Kittie formed when Fallon Bowman and Mercedes Lander met in gym class. Morgan Lander became the lead vocalist and one of Kittie's guitarists and Tanya Candler completed the band's lineup on bass. After signing to NG Records, Kittie released their debut album 'Spit', which was certified gold by the RIAA and sold at least 600,000 copies in the United States. The band released 'Oracle' in 2001 and 'Until the End' in 2004. In 2005, Kittie parted ways with Artemis Records and created their own label. The band released 'Funeral for Yesterday' in 2007 and signed to E1 Music in 2009. The band released 'In the Black' in 2009 and 'I've Failed You' in 2011. In 2014, Kittie made a documentary as a 20th anniversary of the band.
In October 2016, it was announced that drummer/vocalist Mercedes Lander had started a new sludge/doom metal band called the White Swan that released the single "Illuminate". The debut EP, Anubis, was released on November 1, 2016.
On February 11, 2017, bassist Trish Doan died at the age of 31. Doan had moved to Australia in 2013 and had frequently used her social media accounts to speak of her frustrations with depression.
On August 30, 2017, the band announced that they would performing a three-set single concert on October 27, 2017, in their hometown of London, Ontario in the London Music Hall, featuring three different lineup variations made up of both current and former members.
The concert marked the launch of their 20-year anniversary documentary, and featured the return of Candler, Bowman, Phillips, Arroyo and Vujic to perform songs from their respective eras. The concert was released on DVD format on March 26, 2019. On March 30, 2018, the documentary Kittie: Origins/Evolutions, which was filmed prior to the reunion concert, was released on Blu-ray and DVD for the very first time. Like they did with reunion concert, Atfield and Marx declined to participate; according to Morgan Lander, Atfield was supportive of the documentary, appearing in the initial crowdfunding pitch video, but "didn’t think it was the right move for her" to appear. Packaged with the movie was a CD featuring a collection of live performances by the band. Several months later, it was announced that Lander had joined the melodic death metal band, Karkaos, as their new lead singer. In October 2020, Mercedes Lander stated that it was unlikely that Kittie would reunite to perform again without a significant financial offer and the ability to include all of the band's former members. Like her sister, she also stated that she found it difficult to go forward with the band without Doan.
Despite the previous doubts of the Lander sisters, it was announced in January 2022 that Kittie would reunite to perform on all three days of the When We Were Young festival, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 22, 23, and 29, with Vujic returning to the band on bass for all three dates. After the announcement of the October performances, the band were added to the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia on September 8, 2022. Morgan Lander has stated that, although nothing is set in stone, she believes the band will continue performing in 2023.
Paperdoll
Kittie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder why she won't burn
She's just a paperdoll
That's all
Just a paperdoll
I dress her up
I dress her up, she knocks me down (x2)
They try her on for size, she fits nice, one size fits all (x2)
Now her body's raw
You can numb her pain
Watch the blood run down her face, but don't take notice
& watch the blood run down her arms, please don't take notice
I know you have her soul, & I see it in your eyes
She knows you have her soul, & she sees it in your eyes
Now her soul is dead
Now her body's raw
Wash away her pain
She wants you to ease her pain
She wants you to eat her remains
In Kittie's song "Paperdoll," the lyrics portray a woman as a fragile piece of paper, easily dressed up and manipulated. The singer sings about how she dresses up the paperdoll, only to be knocked down by her. Others try her on for size and she fits the mold of "one size fits all." However, as the song progresses, it becomes evident that the paperdoll is no longer just a plaything but a tortured soul. Her body and soul are broken, and she seeks an end to her suffering, begging someone to "eat her remains" to ease her pain. The singer knows that the person who can do this is present, and she sees the possession of the paperdoll's soul in their eyes.
The song highlights the issue of objectification of women and how they are often made to fit societal ideals without considering their own thoughts and feelings. The paperdoll's deterioration represents how some women are pushed into fitting into molds that ultimately end up damaging them both physically and psychologically. The lyrics show how the pain is invisible to the observer and even when it becomes so pervasive that it's visible, the society still turns a blind eye to it.
Line by Line Meaning
I look at her in that paper dress
Observing a person, most likely a female, wearing a paper dress.
I wonder why she won't burn
Questioning why the person being observed hasn't caught fire.
She's just a paperdoll
The person being observed is not real, just a paper doll.
That's all
Emphasizing the fact that the person observed is no more than a paper doll.
I dress her up
Dressing up the paper doll with different clothes.
I dress her up, she knocks me down (x2)
After dressing up the paper doll, the observer is knocked down emotionally.
They try her on for size, she fits nice, one size fits all (x2)
Others try the paper doll on for size and it appears to fit well, emphasizing its non-uniqueness.
Now her soul is dead
The paper doll has lost its spirit or essence.
Now her body's raw
The paper doll's physical appearance is now disfigured or deteriorating.
You can numb her pain
It's possible to provide relief to the paper doll, but not a true solution.
Watch the blood run down her face, but don't take notice
Ignoring the consequences of the paper doll's suffering.
& watch the blood run down her arms, please don't take notice
Continuing to ignore the harmful effects of the paper doll's distress.
I know you have her soul, & I see it in your eyes
The observer acknowledges that someone else has taken the paper doll's essence.
She knows you have her soul, & she sees it in your eyes
The paper doll is fully aware of the lack of soul or essence it possesses and recognizes someone else as having it.
Wash away her pain
Stopping the paper doll's pain and suffering completely.
She wants you to ease her pain
The paper doll yearns for relief from its suffering.
She wants you to eat her remains
The paper doll wants to be destroyed completely as a means of ending its torment.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: FALLON BOWMAN, MERCEDES LANDER, MORGAN LANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind