Catherine Ames is not a nice girl – and she doesn’t improve much as an adult. A betrayer, a deceiver, something of a sadist. However New Englander Glenn Thomas’ has been inspired to write a gently reflective song which concentrates on the healing virtues of time – and how pain has made him a better, more resilient, person “In spite of you and everything you’ve done / you showed me what I could overcome“.
Glenn Thomas explained the song to us “This song takes its name from the antagonist in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Cathy Ames. She’s pretty evil, and causes a lot of pain for the main character. This song is about holding on to pain and anger as though they are part of your identity. Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting, and as with any kind of healing and moving forward, it takes time. There was a moment for me when I realized I wasn’t holding onto something in my past that hurt me and had become part of me for years, and it was a really cathartic thing to write about. I pulled Steinbeck’s character’s name because there is a similar theme of resolution and moving forward in that story that was relatable, and he’s one of my favourite American authors.”
Glenn Thomas has a new LP due out on May 15th called ‘Reassure Me There’s A Window’ and ‘Catherine Ames’ is the second single from it.
Sure, I could climb high in a tree, or go to Skye on my holiday. I could be happy. All I really want is the excitement of first hearing The Byrds, the amazement of decades of Dylan's music, or the thrill of seeing a band like The Long Ryders live. That's not much to ask, is it?
