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Catman Cohen

Canadian musician/social activist, Catman Cohen, (birthdate & birthplace unknown) is the mysterious creator of the dark, provocative CD,How I Want to Die: the Catman Chronicles 1, featuring such songs as Prayer for America, The Crime of Being Me, and the anguished remake of the Kylie Minogue mega-hit, Can't Get You Out of My Head.

The Catman Project's second CD, How I Want to Live: the Catman Chronicles 2, features the song, Water is Blood, an ominous warning of the impending global fresh water crisis; Tomorrow's Not Always Like Today, a chilling cry for social activism in a society obsessed with the mindless pursuit of hedonism; and Catman's latest salute to America's rescue workers, the touching rendition of, Superman (It's Not Easy), made popular by Five for Fighting.

Produced and Arranged by Henry Iglesias, Cohen's songs have been described as "Rock n' Roll Theater." The Catman's distinctive bullfrog voice is a cross between Barry White and Louis Armstrong. His musical influences have included John Lennon, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen,Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John.

Catman Cohen set about to create music with a message and, in doing so, shift the focus from artist to song content. To further these goals, he decided he would make a single silhouette photo his only tangible form of personal publicity, along with a single page metaphorical biography. Furthermore, each Catman Chronicle has been shaped around a compelling social cause. Various organizations associated with the social missions of Catman Cohen include Volunteers Without Boundaries; Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow; Canadian Nurses Foundation; Blue Planet Project;Pacific Institute; and Gesundheit Institute.

Since his arrival on the music scene, Catman Cohen has shunned bio trivia and the standard music industry publicity approach; instead, he has requested that all Media requests for personal interviews be re-directed to friends of the Catman Project (eg., firemen, teachers, nurses, police, soldiers, paramedics, etc), "who have more important things to discuss than their recent store purchases, favorite vacations spots, or sexual escapades." In the face of a rapidly deteriorating societal infrastructure, Catman Cohen rejects the current, vacuous, materialistic, Cult of Celebrity and calls upon society to raise new heroes who can inspire our children to fill essential vocations now in crisis.

About

After purchasing a $200 piano from a family in Inglewood, California in 2003, Catman Cohen was reborn. It was a magical piano and contained the spirits of many dead composers who guided Catman to find his unique sound. He would speak with them late at night and they taught him the secrets of the Yahweh chord, upon which all of Catman’s music is based. The Yahweh chord comes directly from Heaven and when it is played, it soothes the pain of the world and softens the hardest of souls.

Before his rebirth, Catman Cohen developed his sense of balance from the cold blowing snows of the Canadian prairie. His special, visionary father gifted him with the gene of the Holy Priests from Old Jerusalem, the source of Catman’s reverence for the Divine. Most importantly, he taught Catman the lessons of humility…the importance of understanding that even a janitor pushing a broom can impart secrets about the Universe worth learning. His sweet, inspirational mother exposed Catman to music and led him to the smoky Temple of Kline located at the foot of Mount Royal where he learned about piano keys and their ability to make men cry.

Over the years, Catman Cohen had many diverse experiences. A rollercoaster of tears, joy, exultation, and disappointment always brought Catman back to the piano, upon which he would attempt to capture each moment through combinations of musical notes floating through the air.

Yet it was not until Catman Cohen’s arrival in the desert that he finally encountered the experiences that would lead him to his final rebirth. In a merciless environment of scorching heat, hostile reptiles, and decadent temptations, Catman struggled to preserve his inner light. It was all but extinguished until a Key to the Stars appeared and saved him from ruin. She lifted him from the pits of hopelessness and despair, then taught him how to rekindle his inner fire. With renewed purpose, Catman finally left the desert, determined to heal the world through his music, as best as he can.

With the help of his two musical interpreters, producer Henry Iglesias and engineer James Lum, plus a variety of artist friends, Catman Cohen' shaped his music.

Today Catman Cohen resides in Marina Del Rey, California, in a little room overlooking a parking lot filled with rows of tractors and heavy equipment. However, now when Catman looks at the world from his window, he only sees rows of roses, rising ocean waves, and limitless possibilities.

And although the Key to the Stars remains in the desert, Catman Cohen still finds himself looking Northward in her direction whenever ever he needs to find his way.

