Born to a working-class family, Ferry studied fine art and taught at a secondary school before pursuing a career in music. In 1970 he began to assemble the rock band Roxy Music with a group of friends and acquaintances in London, and took the role of lead singer and main songwriter. The band achieved immediate international success with the release of their eponymous debut album in 1972, containing a rich multitude of sounds, which reflected Ferry's interest in exploring different genres of music. Their second album, For Your Pleasure (1973), further cultivated the band's unique sound and visual image that would establish Ferry as a leading cultural icon over the next decade.
Ferry began a parallel solo career in 1973 by releasing These Foolish Things, which popularized for the first time the concept of a contemporary musician releasing an album covering standard songs and was a drastic departure from his ongoing work with Roxy Music. His second album, Another Time, Another Place (1974), featured as its cover image Ferry posing by a pool in a white dinner jacket and represented one of his most impactful fashion statements. Over the next two years, Roxy Music released a trilogy of albums, Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974) and Siren (1975), which broadened the band's appeal internationally and saw Ferry take greater interest in the role of a live performer, reinventing himself in stage costumes ranging from gaucho to military uniforms.
Ferry disbanded Roxy Music following the release of their best-selling album Avalon in 1982 to concentrate on his solo career, releasing further singles such as "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" and the UK no. 1 album Boys and Girls in 1985. Including his work with Roxy Music, Ferry has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
As well as being a prolific songwriter, Ferry has recorded many cover versions, including standards from the Great American Songbook, in albums such as These Foolish Things (1973), Another Time, Another Place (1974), Let's Stick Together (1976), Taxi (1993) and As Time Goes By (1999), as well as Dylanesque (2007), an album of Bob Dylan covers. In 2019, Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Ferry
Studio albums
These Foolish Things (1973)
Another Time, Another Place (1974)
Let's Stick Together (1976)
In Your Mind (1977)
The Bride Stripped Bare (1978)
Boys and Girls (1985)
Bête Noire (1987)
Taxi (1993)
Mamouna (1994)
As Time Goes By (1999)
Frantic (2002)
Dylanesque (2007)
Olympia (2010)
The Jazz Age (2012)
Avonmore (2014)
Bitter-Sweet (2018)
Stone Woman
Bryan Ferry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a river of no return
Diamonds they're your only friend tonight
Break the mirror and bang the drum
Let's be cool about it
Oh we're cool about it now
Stone woman, the pain is gone
What do you see on the street tonight, nothing
But another heartbreak hotel
Stranger, you're the only friend tonight
Pick a number and ring the bell
Let's be cool about it
Oh we're cool about it now
Stone woman, the pain is gone
And the pleasure has just begun
Bryan Ferry's "Stone Woman" is a reflective piece on the experiences one can go through while walking the streets alone at night. The lyrics tell a story of emptiness, loneliness and the search for comfort in various places. The opening line, "What do you find on the street tonight? Nothing," sets the mood for the entire the song. The character in the song is walking aimlessly with no particular destination in mind, it's a "river of no return."
The lyrics paint a picture of desperation for any sort of companionship. The line, "Diamonds they're your only friend tonight," suggests that in a world lacking in true friends or love, materialistic items can be seen as the only way to fill the emotional void. The character grapples with the pain of previous heartbreaks and searches for pleasure in the present moment.
"Stone woman" is a metaphorical representation of someone who may be guarded or unwilling to let their emotions show, hence the stone exterior. Despite the continual heartaches, the character finds solace in the fact that the pain has subsided and that pleasure is soon to follow.
Overall "Stone Woman" is a reflection on the struggles of loneliness and the search for fulfillment. The lyrics depict a character who is searching for companionship, battling the pain of past heartbreaks, all while traversing through a river of emptiness with little hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
What do you find on the street tonight? nothing
There is nothing interesting or worthwhile to be found on the street at present.
It's a river of no return
This situation or place is one that cannot be easily escaped or reversed, like a strong current in a river flowing in only one direction.
Diamonds they're your only friend tonight
When one has no true friends or companionship, material possessions and wealth may be the only source of comfort or solace.
Break the mirror and bang the drum
Act out, rebel or make some noise - this is a moment or situation when one may want to shatter preconceptions or do some unconventional things.
Let's be cool about it
Let's stay calm or relaxed, not overreact and handle this situation with equanimity.
Oh we're cool about it now
We have achieved a state of laid back, unruffled composure at present.
Stone woman, the pain is gone
The female referred to as 'stone woman' is perhaps someone who has now become cold or detached emotionally, and hence is no longer prone to feeling pain or emotional pain.
And the pleasure is yet to come
The future is pregnant with tantalizing possibilities of pleasure or enjoyment.
What do you see on the street tonight, nothing
There is nothing to see or observe that is of note or interest on the streets tonight.
But another heartbreak hotel
The present location, situation or experience is reminiscent of a place where one has experienced heartache or emotional trauma in the past.
Stranger, you're the only friend tonight
As in the earlier lines, the concept of feeling a sense of loneliness or isolation is reiterated here, and the presence of someone, even a stranger, is seen as a welcome relief.
Pick a number and ring the bell
Take your pick, choose any option, the path you opt for will lead to some definite outcome.
And the pleasure has just begun
The excitement or pleasure that one is about to experience is only at the outset, there is so much more to come.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRYAN FERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brolicc2869
What do you find on the street tonight? nothing
It's a river of no return
Diamonds they're your only friend tonight
Break the mirror and bang the drum
Let's be cool about it
Oh we're cool about it now
Stone woman, the pain is gone
And the pleasure is yet to come
What do you see on the street tonight, nothing
But another heartbreak hotel
Stranger, you're the only friend tonight
Pick a number and ring the bell
Let's be cool about it
Oh we're cool about it now
Stone woman, the pain is gone
And the pleasure has just begun
@brunoghini6206
Perfect bass line.
@rezervoardogs
Whole instrumental and especially Ferry's voice is amazing, but bass in this song is on another level for me.
@lakisveinsson7459
@@rezervoardogs Marcus Miller
@megasoid
Marcus Miller is killing it here on bass.
@sailorgregor
without a doubt, one of the best albums to come out of the 80s ... if not the best. Superior in every respect, start to finish. Add Knopfler's and Gilmour's guitars ... bliss.
@RU2AIM
Now I don't have to post a comment - you've already summed it up.
@magicknight13
Completely agreed!!!
@rinkydinkron
@@RU2AIMCouldn't agree more. This album is class, beauty and perfection rolled into one!
The breakdown/snare crash at 2.34 has been making my hair stand on end for forty years. ♥
@midwestindustrialfloors4072
THE production of this cut was incredible
@MickAneworderfan
Superb bass and guitar!