Track description

Moving on from the ambient and spooky nature of the opening track on the album, Everybody Cries is a much different prospect. The song has a bit of tempo, something which is not traditionally seen or heard from Katie Coyle, and although it cannot be described as happy or bright, it has a distinct sense of triumph attached to it, which helps to lift the album from the very quiet and very sad opening of the spoken word track.

This song begins with a similarly slow, but slightly different piano interlude as the one before did. This one sounds a little darker and demure in its tone than the first, and again, it is not overly complicated or technical, Katie focussing on creating an atmosphere rather than going all out with her musical skill. In the background, while the piano is playing slowly, a soft wind can be heard blowing against the ambience. Slowly but surely, the wind changes and morphs into words, a barely audible whispering voice of Josh Meyer, repeating the same damning statement over and over again, before it is abruptly cut off by an almost bright sounding guitar chord, acoustic as always, and now quite indicative of how a song from Katie Coyle begins, her trademark.

For the verses of the song, Katie sings relatively slowly, and with acoustic guitar and drums being the accompaniment. At this part, the song has almost a country style to it, and although Katie's vocals are far from what can be expected in a country music track, she manages to make it her own, without ever sounding like she is trying to hard to fit into the song and let it consume her.

While the verses may be the sort of thing we have come to expect from Katie in general though, the chorus for Everybody Cries will be like a wake up call to anyone who hears this album, proving the evolutionary nature of her music, and showing what she means by her desire to grow and change throughout her career. The start of the chorus is heralded by four quick beats on the snare drum, before Katie can be heard, for the first time ever, playing an electric guitar.

The chorus is mid-paced and sounds like a call to action, urging people to let go, rather than hold on to what was dragging them down. It is a quite punchy soft rock/country section, quite unlike anything we have heard from this artist in the past. The song continues through these two sections, until it finishes with a softly sung quiet final chorus without any backing from the band.

Katie's comments

Hi, and welcome to the second track from Open Hearts, Closed Minds and Panic Attacks. This song is another one which I am immensely proud of, because of the new sound that it has in it, and the way I was able to choose a challenging topic for myself. I know that the title sounds very downbeat and stuff, but believe me, this track is not a sad song. It's all about breaking out of the way of life, and the horrid mindset that I had had to experience in the past. If you had come across a title like this on my debut, you would have found something which was all, "Woe is me..I hate my life" etc etc, but this track is almost a parody of that. It's like the anti-old Katie, if anyone knows what I mean.

I know that this track will probably be seen as a bit too controversial by some people, because of the subject matter I have chosen, but as I've said already, this album is all about challenging myself and my listeners, and I think that this theme really helped with that. Thematically, the track centres around the notion of the level of depression that leads someone to consider suicide, and what causes it. Most people will be aware that a few weeks ago, I was arrested for saying on stage that I had considered killing myself a while back. That was true; when I said that, I had honestly considered taking my own life to stop from feeling as lonely and empty and sad as I did.

It was all caused, in my mind, by two things: The first of these was the much documented issues that I have had throughout my career with the media. When they are always printing bad stuff about you, believe me, you start to really think dark things about yourself. That almost led to me deciding that I didn't want to be here anymore. The other aspect is loneliness. I have thrown away a lot of relationships in my life, and whenever I have done, the main thing that always gets to me is the fact that I feel so empty and alone with no one beside me. The song then addresses both of these facts, and how they made me feel, but that isn't the important thing. The reason I feel that this is such a positive track, is that it deals lyrically with getting over that feeling of depression, banishing dark thoughts, and getting over the things that got me down in the past. Lyrically, and in terms of the theme, it is actually quite similar to Take The Blame, but not musically.

One of the central points of my getting better was the moment when I remembered the only good piece of advice my dad ever gave me. He said: "Katie, if you have problems, there are two ways to deal with them; if you can fix it then fix it. If there's nothing you can do then move on." And as soon as that came into my mind, then I was able to analyse and evaluate everything so much better. That advice is central to the track, and mentioned near the end.

I'm babbling here, but let me also mention the music. This is the first time ever that you will have heard me play the electric guitar. I did it because I wanted to do something which had a little bit of punch. It's not too "rock", but it certainly has elements in it, without doubt. The most exciting thing though is the country side of it. I listen to a lot of Ryan Ross Hernandez, and he has undoubtedly become a massive influence on me...which makes me nervous about putting this song out. I'm also very excited though...so here it is, something from Katie with a little difference; This is Everybody Cries.

Lyrics

(Whispered) It's your life...
It's your life...
Take it away, take it away,
It's your life, take it away...
Take it away,
Take your life away....

They booked me into a seat upstairs, cos I was coming home,
The cross I bared was digging in, and I felt so alone,
But you brought me back, like a shining light,
You're the candle that brightens up my nights,
You illuminate my everything,
The time's not right for my angel's wings.

Everybody cries if they see what I've seen,
No one really wants to have been where I've been,
Gotta give it all you got,
Don't be someone that you're not,
And it's time,
It's time for moving on.

The fake smiles still sit proudly, upon those painted faces,
But their eyes won't lie, as they stab my back, among the warm embraces,
Everyone pounces on the weak,
A strong advantage that they seek,
But the masks don't hide those blackened eyes,
My vision was once weak, but now I see your lies.

Everybody cries if they see what I've seen,
No one really wants to have been where I've been,
Gotta give it all you got,
Don't be someone that you're not,
And it's time,
It's time for moving on.

Tears fell like rain, when there was nothing I could do,
But you became my shelter, because you have seen the hard times too,
We walked together now in the sun,
What was trying now turned fun,
You and I will grow like flowers in the gorgeous springtime,
Everyone will know that you were my lifeline.

Everybody cries if they see what I've seen,
No one really wants to have been where I've been,
Gotta give it all you got,
Don't be someone that you're not,
And it's time,
It's time for moving on.

Everybody cries if they see what I've seen,
No one really wants to have been where I've been,
Gotta give it all you got,
Don't be someone that you're not,
And it's time,
It's time for moving on.

I remember the days when my light was low,
The darkness around like a ending show,
My noose was readied, I counted days,
I wanted it all just to fade away...

My daddy once told me,
That there's no point worrying,
If there's something you can't change,
And all those problems I was burying,
I just threw them away and my life felt strange,
Because I stand up proud, I'm walking tall,
Leaving my problems behind now one and all,
I won't be your pay checque anymore,
My life is now an open door,
But I'm moving up, I'm moving up...
And I am moving on...

Everybody cries if they see what I've seen,
No one really wants to have been where I've been,
Gotta give it all you got,
Don't be someone that you're not,
And it's time,
It's time for moving on.

Everybody cries if they see what I've seen,
No one really wants to have been where I've been,
Gotta give it all you got,
Don't be someone that you're not,
And it's time,
It's time for moving on.

I'm moving on...

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