According to her Facebook page, LaVere "routinely gets antsy" [impatient, or restless] after she’s been off the road awhile. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana and a native of Bethany, Texas, she’s really more a child of America - a self-described “General Motors brat” whose father’s jobs kept her small family frequently on the move. Her life as a touring musician seems tailor-made for a woman who is seemingly one part upright bassist and another part gypsy.
More recently LaVere says she’s been surprised at how much she’s enjoyed “nesting” in the Midtown Memphis home she shares with Paul Taylor, her boyfriend and collaborator. Typical afternoons have found her in between bursts of household chores, sips of warm tea, back-scratches for her lab mix, Charlie, and living-room band practice with Paul and guitarist Steve Selvidge. In the early evening, with the temperature hovering in the teens outside, there’s dinner as classical music plays underneath.
Welcome to the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, right? But like the music on Amy’s stereo, this relative calm is merely a rest between movements.
LaVere’s music jumps genres as a mix of rockabilly, jazz and bluesy balladry. She doesn’t like categorizing it anyhow, and feels boxed in even by the notion. As in “Killing Him,” she sometimes lets the specter of death or consequences of murder inform her thoughts on love. (These days, she’s shaping what you might call a Civil War post-murder ballad.) But the uneven intersections in her work explain why she makes her home at the musical crossroads of Memphis.
The city has “serious pride in its history,” she says, “and I think Memphis walks a fine line with really trying to balance what is authentic… and also staying up with being progressive. It can be a real detriment to someone’s creativity to go into a town (elsewhere) that has a cookie-cutter sort of thing that’s driving the music industry.” Here, she says, there is a more ad hoc system that keeps the process organic, allowing artists “to feel more free.”
She adds: “In Memphis, it’s perfectly acceptable if you want to wake up and drink a mimosa on your porch and then just stay drunk all day and have a social afternoon. It’s in no way looked down upon to truly relax here. It’s OK to just really enjoy life.”
Though excited by the exposure $5 Cover will provide her music, simply participating in the project means “my dreams have been fulfilled,” she says. After small parts in “Walk the Line” and Craig Brewer’s 2007 film “Black Snake Moan,” she remains a performer who thrills whenever her music hits the radio.
“I was out with Paul Christmas shopping, and I was worn out,” she recalls. “Paul went in to get a gift, and I was sitting in the van waiting on him. I was starving and cranky. And they played ‘Killing Him’ on the radio. And I said, ‘Awwww, they’re playing my song! It’s awesome to think you work hard at something, and it actually sees the light of day.”
www.amylavere.com
Washing Machine
Amy LaVere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her best friend was her own heart beat
With every little step she'd take
She'd get one step closer to leaving
sitting in her kitchen at night
She listened to her washing machine
Just wishing that she could leave
she could hear it in her head sometimes
Like the change that she keeps saving in a jar
The chains on the front porch swing
Were creaking like steps in the dark
one day soon this is all gonna end
One day soon maybe it'll all begin
she took from him all the time
He was the best she'd ever seen
Oh he was stomping up and down the hall
But she could still hear her washing machine
she could hear it in her head sometimes
Like the change that she keeps saving in a jar
The chains on the front porch swing
Were creaking like steps in the dark
One day soon this is all gonna end
One day soon maybe it'll all begin
what a fine man
Fine man for me
A little too much for me
For me and my washing machine
In "Washing Machine," Amy LaVere presents a poignant yet hopeful depiction of a woman's inner struggle to break free from a toxic relationship and start anew. The song is structured around the recurring imagery of household objects as symbols for the singer's emotions and desires. The first few lines set the scene at night, with the woman walking to the park alone, seeking solace in the rhythm of her own heartbeat. The use of the word "best friend" highlights her sense of isolation and dependence on herself. As she walks, every step she takes brings her closer to leaving her current situation, but the gravity of the decision weighs heavy on her mind.
The second verse shifts the setting to the woman's kitchen, where she listens to her washing machine running. Here, the appliance takes on a dual meaning: on one hand, it represents the mundanity and routine of her life, as she thinks about the endless "loads to clean." On the other hand, it also becomes a source of comfort, almost like a lullaby, as she wishes for a way out. The connection between the washing machine and the "change in a jar" and the "creaking chains" outside her porch highlights the recurring theme of repetition and stagnancy.
