I Don't Blame You

Album: You Are Free (2003)
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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.

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