Start by wrapping a string around the back of one’s palms, looping it over the front of the palms, and back out. Then, slide your middle finger underneath the loop that reaches out to the front of the palms. From there, your partner will grab the string by the x’s that are formed by the string. This game, called cat’s cradle, continues on until someone makes an error.
The obsession to create the perfect game of cat’s cradle can lead to a momentary state of bliss, only to be ruthlessly shattered by the fickle nature of the string attached to the player’s fingers. And speaking of strings attached to fingers, the red thread of fate is a fable from Chinese mythology where soulmates are joined by a small, red thread.
Canadian singer and songwriter Ruby Mckinnon, better known as Flower Face, combines these two, seemingly contrasting ideas with her song “Cat’s Cradle.” Despite titling it after the game, the imagery of the song and the accompanying music video lean into a darker interpretation of the fable.
Opening the song are three whistle notes. These whistles invoke imagery of The Hunger Games, and Rue’s whistle that kicks off many of the events of the later part of the series.
Lyrically and visually, the song touches on obsession. Specifically, the obsessions that we have with celebrities and celebrity culture — cutting out pictures of a favorite actor, purchasing and wearing clothes worn by this person. In the moment, the obsessions we have for various people can be innocuous. Once these obsessions become more pronounced and of a longer duration, they become harmful.
Flower Face’s guitar driven lyricism, coupled with her melancholic and somewhat-hypnotic voice, really drives home this point:
“You don’t know my name /
But I would die for you”
Teary eyed, the message of the song rings clearer with each passing day. Too often, we look at these celebrities as harbingers of what to become. Once we remove our rose-colored glasses, we can untie ourselves from the strings that hold our attention away from what truly matters.