Trivia

• Catman Cohen owned five cats at one time but turned them over to his ex-wife in order that they could roam free on her large Las Vegas property. His favorite cat, Miss Priss, went missing and he maintains a $1000 reward for her return.
• Upon meeting Catman Cohen for the first time, performer Jackson Browne excitedly told him: "Any CD entitled, How I Want to Die, is a CD I got to hear!"
• Catman Cohen owns a beautiul seven foot Steinway Grand piano (1929), yet rarely plays it. Instead, he prefers to compose songs on a cheap, battered, upright Baldwin piano he acquired in Inglewood, California. He believes that the Baldwin was once owned by a gifted, deceased, black composer who, along with other dead musician friends, guide Catman to find his sound.
• After examining the sexual imagery on the CD cover of How I Want to Die, actor David Duchovny (The X-Files) eagerly expressed his desire to play the CD on his drive home, although he worried how his kids would react to content he presumed might be X-rated.
• Representatives for Catman Cohen have been instructed that whenever they meet a policeman, fireman, nurse, teacher, paramedic or soldier, they must always provide them a free copy of How I Want to Die.
• Catman Cohen has turned down several offers to perform live at Los Angeles and New York clubs, stating that he is holding out for his dream: to unveil the live act on the Conan O' Brien show before an audience comprised entirely of rescue workers.
• Screenwriter-humorist Buck Henry (The Graduate), upon receiving a copy of How I Want to DIe, speculated sarcastically that it must be "the feel-good CD of the year."
• Catman Cohen considers Maude Barlow, fresh water activist, to be an amazingly impressive, perceptive woman (second only to his own mother) and thinks the world would be a far better place if the centerfolds of men's magazines featured more Barlows, fewer bimbos.

Controversy

Catman Cohen has been criticized sharply for taking an extremely atypical approach in presenting himself as a music artist. Critics have suggested that he has "something to hide," possibly a sordid past of some kind, hence the absence of photos and bio details. Various theories have included the possibility he is everything from a hideously deformed freak; a burn victim embarrassed by his wounds; a throat cancer patient; or simply an elderly, silver-haired baby boomer far too aged to be a new artist in a very youthful music industry. The more outlandish speculations have included the possibility he is a once famous musician who faked his death and now records under the Catman name; an underage 15 year old computer whiz kid who utilizes a digital synthesizer to effect the bizarre Catman bullfrog voice; and a member of a witness protection program.

In terms of his songs, Catman has received heated criticism from both sides of the eco-socio-politico spectrum: liberals have objected to songs deemed to be reactionary, in terms of their focus on God, family, and strong support of the military. At the same time, he has been a target of scorn from conservatives who reject song themes considered to be pro-homosexual; pro-animal rights; and pro-environmental activism, particularly in regard to the bottled water industry. His only official comment to such criticisms is that he is a universalist who does not view life entirely in terms of black and white, instead leaning toward perspectives that recognize the many shades of grey.

On September 8, 2005, Catman Cohen issued a press release denouncing How I Want to Die suicide sites/blogs appearing on the Internet. Having been alerted about various teenagers creating such suicide websites/blogs, Catman went on record, stating that, "although dark and downbeat in tone, How I Want to Die is not a music CD advocating suicide, nor was it ever designed to be."

Catman further stated: "I created the music CD, How I Want to Die at a time in my life when I was severely depressed about personal matters and the state of the Nation - and no doubt the CD reflects that fact. It serves as a personal confession of my darkest secrets - and it resolves in favor of life, not against it. How I Want to Die urges a path toward implementing solutions, not a path toward surrender."

Catman urged despondent young kids embracing How I Want to Die as a tribute to suicide to seek counsel of friends, family, or mental health professionals.

Quotations

Sourced

• For those young, despondent, girls or boys who are embracing How I Want to Die as some kind of tribute to suicide or expression of their own personal death wishes, I only urge you to seek the counsel of friends, family, or mental health professionals. As somebody who has felt the depths of despair, I know how it feels to fall through a hole and feel as though there is no climbing out of it. But I also know that there are always blessings around us even in the worst of times and the key thing is to become aware of them...and learn to appreciate them to their fullest.

