Upon moving to New York, Katie decided to forgo University in order to pursue her art and music full-time. Since self-releasing her first album at 17, Katie has performed, composed, co-produced, and collaborated on many records. Katie's artistry has continued to evolve with every new release, while always staying true to her classic songwriting, authentic musicality, raw emotion, and honest lyrics.
Katie's discography includes: 2 full-length albums (Kaleidoscope Machine, Lamplight); 3 EPs (The City In Me, Follow Your Every Beat, Impossible Things); various Singles, and most recently, New World. Stay tuned for her coming release. Katie's music is available in Digitial and Audio CD format on iTunes + KCM STORE. Katie is also a contributing songwriter on many other artist's projects.
Katie has been featured by Vogue, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, BlackBook, Paste, Billboard, KCRW and more. Her music can be heard in many television shows and films such as: Private Practice, Pretty Little Liars, Switched At Birth, Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, 90210, Home and Away, Rookie Blue, Brooklyn Brothers Beat The Best, Craigslist Joe, and more...
When she's not writing, recording, and performing, she's practicing yoga and meditation at Bodhisattva Yoga in Park Slope, Brooklyn - which keeps her looking, feeling, and creating at her best. She teaches a class there - Virya (Basics II) - on Saturdays.
As both an Independent Artist and Yoga Instructor, her passion to share her music and budding yoga instruction is in wish to help others on their journey to rock self-love, health, fulfillment and rebel-hearted freedom.
Congratulations
Katie Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His future′s oh so bright, at least it looks like
The pretty girl holds her picture in hand
Gives it to the man as she recites her lines
Why does there exist a need to be somebody do something
Whose origins are from that box we all know too well?
What made us thinl that being happy came from a piece of paper that said Congrulations, Congratulations
The man in the green wears a name tag
Out of fear they′ll mispronounce "Larry"
The woman in the fur coat wears her lipstick strong
Mascara stained eyes hidden
Why does there exist a need to be somebody do something
Whose origins are from that box we all know too well?
What I need is to be okay with being nobody knowing it'd be alright
What made us thinl that being happy came from a piece of paper that said Congrulations, Congratulations
Being happy doesn't mean being somebody
Take away the impulse to our portrait framed
Might as well just sign me up for a fancy tomb
With my name engraved, my name engraved
What I need is to be okay with being nobody knowing it′d be alright
What made us thinl that being happy came from a piece of paper that said Congrulations, Congratulations
What I need is to be okay with being nobody knowing it′d be alright
What made us thinl that being happy came from a piece of paper that said Congrulations, Congratulations
In “Congratulations,” Katie Costello vividly illustrates the pressure society puts on individuals to achieve success and to have their achievements recognized through the conferral of tangible awards. The first verse describes a graduation ceremony in which a boy in a gown becomes a man and a pretty girl hands her picture to the man who will advance her with her graduation speech. The lyrics then poignantly question why people feel the need to conform to society's standards of success, which are reinforced by a figurative box that defines success through diplomas and awards. The repeated chorus reiterates the message that true happiness should come from being comfortable with oneself without needing external validation.
The second verse further personifies these societal expectations by depicting a man in a green name tag worried that his name will be mispronounced and a woman in a fur coat wearing strong lipstick to mask the fact that she has been crying. The lyrics emphasize that society is not just pressuring individuals to succeed, but to present themselves successfully as well. The bridge then brings the song's themes to a sobering end, focusing on the inevitability of death and how it renders all achievements immaterial. The lyrics question why we put so much value into a piece of paper that congratulates us on our successes and leaves the larger pursuit of happiness as an afterthought.
Line by Line Meaning
The boy in the gown today became a man
A young person has grown up and taken on the responsibilities and expectations of adulthood.
His future′s oh so bright, at least it looks like
The future appears promising or positive, but appearances can be deceiving.
The pretty girl holds her picture in hand
The girl is holding a representation of herself, likely an image or photo.
Gives it to the man as she recites her lines
She hands over her image while reciting scripted words or phrases.
Why does there exist a need to be somebody do something
Why is there a societal pressure to achieve something and be someone of importance or recognition?
Whose origins are from that box we all know too well?
What is the source of this pressure and expectation? It is a commonly understood or known element of society.
What I need is to be okay with being nobody knowing it'd be alright
The singer desires to be comfortable with being an unknown or unremarkable person, and feels that it would be acceptable or satisfactory.
What made us thinl that being happy came from a piece of paper that said Congrulations, Congratulations
Why do we think that happiness is dependent on achieving a specific goal or receiving recognition, as symbolized by a certificate or note saying congratulations?
The man in the green wears a name tag
The man is identified by a tag displaying his name, likely because he lacks significant identification or recognition otherwise.
Out of fear they′ll mispronounce "Larry"
The man is afraid that others will not know his name or may mispronounce it, leading to further discomfort and embarrassment.
The woman in the fur coat wears her lipstick strong
The woman is making a bold or assertive statement with her makeup, possibly as a means of standing out or appearing more memorable or confident.
Mascara stained eyes hidden
The woman attempts to conceal her vulnerability or emotional state, despite the visible signs of tears or other distress on her face.
Being happy doesn't mean being somebody
Happiness does not require achieving fame, accolades, or notoriety. It can be found in simple, unremarkable moments or people.
Take away the impulse to our portrait framed
Get rid of the desire to have our image or likeness prominently displayed or recognized.
Might as well just sign me up for a fancy tomb
The singer suggests that pursuing fame or recognition is pointless or meaningless in the grand scheme of things, and compares it to having a grandiose grave or burial site.
With my name engraved, my name engraved
The artist repeats the phrase, emphasizing the futility and emptiness of obsessing over recognition or identification in such a way.
Contributed by Miles F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.