In 1960, he started in music with Gibraltarian band 'The Diamond Boys', which had no real commercial success, but played a part in Spain's introduction to popular music.In 1966 Hammond co-founded the British vocal group The Family Dogg, scoring a UK Top 10 hit with "A Way of Life" in 1969. He is probably best known for his early 70s hits "It Never Rains In Southern California" and 'Free Electric Band' - but he went on to write countless hits for other artists such as Madonna and Leo Sayer. In 1987, Hammond's composition with Diane Warren "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (recorded by Jefferson Starship) was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy. In 1988, Hammond won an Emmy Award for the song "One Moment in Time", a song he wrote along with John Bettis. In 2008, Hammond was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is immortalised in song by Half Man Half Biscuit in their 1986 track "Albert Hammond Bootleg".
His son, Albert Hammond, Jr., is a guitarist in The Strokes.
More info: www.alberthammond.net
Mary Hot Lips Arizona
Albert Hammond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your turquoise, your pills and the crew
Your cowboys, your playboys, the studs and the gay boys
Your gals and your hairdresser, too
And you rented a small apartment, and everyone settled in
Midst the pillows, the beads and the stereo leads and the ups and the downs in the gin
Still shine on your high stepping shoes
But those were the days, Mary, those were the days
When you side stepped the Hollywood blues
When the money ran low all your friends found excuses
The family soon fell apart
And you learned there's a limit to what you can do
When your purse ain't as big as your heart
But still you're blasting off somewhere on something with somebody new
And nobody knows what he does, where he comes from, nobody, least of all you
Oh Mary, oh Mary, the stars of the prairie
Still shine on your high stepping shoes
But those were the days, Mary, those were the days
When you side stepped the Hollywood blues
The lyrics of "Mary Hot Lips Arizona" by Albert Hammond show a glimpse into the life of Mary, who seems to be a woman who came to town with her crew, including cowboys, playboys, and hairdressers. She rented a small apartment and settled in with her belongings, including her turquoise and pills. The song speaks about the triumphs and struggles of Mary's life.
The song explains how Mary, at one point, side-stepped the Hollywood blues and lived life on her own terms. However, when she ran out of money, her friends and family started to drift away, and she learned that there's a limit to what she can do with a small purse. In the end, Mary blasts off somewhere new with someone new, and nobody knows anything about him or where he comes from.
Overall, the lyrics show how Mary was a free spirit who lived her life on her own terms. Even when faced with struggles and uncertainty, she remained true to herself and continued to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
You came into town with your truck and your wardrobe
You arrived in town with your truck carrying your belongings and your wardrobe full of your clothes.
Your turquoise, your pills and the crew
You came with your turquoise accessories, your pills and the group of people you were with.
Your cowboys, your playboys, the studs and the gay boys
You were accompanied by your cowboys, playboys, attractive men, and gay friends.
Your gals and your hairdresser too
You also had your female friends and your hairdresser with you.
And you rented a small apartment, and everyone settled in
You rented a small place, and everyone got comfortable there.
Midst the pillows, the beads and the stereo leads and the ups and the downs in the gin
Your place was filled with pillows, beads, stereo components, and emotional ups and downs with alcohol consumption.
Oh Mary, oh Mary, the stars of the prairie
Oh Mary, the stars of the countryside
Still shine on your high stepping shoes
And your fancy shoes still attract attention.
But those were the days, Mary, those were the days
But those days are gone, Mary.
When you side stepped the Hollywood blues
When you avoided the negative experiences of Hollywood.
When the money ran low all your friends found excuses
When you ran out of money, your friends came up with excuses to leave.
The family soon fell apart
Your family fell apart soon after.
And you learned there's a limit to what you can do
You realized that there are limits to what you can achieve.
When your purse ain't as big as your heart
Especially when you cannot do things you would love to do because you don't have the funds.
But still you're blasting off somewhere on something with somebody new
But you're still going off on adventures with someone new.
And nobody knows what he does, where he comes from, nobody, least of all you
Nobody knows who he is or where he comes from, not even you.
Oh Mary, oh Mary, the stars of the prairie
Oh Mary, the stars of the countryside
Still shine on your high stepping shoes
And your fancy shoes still attract attention.
But those were the days, Mary, those were the days
But those days are gone, Mary.
When you side stepped the Hollywood blues
When you avoided the negative experiences of Hollywood.
Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.