McKay is hard to categorize. She’s done Brecht on Broadway, opened for Lou Reed at Carnegie Hall, sung Woody Allen movie songs at the Hollywood Bowl, performed on A Prairie Home Companion, duetted with Eartha Kitt and Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, played Hilary Swank’s sister on the big screen, paid tribute to Doris Day, and released four wildly acclaimed albums of original music.
Her music is as tuneful and clever as the best of the Great American Songbook-part cabaret, part sparkly pop. But beneath the charming melodic surface is a wit that cuts, and a sharply tuned social conscience.
Home Sweet Mobile Home is McKay’s first album of all-original material since 2007′s Obligatory Villagers, and features the musical wanderlust, lyrical playfulness and unique point of view that has characterized her music since her breakthrough debut Get Away From Me. Songs from the new project were recently debuted at her NYC engagement at Feinstein’s, and The New York Post noted that “songs like ‘Bodega’ and ‘Caribbean Time’… feature a blend of whimsical humor and social commentary that blended in beautifully alongside the Doris Day standards from the Blueberry Pie album.”
The album, produced by McKay and Robin Pappas, was recorded in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, New York, Jamaica, the Pocono Mountains, and even more than her previous albums, combines diverse musical moods and cultures. Reviewing a recent McKay show, Stephen Holden from The New York Times described her as a “vocal chameleon,” and that varied musical palette is used to great effect on the 13 songs of Home Sweet Mobile Home.
Nellie began playing her own songs (and lovingly chosen covers) in clubs in downtown New York City in 2003, soon catching the attention of music writers and a number of record labels – this gal was a gifted entertainer, an impressive musician, with songs unlike anything people were hearing around town.
Her first album was produced by Geoff Emerick, the man who had engineered The Beatles’ albums from Revolver through Abbey Road. McKay signed on as co-producer.
She and Emerick recorded eighteen songs (including such live McKay favorites as “David,” “The Dog Song” and “I Wanna Get Married,” and that double-CD Get Away From Me was let loose upon the world. The project was greeted with critical raves and placement on many Top 10 lists.
The Washington Post wrote, “McKay’s music evokes the lost elegance of pre-Elvis pop music because she recognizes that such stylishness and wit are worth pursuing. But those goals inevitably collide with the realities of money, sex and politics, and she documents those collisions in her tongue-in-cheek lyrics, emphatic beats and bubbly melodies.”
Following the splash of Get Away From Me, Nellie recorded Pretty Little Head, of which the Los Angeles Times said, “McKay comes on as a Harlem Holly Golightly, a social activist with a disarming mastery of pop vernacular.” Spin noted, “that she succeeds on a record as sophisticated as the self-produced Pretty Little Head is not only a testament to McKay’s talent, it’s also a tribute to her artistic sense.”
In 2007, she recorded Obligatory Villagers, described by Spin as “a brisk nine-song set that plays like the breathless first act of a stage musical decrying American fascism.” Recently, the Chase Brock Experience premiered a ballet, Whoa, Nellie!, based on the entire album.
Meanwhile, Broadway and Hollywood beckoned. McKay appeared on Broadway (winning a Theatre World Award for her Polly in a revival of The Threepenny Opera) and on film (acting and singing in P.S. I Love You). She also wrote and performed the song score for the Rob Reiner film Rumor Has It. In addition, her writing has appeared in The Onion, Interview magazine, and The New York Times Book Review, where she delivered an incisive and knowledgeable review of a Doris Day biography.
“What she possessed,” McKay wrote, “beyond her beauty, physical grace, and natural acting ability, was a resplendent voice that conveyed enormous warmth and feeling.”
It seemed inevitable that Nellie should record an album of songs associated with Ms. Day, and she was given the opportunity to do so when approached by Verve Records. The result features 12 songs handpicked from over 600 recordings by Ms. Day, with an original by McKay. Hailed as “among the killer overhauls of American standards” (The New York Times), Normal As Blueberry Pie covers the scope of Day’s music from the big bands through the McCarthy era. The album wound up on a variety of Top 10 lists of 2009′s best albums, including The New York Times and The Village Voice.
