Ruin

Album: Sun (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • After attempting to write some material for her ninth studio on a synthesiser, Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, was not happy. She had lyrics and a beat and notes, but no actual songs. So the Atlanta born singer's touring band, the Dirty Delta Blues, came to her house in Malibu and played along live to her skeleton demos. They did this intermittently for five months, however this is the only track on Sun that came from the process.
  • The breezy piano jam finds Marshall singing about her visits to different places all over the world. On her return home, Marshall is met by, "Bitching, complaining when some people ain't got nothing to eat." Having experienced the poverty and hunger in such places as Calcutta, the song turns into a cry against apathy and self pity. "What are we doin'. We're sittin' on a ruin," she implores on the refrain.
  • Marshall recorded the Sun album after a difficult break up with her long-time boyfriend, the actor Giovanni Ribisi. This song's music video finds the singer sporting a shorter haircut than before, having cut her locks after their split.
  • Sun debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It wasn't only Marshall's highest placing to date, but also the first album released in Matador Records' twenty-three year history to crack the Billboard 200 Top Ten.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.