She is known for her sense of humor, which is expressed in both her music and her onstage performances. Many of her songs alternate between emotional reflections on romance and outright comedy. Two of her more famous songs include "Sensitive New Age Guys" and "Bald Headed Men".
Giant TV Screen
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trouble on his mind
Glass in his hand
Killin' time
So he eats aonther salted hors d'oeurve
Has another drink to steady his nerves
And wonders about the solitary woman sitting across from him at the bar
Worries on her mind
Purse clutched in her lap
Wonderin' where the time is gone
She knows that he is staring at her
Could something be the matter
Or is he just another lonely traveler like her
And the bartender is humming "Strangers in The Night"
Measures a pink lady by the artificial light
And the Yankees take the field on the Giant TV Screen
She wishes he would buy her a drink
She's afraid of what he must think
of women who come into this kind of place alone
So she leaves a dollar on the bar
Gets up, goes out to her car and
Drives, but not real far
'Cause there's another bar right down the road
And the Bartender is humming "Strangers in the Night"
And measures a wallbanger by the artificial light
And the Angels take the field on the Giant TV Screen
Then he wishes he had bought her that drink
He's afraid of what she must think
Of men who spends so much time in this place alone
So he drops a dollar down on the bar
Gets up, he goes out to his car
Drives, but not real far
'Cause there's another bar right up the road
And the bartender is singing "Strangers in the Night"
Makes himself a strong one by dawns early light
And Reggie hits a home run on the Giant TV Screen
And he eats another salted hor'dourve
Has a drink to calm his nerves
And wonders about the people he serves
Every night here at the bar
He's afraid to look in the mirror
Afraid of what he might see
Can't give a straight answer
If you ask him what the trouble might be
He's scared of growing older
But he's scared he might not grow up at all
He stopped trying to make time stand still
When he learned how to make it crawl
Every night he goes to bed and wonders "is it me?"
That keeps on holding out for something never meant to be
She's afraid to look in the mirror
Afraid of what she'll see there
A woman with anger in her eyes
And grey streaks in her hair
The song "Giant TV Screen" by Christine Lavin is a story told from two different perspectives - that of a man and a woman who are both alone at a bar, possibly looking for a connection. The man has Brill Cream in his hair and a glass in his hand, killing time and steadying his nerves with drinks and hors d'oeuvres. He notices the woman and wonders about her, and later regrets not talking to her. Meanwhile, the woman is also worrying about the passage of time and wondering why she's alone. She's afraid of what the man might think of her being there by herself and eventually leaves for another bar. The bartender is humming "Strangers in The Night" and the Yankees (later, the Angels and Reggie) are playing on the giant TV screen, highlighting the monotony of the man's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Brill Cream in his hair
He has styled his hair using Brill Cream
Trouble on his mind
He is worried and anxious
Glass in his hand
He is holding a glass, likely filled with alcohol
Killin' time
He is wasting time, waiting for something to happen
So he eats another salted hors d'oeurve
To pass the time, he snacks on another salty appetizer
Has another drink to steady his nerves
He drinks more alcohol to calm his nerves
And wonders about the solitary woman sitting across from him at the bar
He is curious about the woman sitting alone across from him at the bar
Streaks in her hair
She has grey streaks in her hair
Worries on her mind
She is worried and anxious
Purse clutched in her lap
She is holding her purse tightly on her lap
Wonderin' where the time is gone
She is reflecting on how fast time has passed
She knows that he is staring at her
She is aware that he is looking at her
Could something be the matter
She wonders if there is something wrong
Or is he just another lonely traveler like her
She wonders if he is also a lonely person
And the bartender is humming "Strangers in The Night"
The bartender is singing the song "Strangers in The Night"
Measures a pink lady by the artificial light
The bartender is making a drink called a "pink lady" using the artificial light
And the Yankees take the field on the Giant TV Screen
A baseball game featuring the Yankees is playing on the large TV screen
She wishes he would buy her a drink
She wants him to buy her a drink
She's afraid of what he must think of women who come into this kind of place alone
She is worried about what he thinks of women who come to bars alone
So she leaves a dollar on the bar
She pays for her drink and leaves a tip on the bar
Gets up, goes out to her car and drives, but not real far
She finishes her drink, leaves the bar, and drives a short distance
'Cause there's another bar right down the road
She is heading to another bar located nearby
Then he wishes he had bought her that drink
He regrets not buying her a drink earlier
He's afraid of what she must think of men who spend so much time in this place alone
He is worried about what she thinks of men who frequent bars alone
So he drops a dollar down on the bar
He pays for his drink and leaves a tip on the bar
Gets up, he goes out to his car
He finishes his drink, exits the bar, and heads to his car
Drives, but not real far
He does not drive very far
'Cause there's another bar right up the road
He is heading to another bar located nearby
And the bartender is singing "Strangers in the Night"
The bartender is singing the song "Strangers in The Night"
Makes himself a strong one by dawn's early light
The bartender is making a strong drink using the light of the early morning sun
And Reggie hits a home run on the Giant TV Screen
A baseball player named Reggie hits a home run on the large TV screen
And he eats another salted hor'dourve
He snacks on another salty appetizer
Has a drink to calm his nerves
He drinks more alcohol to calm his nerves
And wonders about the people he serves
He reflects on the customers he serves every night
Every night he goes to bed and wonders "is it me?"
Every night, he questions himself about his actions and behavior
That keeps on holding out for something never meant to be
He keeps holding onto something that was never meant to happen
She's afraid to look in the mirror
She is scared to see her reflection in the mirror
Afraid of what she'll see there
She is worried about what she will see in the mirror
A woman with anger in her eyes
She has anger in her eyes
And grey streaks in her hair
She has grey streaks in her hair
Contributed by Nora B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.