McKay completed filming her first starring role, opposite violin prodigy Philippe Quint, in the independent film Downtown Express; recorded (along with Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks) for the soundtrack of the upcoming Martin Scorsese HBO series Boardwalk Empire; and contributed two songs to the award-winning documentary Gasland. She is currently participating in Dear New Orleans, a benefit album to aid the ravaged city, along with such artists as Jill Sobule, My Morning Jacket, and OK GO.
Home Sweet Mobile Home arrives three years after her last self-composed album, and as ever her songs are a study in contrasts: some of the moods are dark (“we’re marching through the madness / with not a soul about to see / we’re moving through the fortress / chasin’ the ghost of anarchy” and “there’s no equality here / there’s no equality anywhere / & every fear you can face / is quickly replaced by one you can’t lose”), but there is also joy and gentleness. Sometimes all at once. Her gift is in mingling the pure pleasure of all kinds and all eras of pop music, twisting the dials, writing upbeat melodies with subversive undercurrents.
As critic Robert Christgau wrote, Nellie McKay is “ebullient, funny and political. Her future looks brave and free to me.”
Official artist website www.nelliemckay.com
Identity Theft
Nellie McKay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Runnin' from the thought police, fightin' with the go-betweens
Hold up, let me steal a breath
'Cause we're dealin' with identity theft
(You need an education)
I don't see why I got to
(You need a good degree)
So little time, so much to be bored by
If no one trod along Harvard lawn, no one'd make a nuclear bomb
They don't teach you how to care, empathisin' if you dare
Euthanize your sense of fair play, better to obey
No child is free, oh why, it's queasy to see
Is that an elementary or a penitentiary?
Huh, geez, get off my back, beat it, take it to town man
Idiots go to college to get dumbed down
Ooh, it leaves you bereft
Ooh, identity theft
I may be wrong, I don't know why
I may be wrong, but I'll try
Because I'm sick of the insanity, watchin' horny manatee
Feelin' like a libertine, dealin' with the death machine
Hold 'em up, it's a street arrest
And we're dealin' with identity theft
(You need a publication)
I don't see why I got to
(You need a press release)
As to assimilate
Journo-fascist profiteers, pornotastic pioneers
Bonbonbastic puppeteers, get away from me
How can you write what we read, that ain't my reality
You disabuse humanity, humility and fealty
Oh, you guess you got an edge
Hiding your hedge from the Feds
Puttin' down the little veg
(Ignorance is a right, not a privilege)
I'm finished, done and had it
And while you fucks are at it
As far as I'm concerned
Pluto's still a planet
Ooh, you die a quick death
Ooh, identity theft
I may be wrong, I don't know why
I may be wrong but I'll try
Because I'm sick of all the sabotage, where's my female entourage?
Lookin' for some kind of closure, all I'm findin' is Ray Bolger
Hold up, hell yeah, I'll confess
'Cause we're dealin' with identity theft
(You need an occupation)
I don't see why I got to
(You need a boss to please)
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you're late
Yakety yak, don't look whack, Nellie, you're a heart attack
Murder, murder, on the wall, who's the butchest one of all?
(Where'd you get that vegan dress, a flea market?)
Oops, I forgot, you design for Target
Shun violence and religion, don't ever play with nuns
But I punched a man on Broadway just to watch him cry
Every guy I went to try said I fight him but I can't think why
Bent unhinged and singed, I cringe to watch the main event
But in the end there's no success like revenge
Ooh, it leaves you bereft
Ooh, identity theft
I may be wrong, I don't know why
I may be wrong but I'll try
Because I'm tired of hypocrisy, is it them or is it me?
If Jesus Christ is left in ruin, Satan, buddy, how you doin'?