• • Spraci.com(4 October 2005)

• I think we have reached a point in this country where the mindless pursuit of hedonism, bling-bling, and self-indulgence has reached a most obscene point. We have the wrong heroes in the worst way... and when the number one song on radio is a celebration of blow-jobs, well, enough said. In the face of a rapidly deteriorating societal infrastructure, with shortages in critical service sectors and inadequate facilities to maintain the systemic status quo, it is far past time to address matters of substance. In terms of music today, we need more Bob Dylans (early years), fewer 50 Cents. We need more Joan Baez's, fewer Paris Hiltons.

• • Spraci.com (31 Oct 2005)

• Nor do I blame those vacuous artists who are today's icons of consumerism and decadence, rather I blame a record industry that is morally bankrupt, spearheaded by avaricious, exploitative, opportunists who believe that a fundraiser held once or twice a year is enough to bandage the damage perpetrated upon the national Spirit through the purveyance of that which appeals to the lowest common denominator. Enough is enough, the people need to regain the Popular Arts from the thugs who have appropriated them, turning most contemporary Art into mere vehicles for the promotion of bimbo/himbo merchandise and thoughtless lifestyles.

• • Spraci.com (31 Oct 2005)

• Although I commend aspects of his social viewpoints, nevertheless, we do not need more Kanye West types dividing us, we need more artists who inspire us to become a Family of One.

• • Songstuff.com (15 February 2006)

• The failure of the rescue infrastructure in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina is unequivocal verification of the stresses resulting from insufficient rescue manpower, rescue equipment shortages, and inadequate rescue facilities in a society that prioritizes a vacuous Cult of Celebrity. Moreover, the New Orleans tragedy has shone a spotlight upon the lack of redundancy in every aspect of infrastructure throughout the country, in terms of sewage treatment plants, hydro-electric facilities, water pumping stations, oil refineries, etc. It is important to recognize that the various infrastructural crises are non-partisan in nature, given that both major political parties have done little if anything to address or rectify the dismal status quo. The country has no dearth of sports stadiums, concert venues, nightclubs, amusement parks, shopping malls, movie theaters, golf courses, and other facilities dedicated toward hedonism and consumerism. Yet, in terms of hospitals, firestations, schools, soldiers’ barracks, police stations, etc., there is hardly a community today that is not in a state of alarming deficit. Artists today need to re-examine their priorities. The mindless party has gone on long enough and, if the chronic infrastructural deterioration is not addressed shortly, then we will have the opportunity to dance our lives away upon the deck of a sinking ship.

• • Openpress.com (15 February 2006)

Attributed

• The hallmark of any dying Empire is that they stop repairing the roads ~ on America

• Prosperity is the glue that holds the nation together and God help America the stormy day it disappears, when scapegoats will rain from Heaven, and minority will turn against minority in unrepressed rage ~ on the American melting pot

• Do not name your children Paris, Britney, Ashley, Justin, Jesse or any otherpopulist favorites because, in 20 more years, there will not be a child in theworld who will want those names, the epithets for tired old wrinkled prunes with faded tattoos and droopy piercings, vestiges of a culture no longer sufficiently consumerist to warrant attention or interest from the taste-makers of the day ~ on following the crowd

• I no longer pay much attention to the names of politicians who allegedly govern us but I do know the names of our secret royalty, the respective chairmen and presidents of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Rothschild, and Warburg ~ on politics

• Steal a TV or car and face hard time in prison. However, steal millions in undeserved salary bonuses and stock option grants and never spend a day in jail because there are no significant repercussions for criminals with white collars and expensive attorneys. Such is the state of justice today, which is to say, no justice at all...and people wonder why our youth have become so hard and cynical? ~ on the decline of idealism

• The concept of a "billionaire philanthropist" is an oxymoron. If somebody has amassed a billion dollars of net worth, that person likely did so by overcharging for products or services either through monopolistic or oligopolistic power in the marketplace. It would be much more impressive to see the "billionaire philanthropist" drastically cut prices for the benefit of mankind rather than merely handing over 10%-20% of personal net worth for purposes of obtaining a tax break long after having gouged the consumer ~ on the hypocrisy of the Super-Rich

• The sole pursuit of materialism ultimately consigns a person into a world surrounded by those who equally revere material things. It is a world that is a magnet for parasites, scamsters, and vacuous personalities ~ on materialism

