Jason Moore (guitar, vocals) and Gary Welch (bass, vocals) had previously been in a Murfreesboro band called A Million Worlds. Once A Million Worlds dissolved, Jason and Gary began a new band—the Katies—named after Jason's sister in-law.
The duo recruited friends from local band Fluid Ounces for their rhythm section and began playing gigs around town, but didn't achieve a permanent lineup until Moore's younger brother Josh was recruited as their drummer. The first lineup of the band featured Fluid Ounces members Seth Timbs (piano) and Sam Baker (drums), and Mac Burrus (guitar.) Jason and Mac had previously been in Murfreesboro rock band The Plain. The band played with this lineup for a few shows around Murfreesboro.
Eventually, Seth Timbs and Sam Baker bowed out to concentrate on Fluid Ounces, so the band continued with Jason Moore, Gary Welch, and Mac Burrus. After a terrible accident which resulted in Mac breaking his neck, the band was put on hold. Around this time, Jason convinced his younger brother, Josh, to leave their hometown of Clinton, Tennessee and move to Murfreesboro—to play drums for the Katies—as soon as he graduated high-school.
While waiting for Josh to graduate, the band continued to play sporadic dates around Murfreesboro and Nashville, with Mac Burrus now playing a Fender Rhodes. Mac eventually left the band, accepting an offer to play bass for Matt Mahaffey's band, Self.
With Josh now living in Murfreesboro, the band's sound grew—and changed—as a power trio. With Jason's sugary-sweet, instantly memorable hooks, Gary's fuzzed-out bass and distinctive harmonies, and Josh's ferocious drumming, the band began writing their own brand of radio-friendly, melodic power-pop-influenced as much by classic rock bands like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Heartbreakers—as they were by more contemporary bands like The Pixies and Supergrass. Lyrically, Jason set himself apart from his contemporaries by writing about decidedly personal themes like spirituality and the love for his wife.
The band began to make a name for themselves around town and started to draw a following, playing with local bands like Self, The Features, and Fluid Ounces. The Katies then cut a series of demos with local producer Brian Carter (now referred to as The Carter Sessions). These demos caught the ear of Rick Williams, who had just launched local indie label Spongebath Records, along with Matt Mahaffey and Seth Timbs.
Williams eventually signed the band to Spongebath. The band then recorded another batch of demos with Carter (The Carter Sessions Volume 2). These demos, along with the band's ear-splitting and energetic live show, resulted in major label interest. The band ultimately inked a deal that would give both Elektra Records and Spongebath a co-label release for the Katies' major label debut.
The band recorded their debut album, The Katies, in 1998 with Nashville producer Joe Baldridge at the helm. Their first single, "Noggin' Poundin'," was a strong, crowd-favorite album track with as radio-ready a chorus Elektra could have asked for. The album was released on July 13, 1999, the same day as labelmates Self released Breakfast with Girls. To celebrate the co-releases, the band played a sold-out, widely-bootlegged show with Self at Nashville club The Exit/Inn.
Although reviews for The Katies (and the "Noggin' Poundin'" single itself) were universally positive, neither Spongebath nor Elektra marketed or promoted the album effectively, and sales were lackluster. However, the band continued to tour tirelessly around the Southeast, promoting the album and continuing to write and record. They had a minor radio hit with the infectious single "Noggin' Poundin." During this time, the Katies opened for bands like The Verve Pipe and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In the aftermath of the album release, Elektra dropped the band, and the Katies ultimately left Spongebath Records. The band continued to gig and recorded more promising demos with Brent Rawlings, whose brother, Jason, was the drummer for Self.
In 2001, the band recorded a new EP with Matt Mahaffey at his studio in Los Angeles. Encouraged by Matt and the positive response to their EP, the band relocated to Los Angeles permanently. After a year of playing shows in the L.A. area, Gary Welch, missing his family and son, decided to move back to Tennessee. Jason and Josh, however, decided to stay in L.A. The Katies, essentially, had ended.
By 2005, both Jason and Josh had moved back to the Nashville area as well. In August, the band officially reunited (with auxiliary guitarist Joey Campbell) at a memorial tribute for their friend, Self guitarist Mike Mahaffey. The experience was so memorable that the band reunited and continued to gig around Nashville and Murfreesboro as a quartet.
After a brief return to the Nashville rock scene, the band had dissolved again by 2006, with Welch fronting new band SJ & The Props, and the Moore brothers continuing to play together in various projects.
The band has made tons of their recordings, B-sides, and demos available via their website. Tracks like "Sideways," "Outerspace," and "An Answer to Me" hinted at the stellar material the band had prepared for a sophomore effort that sadly never quite materialized.