Hold 'em up, it's a street arrest
And we're dealin' with identity theft
Because I'm tired of bein' sweet and nice
Fuck you once and fuck you twice
Show your passport, get that stamp funny like a Nazi camp
Hold 'em up, hell yeah, I'll confess
'Cause we're dealin' with identity theft
In "Identity Theft," Nellie McKay expresses her disillusionment with societal expectations and the pressure to conform to them. She criticizes the education system for not teaching empathy and fair play and for instead promoting obedience and assimilation. She challenges the idea of needing a degree to be successful and questions the value of education altogether. McKay also takes aim at the media and its role in shaping reality, as well as societal norms around gender and femininity.
The chorus repeats the phrase "identity theft," which serves as a metaphor for the loss of one's individuality in the face of societal pressure. McKay argues that people are being robbed of their true selves and forced to conform to society's expectations. She ends the song with a call to reject these expectations and embrace one's true identity, no matter how unconventional it may be.
Overall, "Identity Theft" is a powerful critique of societal norms and expectations, and a call for individuals to embrace their true selves.
Line by Line Meaning
Because I'm tired of maturity, airport insecurity
I'm fed up with the responsibilities of being an adult and the sense of fear created by airport security.
Runnin' from the thought police, fightin' with the go-betweens
I'm trying to avoid being monitored by those in power and struggling with those who act as intermediaries.
Hold up, let me steal a breath
Let me pause for a moment to catch my breath.
'Cause we're dealin' with identity theft
We are dealing with the loss of our personal identity.
(You need an education)
Someone is suggesting that I need an education.
I don't see why I got to
I don't understand why I have to do that.
(You need a good degree)
Someone is suggesting that I need a higher education degree.
As to assimilate
In order to fit in with society.
So little time, so much to be bored by
There is not enough time to explore all of the interesting things in life.
If no one trod along Harvard lawn, no one'd make a nuclear bomb
If the individuals who invented the atomic bomb hadn't attended Harvard, they may have never created the bomb.
They don't teach you how to care, empathisin' if you dare
Schools fail to teach students how to care about others and only a select few dare to try and empathize with people who are different from them.
Euthanize your sense of fair play, better to obey
Society wants individuals to stop caring about fairness and do what they're told.
No child is free, oh why, it's queasy to see
No child is truly free and it's unpleasant to think about the reasons why.
Is that an elementary or a penitentiary?
Is this school meant to inspire and educate or simply prepare students for prison?
Huh, geez, get off my back, beat it, take it to town man
Leave me alone and take your criticism elsewhere.
Idiots go to college to get dumbed down
Some people go to college to become less intelligent and less aware.
Ooh, it leaves you bereft
It causes you to feel empty and lacking something important.
Ooh, identity theft
The feeling of losing your sense of self.
I may be wrong, I don't know why
I may not be correct and I don't know why I think this way.
Because I'm sick of the insanity, watchin' horny manatee
I'm tired of the chaos and corruption in the world, and seeing people act indecently.
Feelin' like a libertine, dealin' with the death machine
I feel like I am breaking free from social norms and confronting the harsh realities of life.
Hold 'em up, it's a street arrest
Stop and pause, we are dealing with a difficult situation.
And we're dealin' with identity theft
We are dealing with the erasure of our personal identity.
(You need a publication)
Someone is suggesting that I need to publish my work.
I don't see why I got to
I don't understand why I need to do that.
(You need a press release)
Someone is suggesting that I need to create a press release.
As to assimilate
In order to fit in with society.
Journo-fascist profiteers, pornotastic pioneers
Those who profit off of journalism are fascists and the pioneers of pornography.
Bonbonbastic puppeteers, get away from me
Puppeteers who make candy and sweets use their creations to manipulate and control others.
How can you write what we read, that ain't my reality
How can you write about something that doesn't match up with my own personal reality?
You disabuse humanity, humility and fealty
You insult and destroy our humanity, our sense of humility, and our loyalty to others.
Oh, you guess you got an edge
You think you have the upper hand.
Hiding your hedge from the Feds
You are concealing your true intentions from the government.