• I met Paris Hilton, a sweet thin girl, who did not know who I am and, as I discovered, did not know who she is either, other than what the Media told her to be ~ on Paris Hilton and The Cult of Celebrity

• In some ways, I feel bad for Paris Hilton who finds herself trapped in a vortex of mindless, unfulfilling, consumerism. The day she stops shopping conspicuously will be the day advertisers controlling the Big Media brainwash machine turn the cameras elsewhere. You see, in the Cult of Celebrity, good-looking people are a dime a dozen, while good shoppers are invaluable ~ on Paris Hilton and The Cult of Celebrity

• The Cult of Celebrity is supported by a massive, aggressive, and institutionalized brainwash machine designed to promote the wrong heroes against the backdrop of a stressed societal infrastructure. So, for example, in a film about a brilliant mathematician, we are trained to believe that the actor is the proper icon. Or, for example, in the case of a beautiful song about human rights, we are conditioned to venerate the performer rather than the social cause upon which the song is based. The net result: shortages of great mathematicians, shortages of social activists, but no lack of entertainment celebrities posing as gods ~ on the Cult of Celebrity

• There will be hope for our society when the day arrives where MySpace models, porno actresses, rock stars, and the scandalously famous can count their friends in the hundreds while the nurses, teachers, firemen, soldiers, police, environmentalists, and social activists can count their friends in the hundreds of thousands. Until such time, our priorities are wrong and we continue down a slippery slope ~ on changing our priorities

• I like sex as much, if not more, than the next fellow. But the sex-obsession in this society, the ad nauseum discussions about "doing it" emanating from every Media outlet are as tedious as the fellow who corners some poor soul at a party and yaps endlessly about his stamp collection. The endless babble about sexual matters has beccome as dull as a compulsory seminar on the mating habits of Madagascar butterflies ~ on the dumbing down of society

• So far, I have not opted to become an American, not because of enormous cultural differences, but rather the inferior quality of chocolate bars sold in the USA ~ on being a Canadian living in America

• Some things just don't make sense anymore: if society pays a young songwriter royalties on a single creation until the day he dies, then why not pay a fireman equivalent royalties in perpetuity for his own "act of art," namely the extinguishment of a single, major fire in which many lives are saved? ~ on resurrecting neglected heroes

• I am not a big fan of musical or verbal illiteracy, even in the name of teenage rebellion, but the Rap handshake, fist touching fist, is a blessing I hope will replace the traditional handshake mainstream: less germs, fewer diseases, and not as sticky ~ on the music industry

• There are corporate elites whose ultimate dream would be to make every human purchase water through a bottle someday...even the water you use for a shower or bath. It seems to me that water is the one commodity that cannot be priced so high that only the rich can afford it ~ on the bottled water industry's role in the approaching fresh water crisis

• There is a strange illusion of freedom in this plutocracy masquerading as a democracy. Yes, we have the freedom to be obscene, the freedom to parade around in the latest Halloween costume du jour, the freedom to be ill-mannered and selfish, and all variety of other "liberties." But in the arena of money and finance, we remain slaves to a system that will imprison us if we don't pay our taxes, compels us to purchase essential goods (such as pharmaceuticals, gasoline, water, electricity, etc.) from monopolies and oligopolies controlled by the nation's elites, and will seize our house if we fail to make the mortgage. Just because you get to say "fuck" in public a thousand times a day does not change the fact you remain a slave to the dollar bill ~ on the true meaning of freedom

• Advertisers control the music biz and God help the artists whose songs or lifestyles fail to endorse the consumption of bling-bling. Maybe I'm doomed because the only product I want to sell anybody is the bling-bling of awareness ~ on the music industry

• Being old and wrinkled in the music biz today makes you as popular as a leper with AIDS attending an orgy ~ on the music industry

• We really do live in a Donnie Darko mad world. Who would have thought that a day would come when lyrical agitator Bob Dylan would throw in the towel and release commercial, insipid, fluff while love song addict Burt Bacharach would transform into an outspoken anti-war songwriter? One step backward, one step forward, and we're still standing in the same asylum ~ on the insanity of our times

