"Nude as the News" is a song by the American singer/songwriter
Cat Power (a.k.a. Chan Marshall). It is the fourth song on her 1996 album, ''
What Would the Community Think
''What Would the Community Think'' is the third album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter Chan Marshall. Recorded at Easley Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, the album was released in 1996 on Matador Record ...
''. It was released as a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, and a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
shot entirely in black and white and directed by Brett Vapnek.
A review in ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' called the song both eerie and propulsive, saying that "it rolls like a long snarl." The song is autobiographical, telling the story of an abortion that Marshall had when she was twenty. The chorus lyric, "Jackson, Jesse, I've got a son in me", does not refer to the Reverend
Jesse Jackson but rather the first names of the children of
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)
is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''.
Called the "punk poet ...
, one of Marshall's heroes.
The B-side "Schizophrenia's Weighted Me Down" is a composition of the two songs "
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
" by
Sonic Youth and "
Weighted Down (The Prison Song)" by
Skip Spence
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence (April 18, 1946 – April 16, 1999) was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. In the same year, he released his only s ...
.
Track listing
#"Nude as the News" (
Chan Marshall
Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...
) – 4:23
#"Schizophrenia's Weighted Me Down" – 2:49
:
:
References
1996 songs
Cat Power songs
Songs about abortion
Songs written by Cat Power
Matador Records singles
{{1990s-pop-song-stub