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".
The Vacation of Their Lives
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She takes his in front of the car
At night, they eat in strange resturants
And drink in unfamiliar bars
Though they're miles and miles away from home
On the Vacation of Their Lives
Both of 'em watch their marriage decline
They haven't spent so much time alone
Since 1973
That's the year they drove up to Canada
And gazed at the cold, cold sea
Even then they were only too well aware
Of something missing in their lives
And now both of 'em watch their marriage decline
And dissolve right before their eyes
Oh it's his fault
It's her fault
It's his fault
OK
"I was wrong" he said
Though never meaning it
She scolds him
He holds her in bed
Out of habit
That's all
Oh he loves her
He hates her
She loves him
She hates how he loves her
And in the evening
They pretend not to hear sounds of laughter from across the hall
She smooths Ban do Solei on his back
As he poses in the sun
He tries to recall how it used to feel
When she was the only one
And they stare at the brightly colored sail boats
And the seagulls in the sky
But all they can see
Is love slipping away
And dissolving before their eyes
Oh, it's her fault
It's his fault
It's her fault
OK
"I was wrong" she said
Though never meaning it
He scolds her
She holds him in bed
Out of habit
That's all
She loves him
She hates him
He loves her
He hates how she's in love with him
And in the evening
They pretend not to hear sounds of love from across the hall
He snaps her photo in front of a monument
She snaps at him in the car
Tonight they'll find some cheap restaurant
And toast to the past in some bar
Though they're miles and miles and away from home
On the vacation of their lives
Both of them watch their marriage decline
And dissolve right before their eyes
Oh there's nothing quite sad
As the love that's gone bad
Between Husbands and Wives
Husbands and Wives
Husbands and Wives
The song "The Vacation of Their Lives" by Christine Lavin tells the story of a couple who go on a vacation to rekindle the romance in their marriage but in the process end up watching their marriage dissolve right before their eyes. Despite being miles away from home, they fail to reconnect with each other and the mutual blame game begins. They reminisce about their past and remember a trip they took to Canada in 1973 where they were aware that there was something missing in their lives. As they try to pose for photos and enjoy the scenic beauty around them, all they can see is love slipping away. The couple is stuck in a rut of blaming each other for their problems and yet continue to hold onto each other because of habit rather than love.
The lyrics of the song beautifully capture the crumbling state of a failing marriage. The use of descriptive words like "strange" and "unfamiliar" paints a picture of discomfort and unease. The repetition of the lines "It's his/her fault" highlights the blame game that takes place in failing relationships. The imagery of the couple taking photos of each other in front of a waterfall and a monument, while serving as holiday memories, also symbolizes how they have become mere props in each other's lives. The ending lines of the song "Oh there's nothing quite sad, As the love that's gone bad, Between Husbands and Wives" emphasizes the sadness and futility of failed relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
He snaps her photo in front of a waterfall
Capturing the moment with his camera, he takes her picture while she poses in front of a waterfall
She takes his in front of the car
She takes his photo in front of their car to document their trip
At night, they eat in strange resturants
During their travels, they dine at unfamiliar restaurants in the evenings
And drink in unfamiliar bars
They also venture to unknown bars and have a few drinks together
Though they're miles and miles away from home
Despite being far from home on their vacation
On the Vacation of Their Lives
The trip they're taking is a significant one, and their expectations are high
Both of 'em watch their marriage decline
Both of them are noticing their relationship slowly deteriorating
And dissolve right before their eyes
Their marriage is falling apart in front of them
They haven't spent so much time alone
They haven't spent this much time to themselves in a while
Since 1973
Not since their trip to Canada in 1973 have they spent so much time alone together
That's the year they drove up to Canada
The year that they took a road trip to Canada
And gazed at the cold, cold sea
While on that trip, they looked out and admired the ocean which was very cold
Even then they were only too well aware
Even back in Canada in 1973, they knew there was something missing in their lives and relationship
Of something missing in their lives
They both felt like something was lacking in their life together
Oh it's his fault
He takes the blame for their issues
It's her fault
She also takes responsibility for their problems
It's his fault
He admits that he is the one responsible for their troubles
OK
Acknowledgement of fault and acceptance that the situation is not okay
"I was wrong" he said
He attempts to make an apology by saying "I was wrong", but he doesn't fully mean it
Though never meaning it
He doesn't truly mean the things he says to try and make amends with her
She scolds him
She chastises him for his lack of sincerity or effort to fix their problems
He holds her in bed
At night, they hold each other physically
Out of habit
It's become almost routine or subconscious at this point
That's all
It's a physical action that doesn't quite convey the love and connection they used to have
Oh he loves her
Despite their issues, he still has feelings for her
He hates her
At the same time, he also feels negative emotions towards her and their situation
She loves him
She still loves him despite their problems
She hates how he loves her
She feels frustrated at how he still loves her despite the issues they face
And in the evening
During the night time
They pretend not to hear sounds of laughter from across the hall
They try to ignore the sounds of pleasant laughter coming from neighboring hotel rooms or other guests
She smooths Ban do Solei on his back
She applies sunscreen on his back, gently massaging it into his skin
As he poses in the sun
As he stands out in the sunshine and prepares for another day in the sun
He tries to recall how it used to feel
He tries to remember the warm feeling he used to have when they were together
When she was the only one
Thinking back to when they first fell in love and she was his only focus
And they stare at the brightly colored sail boats
They look out towards the harbor and see vibrant sail boats
And the seagulls in the sky
They also notice seagulls soaring and gliding in the sky overhead
But all they can see
Despite the beauty around them, they both can't help but only see their marriage troubles
Is love slipping away
Their love for each other is slowly vanishing
And dissolving before their eyes
They can physically see their love disappearing right before them
Oh, it's her fault
She is also taking responsibility for their relationship problems
It's his fault
Both of them are owning up to their part in their issues
It's her fault
She recognizes her own actions and the impact they've had on their relationship
OK
They both come to an agreement that things aren't okay right now
"I was wrong" she said
She tries to make an apology by saying "I was wrong", but it's not a genuine statement
Though never meaning it
Just like him, she doesn't truly mean the things she says to try and fix their problems
He scolds her
He also calls her out on her lack of effort or sincerity in regards to their relationship troubles
She holds him in bed
Like before, they cling to each other in bed at night
Out of habit
It's almost become a routine or pattern in their relationship
That's all
It's a physical action that doesn't quite capture the emotional connection they once had
She loves him
Despite everything, she still loves him
She hates him
She also feels some resentment towards him and the problems they're currently facing
He loves her
He too still has feelings for her, despite their troubles
He hates how she's in love with him
He feels frustrated that she still loves him despite the situation they're in
And in the evening
At night time again
They pretend not to hear sounds of love from across the hall
They try to ignore the sounds of other couples in love in adjacent rooms, which only emphasizes their own relationship issues
He snaps her photo in front of a monument
While sightseeing, he takes her photo in front of a notable landmark
She snaps at him in the car
Later on, she becomes short with him while they drive
Tonight they'll find some cheap restaurant
They plan on going to a less expensive restaurant for the evening meal
And toast to the past in some bar
They'll raise a glass to their past relationship moments over drinks at a bar
Oh there's nothing quite sad
There's a painful sadness in their relationship
As the love that's gone bad
As their love for each other turns sour
Between Husbands and Wives
Seeing this happen between a married couple is particularly heartbreaking
Husbands and Wives
Reiterating that the song is about the decline of a relationship between spouses
Contributed by Isaac B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.