• If I could be a benevolent dictator for a single day, I would legislate that all auto executives in America MUST live and work in downtown Los Angeles until such time that they create a viable clean energy car. Let them breathe the noxious fumes that result from their gas-guzzling profits, let them grow nauseous at the sight of rotten brown air in the morning, let them battle the cancers and tumors that afflict the denizens of the smog, let them be denied any further refuge from their 'auto pollution crimes' ensconced upon remote, aromatic, Grosse Pointe estates, and let them fully realize that there can be no escape from L.A. air-quality Hell until they manufacture a vehicular Savior. ~ on corporate social responsibility

• I did not write the song 'How I Want to Die"' for Suicide Girl strippers any more than I wrote the song 'How I Want to Live" for pro-life activists. The disturbing thing about songwriting is one never knows how any creation will be interpreted. I only pray that I never awake to read that 'How I Want to Die' has become an anthem for the next Kool-Aid cult ~ on misinterpretations of songs

• I used to have a sweet singing voice in my younger years or so the frogs down by the pond told me ~ on Catman vocals

• We need to place velvet ropes around the hospitals, fire-stations, schools, soldiers barracks, and police stations of this nation. People should line up in front of those buildings, begging for entrance, as though they were the hottest nightclubs in the nation. It should be a privilege, no less than a divine honor, to touch or receive an autograph from a nurse, fireman, soldier, teacher, or cop today. They are the heroes we need to reclaim desperately or we will perish in a society whose caretakers have become pretty heiresses, porno muscle-heads, ball players, fame groupies, and aspiring entertainers ~ on resurrecting neglected heroes

• There will never be an end to the seal hunt in Canada through a boycott of Canadian goods, protests against the Canadian government, nor attempts to intimidate the hunters. The true culprits are not the men with clubs attempting to feed their families in Northern regions offering few employment options. Rather the real perpetrator of the vicious seal slaughter is the Cult of Celebrity, dominated by an indulgent, mindless, Rapper element that embraces the wearing of fur as some kind of status symbol. It is the so-called "Beautiful People," as determined by the entertainment, fashion, and advertising industries, who creates the populist demand for luxury goods. Kill the demand for fur, and the incentive to supply it will disappear overnight ~ on the Cult of Celebrity

• Give me a creative, buck-toothed, chunky woman with fire in her eyes any day of the week if my only other choice is a cool "hottie" whose sole topics of conversation revolve around experiences at the beauty salon and gym ~ on women

• I designed my dark, anguished, remake of Kylie Minogue's party hit, 'Can't Get You Out of My Head,' to be the hangover after the fun ends. I created it as one of several wake-up calls to younger generations who seem content to wallow in hedonistic oblivion and "wait for the world to change," as their pop mouthpiece, John Mayer, likes to say. Well, the world is changing for the worse at an alarmingly rapid pace and by the time John Mayer's contemporaries can rouse themselves to take substantive remedial action, I am afraid the icebergs will have torn apart the ship, provided global warming hasn't melted them first ~ on the death of social activism

• When a draft is reinstated to raise the manpower needed to defend an Empire spread thin, that will be the spark to inspire a Tsunami of social activism from the current crop of indifferent youth. Although protests may appear under the guise of "Flower Power," in reality, the new peace movement will represent little more than the outraged indignation of the elite's sons and daughters who feel they have "the right to party," far removed from the spilled blood and anguished cries of disadvantaged, less fortunate peers hired to defend them ~ on social activism

• I enjoy hanging around energetic, effervescent young men and women because they have yet to learn how to spell the word "LIFE"......P_A_I_N ~ on youth

• I've always feared death by old age where one wastes away and sees one body part after another slowly fail. I really do believe that Hell in many forms can exist on Earth, not in any afterlife....and most of the elderly know what I mean. So I've often fantasized that, if I had to choose my death, then one that takes me out quickly (no matter how violent) and, at the same time, allows me to save a child in distress, would be the ideal way to go ~ on death

• Cohen is a “yellow star" name, one that immediately identifies me as a Jew to the world, and unlike so many other Jews whose Anglo-Saxonized identities blend in with the crowd, I do not have the luxury of taking a vacation from the enemies of my name ~ on being a Jew

• Although a Jew, I have acquired tremendous respect for Christianity over the years. For example, it seems every second nurse I meet chose that difficult, undervalued profession in order to serve Christ. So I think the atheists, agnostics, Moslems, Buddhists, and Jews should be most thankful for the Christians in our society or today's nursing shortage would be far worse ~ on Christianity

• Never met a cat I didn't like and I have the scratches to prove it ~ on cats.

