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.
Teenage Talk
St. Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that she's really gone, gone
It's always one like flies
Telling now we weren't clarified
Till we snuck out that night
Rolled a Chrysler down drive
But once we were inside
Couldn't figure out where we were off to
That was before we had made
Some terrible mistakes
That's just teenage talk
I don't think the past is better, better
Just 'cause it's cased in glass
Protecting us from our now and later
How do you see me now
Now that I'm a little bit older, older?
And now remind my albatross
Smoldering on my shoulder, shoulder,
Shoulder, shoulder, shoulder
"Teenage Talk" by St. Vincent tells the story of a group of friends, including the singer and Katie, who snuck out one night in a Chrysler and got lost. The lyrics reflect the nostalgia and wistfulness of looking back on these teenage memories, even as the singer acknowledges that they were "terrible mistakes." The song also explores the idea that the past can be overly romanticized and that the present is just as important to cherish.
The first verse paints a picture of a group of teenagers who are carefree and spontaneous. Katie has made a list of times, perhaps referring to all the different places and experiences the group has had together. However, now that Katie is gone, the group's memories seem to fly away like flies. The singer reflects on that one night when they snuck out and drove around in the Chrysler, but once they were inside, they couldn't figure out where they were going. The lack of direction mirrors the confusion and uncertainty of adolescence.
The chorus expresses the idea that even though the past may seem better, it's important to appreciate and live in the present. The singer dismisses the notion that the past is somehow protected by being "cased in glass." Rather, it's important to acknowledge the mistakes and experiences of the past while moving forward and embracing the current moment.
In the second verse, the singer asks how others see them now that they're a little bit older. The mention of the albatross on their shoulder may be a reference to the famous poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," where an albatross around the neck is seen as a burden. This could be interpreted as a symbol of the weight of past mistakes and regrets that the singer carries with them. The repeated use of the word "shoulder" in the chorus emphasizes this burden.
Overall, "Teenage Talk" by St. Vincent is a poignant reflection on the nostalgia and complexity of adolescence, as well as a reminder to cherish the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Katie got a list of times
Katie was given a schedule of events
Now that she's really gone, gone
Now that she's left the group of friends
It's always one like flies
The time seems to pass very quickly
Telling now we weren't clarified
Reflecting on how they didn't fully understand everything then
Till we snuck out that night
Until they went out secretly at night
Rolled a Chrysler down drive
They drove a Chrysler slowly down the driveway
But once we were inside
But once they were in the car
Couldn't figure out where we were off to
They didn't know where they were going
That was before we had made
That was before they made
Some terrible mistakes
Some very bad decisions
That's just teenage talk
That's how teenagers often talk or behave
I don't think the past is better, better
The past is not necessarily better than the present
Just 'cause it's cased in glass
Just because it's preserved in our memory
Protecting us from our now and later
Protecting us from contemplating the present and our future
How do you see me now
How do you perceive me now
Now that I'm a little bit older, older?
Now that some time has passed and I've grown up a bit
And now remind my albatross
And now let me remember my troubles from the past
Smoldering on my shoulder, shoulder,
That still affect me today
Shoulder, shoulder, shoulder
And seem to weigh me down
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
Zyon Alejandro
Katie kept the list of times
Now that she had really done it, done it
So we swarmed like flies
Pretending that we weren't terrified to
We snuck out that night
Rolled the Chrysler down the driveway
But once we were inside
Couldn't figure out where we were off to
That was before we had made
Any terrible mistakes
Well, that's just teenage talk
Pinky swear that you won't go changing
Drank so much that night
Carved the state of Texas in our forearms
You know I never loved you more
Than when we were hiding from those sirens, sirens
Oh, we laughed so hard
Threw up in your mother's azaleas
That was before we had made
Any terrible mistakes
That's just teenage talk
I don't think the past is better, better
Just cause it's cased in glass
Protecting us from our now and later
You know I never loved you more
Than when we were running from those sirens, sirens
Drank so much that night
Carved the state of Texas in our forearms
How do you see me now?
Now that I'm a little bit older, older
Nevermind the albatross
Smoldering on my shoulder, shoulder, shoulder, shoulder
adz
I love her tremblingly voice. It is gorgeous.
VGBNDGRL
this came out my senior year of high school, it really set the tone to my summer and the fall; which would be my mistake-filled first semester of college. good times.
Zyon Alejandro
Katie kept the list of times
Now that she had really done it, done it
So we swarmed like flies
Pretending that we weren't terrified to
We snuck out that night
Rolled the Chrysler down the driveway
But once we were inside
Couldn't figure out where we were off to
That was before we had made
Any terrible mistakes
Well, that's just teenage talk
Pinky swear that you won't go changing
Drank so much that night
Carved the state of Texas in our forearms
You know I never loved you more
Than when we were hiding from those sirens, sirens
Oh, we laughed so hard
Threw up in your mother's azaleas
That was before we had made
Any terrible mistakes
That's just teenage talk
I don't think the past is better, better
Just cause it's cased in glass
Protecting us from our now and later
You know I never loved you more
Than when we were running from those sirens, sirens
Drank so much that night
Carved the state of Texas in our forearms
How do you see me now?
Now that I'm a little bit older, older
Nevermind the albatross
Smoldering on my shoulder, shoulder, shoulder, shoulder
Ysbell Eve
Thank you,
Gabriel Wanjiru
Thanks for this
gergsar
an instant classic
rarethen9
exactly what i thought!
OkSayer
Really digging this song. Annie can never do anything bad
RJ
True.
Andrew
+Sayer Foll well... 'Krokodil'