Cat Power’s new album, “The Greatest”, was first recommended to me as similar to singer-songwriter Kristin Hersh. The comparison is pretty valid — emotionally damaged tone, a variety of instrumentation centered on guitar and vocals — but Cat Power’s vocals are smoother and have greater range. And Cat Power has awesome cover art, too.
An earlier album from Cat Power is entirely composed of cover songs, and has a really haunting, mopey cover of “(I can’t get no) Satisfaction” which I don’t think has the words “I,” “Can’t,” “Get,” “no,” or “Satisfaction” in it at all. What it does have is this soft, loping minor key and and quiet lyrics in a sad, sad voice. Really, it’s the opposite of the Rolling Stones’ version, and is not only a good song in itself, but brings new layers of meaning to the original.
Her songs have more instrumentation, accompaniment, and range, but “Satisfaction” from “The Covers Record,” and the song “Hate,” from the new album, have an ultra-spare style which just grabs me.
I tried to look up the lyrics for “Hate” online, but the various lyrics sites don’t have it yet, so I had to go and listen to 5-10 second bits of it again and again until I got the lyrics right.
And it’s not a happy song at all. My transcribed lyrics in the extended entry. They look a little melodramatic written down, but trust me: major weepiness could ensue if you listen to her singing them.
Anyone can tell you there’s no more road to ride
Everyone will tell you there’s no place to hide
There’s no laws or rules to enchain your life
The ones who can make it, the ones who can take it so bad
they made it out alive.
Every one of the few, everyone comes by.
In the wind I cry out: I want to die.
They can give me pills
Or let me drink my heart’s fill
The heart wants to go
far away where nobody knows.
Can you believe she said that
You believe she said that
I hate myself and I want to die.
Half of it is innocent,
The other half is wise.
Whole damn thing makes no sense.
I wish I could tell you a lie.
Hey come here, let me whisper in your ear:
I hate myself and I want to die
Can you believe she said that?
Can you believe she repeated that?
I said, I hate me, myself, and I.
I said I hate myself and I want to die.
Secretly Ironic 