering that one is experiencing.
On the sacramental stain
The feeling of guilt or remorse for one's actions.
Another whisper comes before the psi
The realization that one is not alone in their struggles.
Before the low weight I
The feeling of being weighed down or burdened by life.
You'll be the death of me
The fear or belief that someone or something will lead to one's downfall.
I took the match
The desire or attempt to ignite change or passion.
And he said
The start of a dialogue or conversation with another person.
My intentions into light
The act of revealing one's true desires or feelings.
And file and swing
The unyielding persistence or drive to achieve a goal.
To the spark of a chorus crushing in
The feeling of motivation or inspiration arising in the midst of chaos.
And when our flame dies
The end of a relationship or passion.
How will I get to make a wish
The inability to hold onto hope or dreams without someone or something else.
Contributed by Joseph H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Elizabeth Valverde
on People
this is ART