Katie Coyle - House Of Cards
Track: House of Cards
Album: Step Out From The Shadows
Release Date: June 17th 2012
Genre: Acoustic, ambient, political
Recorded: Tokyo, Japan
Recording Dates: April 2012
Written by: Katie Coyle
Produced by: Katie Coyle
The Track
Katie Coyle introduces House Of Cards, and with the release of the single, opens up the doors to her new sound, heralding a new age of Katie Coyle, and a unique style and grace that will be indicative of her upcoming third album Step Out From The Shadows, the album from which House of Cards is the lead single, the introduction, and the advertising tool. Stepping away from the messages in her previous work, Katie Coyle has moulded herself here into a political commentator of sorts. Often seen as singing about emotions, self-imposed problems and a range of relationship issues, Katie takes herself to a new level with this song. The change in focus may come as a surprise to many, who may have underestimated the diversity of the singer. The song's theme is one of people being run down, undermined and forgotten by their governments all over the world, and how fragile a regime can be, despite its apparent strengths, if the people turn against what they have seen and felt.
While the theme is very much a departure from early Katie Coyle music however, fans of the singer will be pleased to hear that the single retains a very Katie Coyle feel. The heartache and lust unrequited may have disappeared with a wisp with her last album, but the quiet strumming of an acoustic, expertly accompanied by the gentle tapping of a percussion brush against a simple snare and hi-hat, and complemented with just a touch of haunting piano, will leave the listener in no doubt that this track is very much from the same mind that brought us Naked on Paper and other top hits over the last two years. Between its message, its theme, its unmistakable musical merit, and what it promises of things to come, House Of Cards may just be the greatest piece of work of the 19-year old pop star's life to date. She takes a step away from the self-deprecating teenager, and almost single handedly thrusts herself into the realm of serious singers and songwriters, promising a long and illustrious career which may stretch for many more years.
The song begins with the sound of a short gust of wind, which whispers lonely over the sound of nothing. For a few seconds, there is no sound at all, before the soft and unforgettable voice of Katie Coyle takes over, singing without any musical backing, and smoothly rolling over the first two lines of the opening verse, before her singing is accompanied eventually by the sound of her quietly strummed guitar. It never threatens to overpower her voice, simply acting as the perfect foil in the background.
When it comes to the pre-chorus sections of the song, Katie switches her style. The vocals become louder, and more forceful, while the guitar changes from simple strumming to a finger picking interlude, and the quiet piano and drums come swooping into the background, so quiet they are almost inaudible, but also so important to the haunting theme of losing grip on a country of people who are feeling hard done by.
Throughout the choruses of the song, the guitar strums a more steady and gentle beat, almost like a hook, and something that people can tap their foot (slowly) to, despite the fact it is only brush-played drums and a quiet guitar. It is almost as if Katie has seen that the most important part of this song is her own lyrics, and not the music, despite it also being a vital factor.
When it comes to the bridge of the song, the whole track almost goes silent, with Katie singing boldly over the top of her guitar. There is a deliberate pause at the end of the bridge, before the chorus comes back in, with only Katie's voice now present. She sings the last chorus sweetly, but almost pleading to the political powers she sings about.
Katie says
I am very nervous about the release of this track, as I've said to everyone already on Twitter and in other places. I'm nervous because thematically, this is the biggest leap I have ever taken, and I'm partially scared that people may turn their back on the song and say it's not me. But it is. Why did I decide to go political with this song you might ask? Well it came from travelling the world, as you do in this industry, and seeing the way that kids around the world feel that they are being treated by their government. That got me thinking, and I thought like, how strong people would be against a government if they were to take a stand against them. In turn, that would mean that the people in charge are like really weak, even though they seem strong, so their power is almost like a house of cards, ready to be blown down at any moment by a gust of wind from their own people. I liked that notion, and the more I wrote, the more my mindset turned towards that.
As a consequence, a lot of my stuff is going to focus on this sort of idea now. I hope people like it. It's still Katie Coyle. The music still sounds like me. The lyrics are still very Katie, even though they take on a new type of meaning, and I feel that this is probably even more genuinely me. I've always thought it would be tough to top Naked on Paper or Take the Blame, but I am far more proud of this song, particularly lyrically, than I ever was with the other two.
So yeah, I hope people enjoy my track. Sit back, and have a first listen. This is House of Cards.
The Lyrics
Why is everything, why is everything so fragile?
It's like I'm standing, looking straight at the start of the end of it all.
Will I step in, or do I stop and stare for a little while?
All these things I feel like I can't do, I press my face against a cooling wall.
Everything felt so strong, it was built on firm foundations,
But then the winds came, yes the winds came, bringing stinging lacerations,
Remember when we stood tall, and presided over promised lands,
Remember when it all crashed, and we stood with the blood of their kin on our hands.
It took a long time, forever to build this up so high,
But with a flick of the wrist, a blowing gust of wind,
Those feathered cards began to fly,
And I wonder, as it crumbles, if effort's worth the aggravation,
As his house of cards begins to fall,
I feel tears fall down, such a familiar sensation.
Will she never be your Queen of hearts, and is he not your ace?
In Hollywood there's heroes, but in real life we're just saving face.
Who turned a blind eye, shutting out injustice, and shunning their own task?
Instead of fighting for your people, you just raise up your mask.
He's sitting sipping whisky in a house built high of bricks and mortar,
While all the time his people sleep on the streets, living lives of torture.
A newspaper for a blanket, it's wretched words tell tales of only woe,
Stories pushing back the thoughts of empires long ago.
Everything felt so strong, it was built on firm foundations,
But then the winds came, yes the winds came, bringing stinging lacerations,
Remember when we stood tall, and presided over promised lands,
Remember when it all crashed, and we stood with the blood of their kin on our hands.
It took a long time, forever to build this up so high,
But with a flick of the wrist, a blowing gust of wind,
Those feathered cards began to fly,
And I wonder, as it crumbles, if effort's worth the aggravation,
As his house of cards begins to fall,
I feel tears fall down, such a familiar sensation.
When it starts to fall, will we all turn to the end of time?
This is your own country, don't let the winds blow out the final chime.
Your shuffling this pack of cards, treating policy like a game of chance,
Do you see what you have done to them, or do you like to watch your puppets dance?
It took a long time, forever to build this up so high,
But with a flick of the wrist, a blowing gust of wind,
Those feathered cards began to fly,
And I wonder, as it crumbles, if effort's worth the aggravation,
As his house of cards begins to fall,
I feel tears fall down, such a familiar sensation.
This is a world, a world where motion is treated like a sickness,
Whenever the masses rise up, the tear gas increases in its thickness,
You think your forts are built so strong, and we are falling hard,
But when the damage is done, your country's just a house of cards.
We'll all bend when you throw out the abuse,
But when we fold we'll bear the creases.
We'll only take so much of this,
Before it all breaks into pieces.
It'll all fall down so hard,
It's nothing but a house of cards.
It took a long time, forever to build this up so high,
But with a flick of the wrist, a blowing gust of wind,
Those feathered cards began to fly,
And I wonder, as it crumbles, if effort's worth the aggravation,
As his house of cards begins to fall,
I feel tears fall down, such a familiar sensation.
