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".
If I Could Be Sonja Henie
Christine Lavin Lyrics
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I'd relive black and white celluloid dreams
My favorites of all starred Sonja Henie
The perennial winter carnival queen
Oh the plots were not what you'd call complicated
Though the music and the costumes were divine
Sonja skated her way in and out of our hearts
The men wore tuxedos then
The women wore beaded gowns
Every night was spent
Painting the town
Another shade of red
Not blue
Oh if I could be Sonja Henie
I'd pretend that her leading man was you
The men wore tuxedos
Women, beaded gowns
Every night was spent
Painting the town
Another shade of red
Never blue
Oh if I could be Sonja Henie
I'd pretend that her leading man was you
If I can be Sonja Henie
I'll pretend her leading man is you
The lyrics to Christine Lavin's song "If I Could Be Sonja Henie" depict the singer's desire to experience the glamour and romance of old Hollywood films. The singer idolizes the famous figure skater and movie star Sonja Henie, who is remembered as the "perennial winter carnival queen." The singer longs to step into Henie's shoes and live the glamorous life of her movie characters, skating her way into the hearts of audiences while dressed in divine costumes.
The lyrics focus on the simplicity of the movie plots, emphasizing the music and costumes as the driving forces of the films. The singer yearns to be a part of this golden era of Hollywood, where men wore tuxedos and women dressed in beaded gowns, and every night was spent painting the town a shade of red. The singer longs to pretend that they are Sonja Henie, and that her leading man is the object of their affection.
Overall, the lyrics to "If I Could Be Sonja Henie" evoke a sense of nostalgia for the glamour and romance of old Hollywood movies, and capture the wistful dreams of those who long to step into the silver screen.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh if I could spend my life in the movies
If the singer could live life as an actor in movies, they would want to.
I'd relive black and white celluloid dreams
The singer wants to experience the nostalgic feelings from old movies filmed in black and white again.
My favorites of all starred Sonja Henie
Out of all the movies the singer watched, their favorite ones had Sonja Henie as the star.
The perennial winter carnival queen
Sonja Henie's popularity and fame was established as the best winter carnival queen in various movies.
Oh the plots were not what you'd call complicated
The movie plots featuring Sonja Henie were quite basic and didn't involve complex story lines.
Though the music and the costumes were divine
The music and costumes used in Sonja Henie's movies were very impressive and divine in the eyes of the singer.
Sonja skated her way in and out of our hearts
Sonja Henie's on-screen character and her ice-skating performances made her a beloved figure in their heart.
Skated her way into time
Sonja Henie's popularity and influence lasted for a long time after her movies were released.
The men wore tuxedos then
In those movies, male characters were typically dressed in formal tuxedos.
The women wore beaded gowns
In those movies, female characters were often dressed in elegant gowns decorated with beads.
Every night was spent painting the town
The characters in the movies would spend every night enjoying themselves and having a good time, going out and about town.
Another shade of red, not blue
The characters would have a lively night with excitement and passion, rather than being down and dull like the color blue.
Oh if I could be Sonja Henie
The singer wishes they could be like Sonja Henie in the movies.
I'd pretend that her leading man was you
If the singer were Sonja Henie, they would pretend their leading man in the movie was the person the singer desires.
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.