In the final verse, the woman reflects on her past relationship with a man that she took "from...all the time." While he was initially the "best she'd ever seen," his presence now only serves as a hindrance to her leaving. The powerful image of him "stomping up and down the hall" contrasts with the gentle hum of the washing machine, which is still audible despite his noise. In the end, she affirms her desire for independence by acknowledging that the man, though a "fine man," may be too much for her and her washing machine to handle.
Line by Line Meaning
She walked to the park in the dark
She went to the park when it was dark outside
Her best friend was her own heart beat
She didn't have anyone with her, so she relied on herself
With every little step she'd take
Each step brought her closer to something
She'd get one step closer to leaving
The steps were leading her towards leaving something behind
Sitting in her kitchen at night
She was alone in her kitchen at night
She listened to her washing machine
The sound of the washing machine was the only thing she heard
Just wishing that she could leave
She wanted to leave where she was
But there were so many loads to clean
She still had a lot of work to do before she could leave
She could hear it in her head sometimes
The sound of the washing machine stayed with her, even when it was turned off
Like the change that she keeps saving in a jar
The sound was as constant as the coins she saved in a jar
The chains on the front porch swing
The sound of the chains on the porch swing
Were creaking like steps in the dark
Sounded like footsteps in the darkness
One day soon this is all gonna end
She knows that this won't last forever
One day soon maybe it'll all begin
Something new, something better might be starting soon
She took from him all the time
She used the other person's time
He was the best she'd ever seen
He was the best thing in her life
Oh, he was stomping up and down the hall
He was angry and loud
But she could still hear her washing machine
Even with the noise, the washing machine was still there
What a fine man
He was a great person
Fine man for me
But not right for her
A little too much for me
He was too much for her to handle
For me and my washing machine
She didn't want anything to get in the way of her wanting to leave
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Abbey Carter
She walked through the park in the dark
Her best friend was her own heart beat
With every little step she'd take
She'd get one step closer to leaving
Sitting in her kitchen at night
She listened to the washing machine
Just wishing that she could leave
But there were so many loads to clean
She could hear it in her head sometimes
Like the change that she was saving in a jar
And the chains on the front porch swing
Were creaking like steps in the dark
One day soon this is all gonna end
One day soon maybe it'll all begin
He'd tell it to her all the time
He was the best thing she'd ever see
Oh he was stomping up and down the hall
But she could still hear the washing machine
She could hear it in her head sometimes
Like the change that she was saving in a jar
And the chains on the front porch swing
Were creaking like steps in the dark
One day soon this is all gonna end
One day soon maybe it'll all begin
What a fine mess
Pretty fine indeed
But it's just too much for me
For me and my washing machine
Jon Davis
Great band. Loved David Cousar's guitar solos on this session.
Sondra Sneed
The best songwriter I've heard in a long time! Where is she now?
NANCI AAY
WHAT TALLENT !!
justcallmethelma
loved it!
James Ray
She will be going places
John Schuur
original! great groove...nice song
Mick
Am I the first one to compliment the quality of the video!? Nice video, really clean and well-shot!
Abbey Carter
She walked through the park in the dark
Her best friend was her own heart beat
With every little step she'd take
She'd get one step closer to leaving
Sitting in her kitchen at night
She listened to the washing machine
Just wishing that she could leave
But there were so many loads to clean
She could hear it in her head sometimes
Like the change that she was saving in a jar
And the chains on the front porch swing
Were creaking like steps in the dark
One day soon this is all gonna end
One day soon maybe it'll all begin
He'd tell it to her all the time
He was the best thing she'd ever see
Oh he was stomping up and down the hall
But she could still hear the washing machine
She could hear it in her head sometimes
Like the change that she was saving in a jar
And the chains on the front porch swing
Were creaking like steps in the dark
One day soon this is all gonna end
One day soon maybe it'll all begin
What a fine mess
Pretty fine indeed
But it's just too much for me
For me and my washing machine
Arjan Loeve
i like it!
Oneshot8242
Screw X-Factor... what the world needs is Threadgill's.