Clark joined Sufjan Stevens' touring band in 2006, bringing with her a tour EP entitled Paris Is Burning. It contains three tracks, including a cover version of Jackson Browne's These Days.
Clark released her début album, Marry Me, 10 July 2007 on Beggars Banquet Records. Named after a line from the cult-hit television show Arrested Development, the LP features appearances from drummer Brian Teasley (Man or Astro-man?, The Polyphonic Spree), Mike Garson (David Bowie's longtime pianist), and horn player Louis Schwadron (The Polyphonic Spree).
In 2008 Clark was nominated for three PLUG Independent Music Awards: New Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year, and on 6 March 2008, she won the Female Artist of the Year award.
Her second album for 4AD, entitled Actor, was released on 5 May 2009. It was written entirely by Clark and produced by Clark and John Congleton of The Paper Chase.
The Strange Mercy Songfacts reports that Clark wrote her third album in Seattle. She decamped to the Northwestern city to escape from the information overload she was experiencing at home and recorded Strange Mercy in a studio provided by Death Cab For Cutie drummer Jason McGerr. The album was released by 4AD on September 12, 2011 and peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200, making it her first Top 20 LP.
2) A pseudonym of singer-songwriter Vincent Bernardy, who has written and recorded music since 1980. see also St. Vincent Folk
3) A singer/songwriter from Victoria, Australia.
Rattlesnake
St. Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one around so I take off my clothes
Am I the only one in the only world?
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh, oh oh, whoa
I see the snake holes dotted in the sand
As if the Seurat painted the Rio Grande
Am I the only the one in the only world?
Sweatin', sweatin'
No one is behind me
Sweatin' sweatin'
No one will ever find me
The only sound out here is my own breath
And my feet stuttering to make a path
Am I the only one in the only world?
Is that the wind finally picking up?
Is that a rattle sounding from the brush?
I'm not the only one in the only world
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh, oh oh, whoa
Runnin', runnin'
Runnin' rattle behind me
Runnin', runnin'
No one will ever find me
Runnin', runnin'
Runnin' rattle behind me
Runnin', runnin'
No one will ever find me
Sweatin', sweatin'
Sweatin' rattle behind me
Runnin', runnin'
No one will ever find me
Sweatin', sweatin'
Sweatin' rattle behind me
Runnin', runnin'
No one will ever find me
The song "Rattlesnake" by St. Vincent is a haunting song that tells the story of a person who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The song begins with the person walking along a deserted road and feeling that they are the only person in the world. They walk to the point of feeling isolated and almost as if they have detached from everything on the ground, including their clothes. The journey of the person takes them towards a more barren and deserted land, they start to see snake holes dotted around them and draw comparisons of how a particular artist: Seurat would have painted the Rio Grande.
The person continues to walk while all they could hear is their own breath and their feet stuttering through the unknown terrain. They continue to question if they are the only one in this entire world or not. Suddenly, they hear the rattlesnake but mistake it to be the wind picking up. As they realize what the sound is, they start running away from it, which creates the song's climax. The person feels as if they are being chased by the rattlesnake, and now they are in a struggle to save their life.
The song's lyrics are rich with metaphors and symbolism, with the rattlesnake representing a challenge of an adversary in the journey of life. The song suggests that sometimes they may feel lost or on their own, but they need to keep moving forward and face the challenges, whatever they may be because In the end, nobody will find them as they fought their own battle.
Line by Line Meaning
Follow the power lines back from the road
I am exploring a remote area where there are no people, and I am following the power lines to find my way back to civilization.
No one around so I take off my clothes
As no one is there, I feel carefree and have shed my clothes.
Am I the only one in the only world?
I feel isolated and wonder if I am the only human in this vast world.
I see the snake holes dotted in the sand
I observe multiple snake holes around me in the sandy terrain.
As if the Seurat painted the Rio Grande
The view is so incredibly serene that it appears like I'm in an artistic piece by Seurat, capturing the beauty of the Rio Grande river.
Sweatin', sweatin', No one is behind me, Sweatin' sweatin', No one will ever find me
I am sweating due to the exertion and heat while pondering that there is no one around and no one will ever find me.
The only sound out here is my own breath, And my feet stuttering to make a path
The only sound I hear is my breathing and the sound of my feet trying to find a way out of the wilderness.
Is that the wind finally picking up? Is that a rattle sounding from the brush?
I suddenly hear the wind picking up and the sound of a rattlesnake nearby.
I'm not the only one in the only world
I am now not the only living thing in the area anymore, and it makes me feel a bit more connected to the world.
Runnin', runnin', Runnin' rattle behind me, Runnin', runnin', No one will ever find me
I am running from the rattlesnake, and still contemplating that no one will ever locate me in this remote environment.
Sweatin', sweatin', Sweatin' rattle behind me, Runnin', runnin', No one will ever find me
I am sweating profusely while the sound of the rattlesnake echoes behind me, and again thinking that no one can ever find me in this location.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: ANNE ERIN CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind