15/05/2026
In session this week we are working with the song ‘Katie’ by Mary Black.
The song brings up many themes; empty home, mourning, loss, quiet house, continuing bonds, separation, longing and the memories we hold on too when someone is no longer with us.
The song "Katie’ is about a man mourning the death of his beloved Katie. It explores themes of deep grief, memory, and the enduring spiritual presence of a loved one in the home they once shared.
The lyrics call to mind powerful visuals such as the empty home after death, photos, Katies nightgown still hanging on the door and her unused piano that sits idol. The untouched mirror and an "old pedal Singer" (an antique Singer sewing machine) that sits silent, representing a stopped life and domestic stillness.
In the work we reflect on the same symbolism and what continuing bonds look like in our own grief and how we hold that in the day to day.
The most powerful line in Katie (for me) ‘’Though I made the great escape, I never got away" It expresses the tragic reality of grief: while the griever has physically survived the loss and carried on, their mind and heart remain trapped in the past.
Katie's presence is brought to life in the song.
The singer also brings her to life by referencing the phrase, "Come running home again, Katie".
Despite the separation, the song suggests the continuing bond that remains, with her spirit still felt in the song.
When we don’t have a language for loss we can look for it in other forms until we find our own voice.
Sang by the talented Eva Reilly McIntyre
🪻🪻🪻