Please
The Katies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were trying our best to catch up
That's when he walked over, said, "I'd like to get to know you"
But all I could say was, "Look, I'm sorry, love"
"You see I've had difficulties too many times before
And right now it's not really my thing"
He said, "Just give me two minutes of your time
It's not that easy, it's not that easy
These days, can't find a man to please me
Their lines are far too cheesy
No boy is on the level, believe me
No boy is on the level, believe me
These days, can't find a man to please me
No boy is on the level, believe me
These days, can't find a man to please me
You don't have to have a lot of money
All you've got to have is fire burning deep in your soul
If you have a dream for something that you love
I'll support you, yeah, I'll play my role
Now I won't call you twenty times a day
'Cause I've got my own shit to do
When you see my name flashing on your phone
I want you to feel butterflies coming on through
It's not that easy, it's not that easy
These days, can't find a man to please me
Their lines are far too cheesy
No boy is on the level, believe me
No boy is on the level, believe me
These days, can't find a man to please me
No boy is on the level, believe me
These days, can't find a man to please me
Now one thing I can't stand is arrogance
There's no way that we would ever get along
But one thing I love is confidence
And humility to know when you've been wrong
Now I love a bad boy mentality
But I don't want to be visiting no jail
Just know if there's someone out there mocking me
Be my gangster when it's time to get real
It's not that easy, it's not that easy
These days, can't find a man to please me
Their lines are far too cheesy
No boy is on the level, believe me
No boy is on the level, believe me
And these days, can't find a man to please me, no
Oh, these days I can't find my, my easy please me
The lyrics to The Katies's song "Please" tell the story of a woman who is at a bar with her friend Olivia when a man approaches her and tries to get to know her. She is hesitant because she has had bad experiences with men before and is not interested in anything cheesy. She is looking for a man who has a fire burning deep in his soul and a dream for something he loves.
The woman is independent and has her own life, making it clear that she won't be calling the man twenty times a day. She wants a man who is confident but not arrogant and has humility to know when he's been wrong. She likes a bad boy mentality but draws the line at going to jail. In the end, she just wants a man who is "easy to please."
The lyrics of "Please" touch on themes of independence, confidence, humility, and finding someone who complements your life. The woman in the song is not looking for a man to complete her, but rather someone who can be a partner and support her in her own endeavors.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing at the bar with my friend, Olivia
I was at the bar with my friend Olivia
We were trying our best to catch up
We were attempting to stay up to date with one another
That's when he walked over, said, "I'd like to get to know you"
Then, a man came over to us and expressed interest in me
But all I could say was, "Look, I'm sorry, love"
However, all I could manage to say is, "I'm sorry, I'm not interested"
"You see I've had difficulties too many times before
I've had bad experiences with men before
And right now it's not really my thing"
At this moment, I don't want to pursue anything romantic
He said, "Just give me two minutes of your time
Despite my feelings, he requested two minutes of my time
And tell me what you like me to be offering"
And asked for my preferences related to what he could provide me
These days, can't find a man to please me
Currently, I am having difficulty finding a man who meets my standards
Their lines are far too cheesy
Many men approach me with insincere and unoriginal statements
No boy is on the level, believe me
I can't trust any men these days
You don't have to have a lot of money
Having a lot of money isn't important to me
All you've got to have is fire burning deep in your soul
What is crucial is having passion and drive within you
If you have a dream for something that you love
If you have a goal related to something you are passionate about
I'll support you, yeah, I'll play my role
I will encourage and assist you in pursuing your dream
When you see my name flashing on your phone
If my name appears on your phone
I want you to feel butterflies coming on through
I desire your excitement and happiness upon receiving my call
Now one thing I can't stand is arrogance
I strongly dislike arrogance
There's no way that we would ever get along
I couldn't have a positive relationship with an arrogant person
But one thing I love is confidence
However, I value confidence in others
And humility to know when you've been wrong
As well as the willingness to admit fault
Now I love a bad boy mentality
I am attracted to the 'bad boy' personality type
But I don't want to be visiting no jail
Yet, I don't want to be romantically involved with someone who is frequently in legal trouble
Just know if there's someone out there mocking me
If someone is disrespecting or insulting me
Be my gangster when it's time to get real
I want my partner to protect and stand up for me when necessary
And these days, can't find a man to please me, no
Lately, it's been challenging for me to find a man who meets my expectations
Oh, these days I can't find my, my easy please me
Currently, I am unable to find someone who can easily satisfy me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADEBENGA ADEJUMO, ARTHUR SMITH, KATIE BRIEN, OLIVER JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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