I Don't Blame You

Album: You Are Free (2003)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the last song written by Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) for her You Are Free album. She recalled to Pitchfork: "I remember when I was at the piano and we were mixing and I kept playing it over and over and over while no one was there. They were playing ping-pong and stuff. So I just asked, 'Can I record this song real quick?'"
  • The song tells the story of a singer destroyed by fame. Some have speculated that Marshall, who has a history of alcohol and mental health problems, is singing about herself. However, she finally revealed in August 2012 the subject of the song, during an interview with UK newspaper The Guardian. "I've never told anybody this," she said, "but that is about Kurt Cobain. It's about him blowing his head off."
  • During a 2006 interview with Salon, Cat Power cited "I Don't Blame You" as her favorite song to perform live.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"They're Playing My Song

Armed with a childhood spent devouring books, Mike Scott's heart was stolen by the punk rock scene of 1977. Not surprisingly, he would go on to become the most literate of rockers.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Daryl Hall

Daryl HallSongwriter Interviews

Daryl Hall's TV show is a hit, and he's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - only one of these developments excites him.

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"They're Playing My Song

When Dave recorded the first version of the song with his group the Blasters, producer Nick Lowe gave him some life-changing advice.