美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Life Is A Lesson, And Sometimes It's Difficult To Learn': Cat Power Steps Forward

 

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

The word first comes up a lot when talking about the latest album from Cat Power. It's the singer's first in six years, its first since she gave birth to a son. And it's her first since leaving her longtime record label. But one thing is not new here, as is often the case with Cat Power's music. This collection is spare and emotional.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NOTHING REALLY MATTERS")

CAT POWER: (Singing) When you see my face in the crowd with a look of obsession¹, there's no subtle way to say there's plenty of defense² and discretion³.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Cat Power, whose name is Chan Marshall when she's not making music, joins us from our New York studios. Welcome to the program.

CAT POWER: Thank you so much.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Your new album is called "Wanderer." Let's listen to the title track.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WANDERER")

CAT POWER: (Singing) Oh, wanderer, I've been here wondering, if your brown eyes still have color, could I see? That night, that night with those hands, those hands. That night, that night, oh, galleon⁴ ring.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: There's something Celtic and lilting about that. Who is the wanderer? Is it you?

CAT POWER: It's more of a state of consciousness, I think. So the wanderer's everybody, you know? - that are on Earth.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So we're all looking for something. We're all searching.

CAT POWER: Pretty much. I think so. I think it's our nature as the human species.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: And what are you looking for?

CAT POWER: I think I've found what I never thought I would ever see, which is becoming a parent. You know, I have this - it's like there's no words for what I have now in my heart.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah. I think your little boy is now 3 years old. And we can just see the top of his head on the cover of the album. It's really cute.

CAT POWER: Thank you.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I only ask because your son is now on the cover, and you mentioned how much it's changed you. Does motherhood influence your music now in a different way? Does it come from a different place? I mean, how does it sort of infuse it?

CAT POWER: I have a very, very strong sense of protection that I never felt before. I'm not sure if it comes from him or the act of being a mother. If that just happens to us, I'm not sure. And so it hasn't really affected⁵ my songwriting or my recording⁶ process. But it definitely has instilled⁷ a very strong sense of being grounded in my own human life.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Well, that brings us to the song "Horizon," which has been called the emotional centerpiece of "Wanderer." And the lyrics⁸ talk a lot about family.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HORIZON")

CAT POWER: (Singing) Mother, I know your face. Father, still hold your place. Sister, I'm around you. Remember me.

This song is basically flowers, roses for the relationship from when I was a child. You know, these people that I'm singing about were everything to me in my life as a child. And, you know, I chose to have a different path in my life. And this song is just choosing love over any other story or memory, to choose hopefulness, to choose health and recovery and all those things on my path.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: You use the word recovery. And you've been pretty open about talking about mental health issues and substance abuse issues. Are those things that you're still having to confront?

CAT POWER: The addiction¹⁰ and the mental health, I grew up with an addict⁹ parent. So I think it's just like with my child, my procedures of parenting, I try to make sure I never let this kid down in that way ever, so that's in any way, really.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: You don't want to pass on what...

CAT POWER: No.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: ...Maybe was passed on to you.

CAT POWER: Absolutely not. So - and I was never an addict. I suffered from very deep depression. So I was never an addict. I was never an alcoholic¹¹. I was trying to turn out the lights to function in society. There's so much pain that people carry and try to avoid. But this song "Black" on the album is actually about addiction and those who've come before and lost their lives. The story is being told from the ghost's perspective.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLACK")

CAT POWER: (Singing) Let me tell you a story about Black, the one memory and the one who threw it right back. He was down, so I took a ride. He moved the best way out of there, so I took his advice.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'd like to talk about one more song. And this one is a cover on this album, which is Rihanna's "Stay."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STAY")

CAT POWER: (Singing) Not really sure how to feel about it. Something in the way you move makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way. I want you to stay.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: "Wanderer" seems to be such a personal album. How does someone else's song fit into your story here?

CAT POWER: Since the recording of this album, there were two friends that had passed, and - a few friends. I'm sorry. I just remembered. So I had to go to LA to mix the record. And I was in a cab before I went, like the week before I went. And, you know, the song came on in the cab. And when Rihanna sings, she took away all this, you know, certain recent grief. She pushed me through.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: It seems like you've been through quite a journey. What do you want listeners to take away from this album now?

CAT POWER: That they're not alone, that we're all on this ball of mud, you know, this tiny speck¹² of ball of mud together. I'm not sure where we're going, but just, you know, hold on. Keep your chin up when you can and [expletive] like that. (Laughter) Sorry.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: (Laughter) Cat Power's new album is called "Wanderer." Thank you so much.

CAT POWER: Thank you so much.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STAY")

CAT POWER: (Singing) I want you to stay, want you to stay. Round and around and around and around we go.

1 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

4 galleon   

n.大帆船

参考例句：

• The story of a galleon that sank at the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 must be one of the strangest tales of the sea.在1628年，有一艘大帆船在处女航开始时就沉没了，这个沉船故事一定是最神奇的海上轶事之一。
• In 1620 the English galleon Mayfolwer set out from the port of Southampton with 102 pilgrims on board.1620年，英国的“五月花”号西班牙式大帆船载着102名

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

7 instilled   

v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Nature has instilled in our minds an insatiable desire to see truth. 自然给我们心灵注入了永无休止的发现真理的欲望。 来自辞典例句
• I instilled the need for kindness into my children. 我不断向孩子们灌输仁慈的必要。 来自辞典例句

8 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

9 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

10 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

11 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

12 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。