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".
Rushcutter's Bay
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The joggers are jogging their lives away
My knees give out before I run a quarter K
I'm not an athletic girl
The Sydney sun is heating up the ground
The cricket batsman hits the ball then he runs around
I can't believe it's November, I'm upside down
But I still dream about him every night
I still dream about him every night
He comes to me when I turn out the light
I still dream about him
Austrailian boys know how to toss back a beer
The Aussie girls all want to get away from here
It's a universal problem, so far and so near
I see it everywhere I go
It's a battle of the sexes, it's a battle of wills
It's a push, it's a pull, it's a bittersweet pill
Ten thousand miles away and my heart beats still
For a man I may never know
But I still dream about him every night
I still dream about him every night
He comes to me when I turn out the light
I still dream about him
Crossing the street gives me a terrible fright
I look right, I look left, I look left, I look right
It's a mirror image, it's day for night
I hesitate, I run
I am a constant stranger, I'm a long lost-friend
Remind me of your name should we meet again
In a darkened alley up around the bend
Or in the Sydney sun.
And I still dream about him every night
I still dream about him every night
He comes to me when I turn out the light
I still dream about him
The boats are bobbing on Rushcutters Bay
The joggers are jogging their lives away
My knees give out, I can't run a quarter K
I'm still not an athletic girl
The Sydney sun is heating up the ground
The cricket batsman hits the wicket, now he's benchward bound
I can't believe it's November, I'm upside down
The other side of the world
In Christine Lavin's song Rushcutters Bay, she paints a vivid picture of Australia, specifically Sydney, as she talks about various elements of the culture and experiences she encounters. Rushcutters Bay is a real place, located in eastern Sydney, and she refers to the boats bobbing in the bay and joggers running by. However, Lavin gets personal as she talks about her own lack of athleticism, unable to run more than a quarter of a kilometer before her knees give out.
The chorus of the song reveals the deeper emotional layer, as Lavin admits that despite being so far away in Australia, she still dreams about a man every night. She also comments on the culture and people of Australia, noting that the men are good at drinking beer and the women want to escape. The battle of the sexes is universal, regardless of location, and Lavin admits to feeling like a constant stranger, both physically and emotionally. She concludes the song with a repetition of the boats bobbing in Rushcutters Bay and her own lack of athleticism, expressing a sense of detachment and disconnection from her surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
The boats are bobbing on Rushcutters Bay
I observe boats moving up and down when the water is waving at Rushcutters Bay
The joggers are jogging their lives away
I notice people running to the point of exhaustion to make the best of their lives
My knees give out before I run a quarter K
I cannot run more than 250 meters as my knees cannot endure anymore
I'm not an athletic girl
I am not fit or active by nature
The Sydney sun is heating up the ground
I feel the sun's rays making the ground hot in Sydney
The cricket batsman hits the ball then he runs around
I observe the cricket players batting and running around the field after hitting the ball
I can't believe it's November, I'm upside down
It is hard for me to acknowledge that it's November when it is summer in Sydney
The other side of the world
I am currently far from home in terms of location
But I still dream about him every night
I always see him in my dreams every night
He comes to me when I turn out the light
I see him in my thoughts when I switch off the light before sleeping
Australian boys know how to toss back a beer
Australian men are capable of drinking alcohol effortlessly
The Aussie girls all want to get away from here
The women of Australia are eager to leave the place they are at right now
It's a universal problem, so far and so near
This problem is common worldwide, although it is distant and close to me
I see it everywhere I go
I observe this issue wherever I travel to
It's a battle of the sexes, it's a battle of wills
It is a competition between genders, and there is a fight between individual's desires
It's a push, it's a pull, it's a bittersweet pill
It is both encouraging and discouraging, a mixed feeling
Ten thousand miles away and my heart beats still
Even though he is residing 10,000 miles away, I still have an emotional attachment to him
For a man I may never know
I may never get to personally experience this man or know him
Crossing the street gives me a terrible fright
I get scared when crossing streets
I look right, I look left, I look left, I look right
I check both directions of the road while crossing while getting frightened at the same time
It's a mirror image, it's day for night
It is similarly confusing as night appearing during the day or a mirror image being the opposite of the original
I hesitate, I run
I am unsure of whether I should continue crossing the street, however, I decide to go on
I am a constant stranger, I'm a long lost-friend
I constantly feel like a stranger everywhere I go, and at the same time, I've always been there before
Remind me of your name should we meet again
In case we meet for the second time, please refresh my memory by telling me your name
In a darkened alley up around the bend
Maybe we'll meet in an obscure or dark place nearby
Or in the Sydney sun
Or just by simply bumping into each other under the sun of Sydney
The boats are bobbing on Rushcutters Bay
I can still see the boats moving back and forth at Rushcutters Bay
The joggers are jogging their lives away
Even while I am at a standstill, the joggers keep running towards their goals
My knees give out, I can't run a quarter K
Despite my efforts, I am still unable to run a quarter kilometer
I'm still not an athletic girl
I remain unathletic
The cricket batsman hits the wicket, now he's benchward bound
I notice the cricket player getting out and leaving for the bench
Contributed by Grace I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.