• I really identify with cats....mysterious, independent, and affectionate. They say that cats have nine lives and, in my mind, that is equivalent to an eternity...such heavenly creatures, not with wings, but rather soft, soothing purrs ~ on cats

• I am essentially an existentialist, strongly influenced by the writings of Sartre and Camus. I believe that every instant of time is unique and discrete. Tomorrow need not resemble today in any way shape or form. What that means is that, no matter how wonderful life may be today, we all stand on the cusp of disaster....and it is important to be social activists who take measures that preclude tragedies from occurring ~ on social activism

• The entertainment biz and Big Media have institutionalized rebellion, nihilism, vulgarity, sybaritism, and social anomie to the point where it has become mainstream to spit in the face of "The System." Self-obsession has become the norm while community service is disparaged as the terrain belonging to naive fools, "the uncool," insufferable Pollyannas, and the unfashionably dull. We have reached a nadir where the true rebels today certainly are not the centi-millionaire celeb idols like Marilyn Manson, Eminem, etc., or their hordes of sheep-like followers, but rather those increasingly rare, beleaguered, nine to fivers who toil in the trenches, struggling to keep the machine running and prevent the lights from going out ~ on redefining "rebellion" in society today

• We live in a society where increasingly our eco-socio-politico education is presented by "court jesters" such as Bill Maher, Howard Stern, Al Franken, et al. Just how low have we sunk when people require a punch line in order to examine any serious topic? It won't be long before the only requirements to become a school teacher will be a great stand-up routine and a colorful clown's wig ~ on the state of education today

• Thanks to the digital studio and internet, an oddball songwriter-performer like myself got a chance to reach an international audience. No digital = No Catman. So do I get angry when I hear that people burn my songs and "steal" them? Hell, no, in fact I still believe in the original Woodstock myth, aborted almost immediately upon its birth by the rapacious record corporations. In my mind, the songs are what matter most and should be heard from every conceivable source in order to reach the largest possible audience and heal the world ~ on the piracy debate in the record industry

• I want to create a song before I die that is so piercing in its divine impact that even the hardest of hearts will tremble. I want to create musical and lyrical beauty of such immense awe that even rapists and murderers will be unable to resist breaking down. Yes, I want to create at least one song that makes the entire world cry and, in doing so, creates a singular moment in which we all become wailing babies again....innocent, vulnerable, pure, and loving ~ on the ultimate dream

• What I really like about the internet is it allows artist opinions to be expressed independent of whether the music industry deems them worthy of public exposure. No artist need be silenced today solely on account of a lack of "commercial success." As a result, each artist's music and ideology need only pass the scrutiny of public opinion as there are no corporate guardians of the music industry gates who can prevent any artist from being heard. Eventually, with any luck, the homogenized label artists will be consigned to the periphery of the public spotlight where they belong and the most original artists, those talented yet obscure "prophets whose words have been written on the subway walls," can step forward and obtain the prominence they deserve ~ on the internet

• Every once and a while, the Universe allows me a visit to my late father in my dreams, and for those few moments, I cannot begin to describe my joy, and when my eyes pop open and he disappears, I can barely endure my despair ~ on family

• I want to become the first music artist to live forever. You see, if all I am is a shadow behind a screen, then anybody with a low bullfrog voice can be the Catman. That means, when my time on this planet ends, another person can step in and continue The Catman Chronicles, another person can assume my identity and address a new litany of compelling social causes with each music project created ~ on immortality

• My greatest tragedy in life has not been lack of luck, but rather the inability to recognize it or have the balls to act upon it – and my greatest triumph in life is realizing that, in so many ways, I am truly the luckiest person on the planet ~ on bad luck

Quotations About Catman Cohen

• If the public can only hear one of your songs, let it be Prayer for America.