Puttin' down the little veg
You are ridiculing and belittling those who are weaker than you.
(Ignorance is a right, not a privilege)
Someone believes that it is their right to remain ignorant rather than a privilege.
I'm finished, done and had it
I can no longer tolerate this situation.
And while you fucks are at it
While you continue to mess things up.
As far as I'm concerned
In my opinion.
Pluto's still a planet
I still consider Pluto to be a planet, even though it has been downgraded to a dwarf planet.
Because I'm sick of all the sabotage, where's my female entourage?
I'm weary of all the attempts to ruin my progress and where are all the supportive women?
Lookin' for some kind of closure, all I'm findin' is Ray Bolger
I am searching for some sort of resolution, but all I am finding is a reference to an irrelevant actor.
Hold up, hell yeah, I'll confess
Let's stop and talk about this difficult situation.
'Cause we're dealin' with identity theft
We are grappling with the loss of our sense of self.
(You need an occupation)
Someone is suggesting that I need a job or career.
I don't see why I got to
I don't understand why I need to do that.
(You need a boss to please)
Someone is suggesting that I need to please a boss or supervisor in order to be successful.
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you're late
Stop talking and do what you need to do, you are running behind schedule.
Yakety yak, don't look whack, Nellie, you're a heart attack
Don't talk too much and make yourself look foolish, Nellie, you are a very impressive person.
Murder, murder, on the wall, who's the butchest one of all?
Who is the most aggressive and masculine of all?
(Where'd you get that vegan dress, a flea market?)
Someone is asking where I obtained my vegan dress, which they perceive as unfashionable.
Oops, I forgot, you design for Target
Sorry, I forgot that you are a successful designer for a popular retail store.
Shun violence and religion, don't ever play with nuns
Avoid aggression and organized religion, and don't mock nuns or other religious figures.
But I punched a man on Broadway just to watch him cry
I purposefully hit a man in a public place just to see how he would react.
Every guy I went to try said I fight him but I can't think why
Every man I met refused to fight me, but I am not sure why that is.
Bent unhinged and singed, I cringe to watch the main event
I am emotionally unstable and I cannot stand to watch the main attraction.
But in the end there's no success like revenge
In the end, there is no accomplishment as satisfying as revenge.
Because I'm tired of hypocrisy, is it them or is it me?
I'm exhausted by people's inconsistencies - is it their fault or mine?
If Jesus Christ is left in ruin, Satan, buddy, how you doin'?
If Jesus Christ is destroyed or abandoned, how will Satan react?
Because I'm tired of bein' sweet and nice
I can no longer handle constantly being nice and polite.
Fuck you once and fuck you twice
I don't care how many times I have to say it, screw you.
Show your passport, get that stamp funny like a Nazi camp
Display your passport and receive a humorous stamp, similar to those issued in Nazi prison camps.
Hold 'em up, hell yeah, I'll confess
Let's take a moment to talk about this.
'Cause we're dealin' with identity theft
We are handling the theft of our personal identity.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kpapaya
I love Nellie's songs! I also like The Dog Song. she is fantastic! The in Crowd is funny, in an ironic, sarcastic sort of way
Vasectomy Fail
underrated queen of mumble rap
Nathan Klein
So much casual genius!
bill furman
You put that very nicely....
ivomonroemiller
I’m smitten with her variety and natural Talent
D. P.
The lyrics are great
diamonddog13
I wasn't referring to Prairie Home Companion. The PHC performance was terrific (and superior to the album) because she had a world class band behind her. But in most of her concerts she performs alone. On many of her songs this works better than the recordings, but I think this song in particular is better with the full orchestration. It's a matter of taste.
Nicole
She's fantastic!!! =D And I love the random Ray Bolger reference haha!
Molly Mortimer
"violence in religion--don't ever play with nuns" LOL!!
World Traveler
Very true!!! That show was insane, I love the intro - Garrison - "We can't wait for all the mail we are going get for our next guest..."