Mary Lightfine, Co-Winner, Nobel Peace Prize, 1999, Founder/President of "Volunteers Without Boundaries" (2005)

• I feel we live in a society numb from television without the directed intelligence or compassion to lead a Love Revolution we need...and I appreciate anybody trying to do something about that.

Patch Adams, Medical Activist (2005)

• It is great to see someone trying to revive the time-honored tradition of music with both a soul and a purpose. Having just seen the first part of Scorsese's documentary on Dylan, I'm reminded of how important this is for society. And I'm delighted (Catman) is tackling the issue of water...I'm afraid we are indeed heading into an era of growing conflict over water, and anything we can do to avoid that is worth doing.

Dr. Peter Gleick, MacArthur Fellow, President, Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security (2005)

Song lyrics

• Step into my church and pray for a nation growing dumber every day ~ "Prayer for America"
• We’re wasting too many hours discussing Pam Anderson’s rack, wasting too much time wondering if Michael’s still black ~ "Prayer for America"
• We need more nurses and more burn wards, fewer actors collecting dumb awards ~ "Prayer for America"
• I’ll take a bullet from a gun, a knife wound in my chest, that’s how I want to die, just like a Catcher in the Rye ~ "How I Want to Die"
• And my only wish for you, my brother, is someday you’ll understand, how it feels to be a corpse walking amongst your fellow man ~ "The Crime of Being Me"
• In dreams she feels me beside her, as I stoke her female fire, in a world that feels so lonely, and I fill her need and hope ~ "The Mentor"
• You’re my white baby, black baby, yellow baby too, my Christ baby, Buddha baby, Mohammed, and Jew ~ "Family of One"
• There's nothing I can write today, I could have written way back then, nothing I can write today could be written with a younger pen ~ "Baby, Am I Too Late?"
• I reach for you in a bed gone dark, I feel for you in the empty air, I reach for you in dreams so scared, I can't believe that you're not there ~ "My Key to the Stars"
• In dark, deep caves where snakes grow big, that's where I learned how I want to live ~ "How I Want to Live"
• There are people in our lives who cause us pain, from whom we cannot flee, there are people in this world who would bring us sweet love, we can never hope to meet ~ "We Spoke of God"
• Tattooed flesh shrivels in the coming drought, wet pierced tongues, sandy paper when the party's done ~ "Water is Blood"
• Some answers in life are so easy, like zero plus zero is none, but how do we divide the smell of flowers so their fragrance is shared by everyone? ~ "If I Could Divide the Smell of Flowers"
• Tomorrow's not always like today, and if you want it to be OK, got to do your share to end the pain ~ "Tomorrow's Not Always Like Today"
• If they wanted Yin, I gave them Yang, if they wanted me to dance, that's when I sang, no luck at all, the dark cloud never leaves me ~ "No Luck at All"
• Love's a shicket wanna doopoo, Love's a furter gobba looloo, when you kiss me onna kookoo, makes me nokka fokka booyoo ~ "Sounds of Love"
• Father, you believed, never let me bleed, helped me in my grief, helped me in my need, Dad, I love you so ~ "Father, You Believed"

Discography

Albums

How I Want to Die: the Catman Chronicles 1 April, 2005

How I Want to Live: the Catman Chronicles 2 October, 2005

Next studio album

Template:Future album

Catman Cohen announced he is developing his third CD, tentatively entitled, How I Want to Dream: the Catman Chronicles 3. Like his other albums, Dream will be built around a societal crisis in-the-making, one that requires immediate, community, remedial action. Yet, Catman has let it be known that the similarity will likely end there. He aspires to create a breakthrough musical concept encompassing a soundscape that is distinctively Catman-ian in nature.

NOTE: Henry Iglesias produced and arranged The Catman Chronicles. On Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007, Henry died after a lengthy battle with a malignant brain tumor. Three months later, a press release announced that Grammy Award winner James Lum would replace Henry Iglesias. The long anticipated third CD is expected to begin production in June 2008.

Other artists

Similar artists

Influences

Music videos

• How I Want to Die (2005) - Directed by Jonathan Joffe
• Fluffle-O (2005) - Directed by William Phelps
• Prayer for America (2007) - Directed by Kyle Clemens

External links

• Official Catman Cohen Website
• Catman Cohen MySpace Website
• Catman Cohen YouTube Videos