Cook's West Virginia-born mother played guitar and mandolin and sang on local radio shows. Her father, a Georgia native, also performed country music and served jail time for running moonshine. Upon his release, he and Elizabeth's mother played in local bands together, eventually marrying. Elizabeth, born in 1972, moved to Nashville in her twenties and quickly got a publishing deal. Demos recorded between 1997 and 2000 comprised her independently released debut album, "The Blue Album", which showcased her formidable songwriting ability and featured such well-known Music City musicians as Tim Carroll, Kenny Vaughan, and Rick Schell.
She made her major label debut in 2002 with "Hey Y'All". But following a corporate re-structuring that left the album virtually abandoned and stagnant on sales, Elizabeth fought back with her 2005 independent release "This Side Of The Moon", which received positive reviews.
Her album "Balls" was released May 2007. It was been her most successful album to date, thanks to glowing press reviews and significant video play for the song "Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman."
Her 2010 album Welder features appearances by an all-star roster of guests including Dwight Yoakam, Crowell and Buddy Miller, and continued her increasing popularity becoming her highest charting album in the U.S.
Her album "Gospel Plow" was released June 2012.
Cook hosts the morning radio show "Elizabeth Cook's Apron Strings" on the Sirius XM radio station Outlaw Country on Channel 60. The show airs weekdays from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM (Eastern Time). The show format is a mix of Americana, Outlaw, and Alt Country.
In 2016, Cook released her sixth studio album Exodus of Venus.
Official Site
Mary The Submissing Years
Elizabeth Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When Mary got a note from this guy named Gabe
She don't remember getting pregnant but, she did
And by all accounts she churned out one heckuva kid
But walking home from church one day, he just up and disappeared
Maybe he went to find Santa or maybe he went to get beer
He was just twelve years old, this miracle she carried
It was all so confusing, she wasn't even married
Who despite her old age, also had one in the oven
And in a duplex with a busted cement gnome
Chattanooga was as good as home
That's in Tennessee
There's Barbie lovers and firecrackers, train trackers, Coca Cola makers, insurance takers
And a lotta hot preachers
Sarah bought some brownies
Shawna bought Rose'
They almost booked a beach trip
But they didn't have a way
They baked biscuits at daylight
For whoever might stop by
But they didn't get a lotta callers at
The corner of Do or Die
Sweet tea was flowin' and so were the tears
As Mary lived out her submissing years
Not really free and sure not a boss
Just mostly lonely and mostly lost
Wherever Jesus was and whatever God had in mind
She hoped her boy was out there somewhere having a good time
Cause chance just seems to fall out of sky
And that's if you're lucky and the weather was dry
Lots of letters from Mama came, full of worry and I told ya's
So she curled up on the couch and watched Steel Magnolias
She baked a cake and baked a ham
She opened an account on Instagram
Cause that's what ya did back then
Mary was a good ol gal
She didn't deserve this shit
She wrote her lines out one at a time
And she didn't complain one bit
She saw Sinead cover Loretta on Saturday Night Live
Like every good virgin does
But she spent most her time just sittin' round wondering
Where in the hell Jesus was
Sarah bought the brownies
Shawna bought Rose'
They almost booked a beach trip
But they didn't have a way
They baked biscuits at daylight
For whoever might stop by
But they didn't get a lotta callers at
The corner of Do or Die
Time went by like molasses
So she signed up for some classes
But it seemed there were no real answers
Just a lotta fast food and raunchy dancers
And things everywhere were the worst kind of wild
She knew in her gut they were coming for her child
With bumpers and thumpers and guns ablazing
Ol Jesus was in for some gnarly hazing
Frat boy hazing that is, the worst kind
She thought oh my God, what have I done
He's a bottle of milk and all the love inside him is mine
They're gonna kill my baby, they don't like him none
So she cut off all her hair, she thought she might could get there
If they would just mistake her for a man
It looked kinda mod, it probably wouldn't please God
But she had to have some kind of plan
Turns out there are no fish at the end of a lightning rod
And the worst thing you can grow up to be is the son of God
I'm not sure there's anything anybody can do
When people will kill ya even when there's nothing wrong with you
So come gather round me friends, all my contemporary peers
And I tell you all the story of Mary,
The submissing years
In "Mary The Submissing Years," Elizabeth Cook tells the story of Mary, who receives a note from a guy named Gabe and later realizes she is pregnant. Despite not remembering how she got pregnant, Mary gives birth to a remarkable child. However, when the child is twelve years old, he suddenly disappears. Mary wonders if he went off to find Santa or went to get beer. This event adds confusion to her already complicated situation, as she was not even married when she became pregnant. Feeling lost and unsure of what to do, Mary flees to Elizabeth, her eldest cousin, who is also pregnant. They find themselves in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which becomes their new home.
The second verse introduces Sarah and Shawna, who made brownies and rosé and contemplated going on a beach trip. However, they didn't have the means to make it happen. Instead, they baked biscuits in the morning, hoping someone would stop by. Unfortunately, their location at the corner of "Do or Die" didn't attract many callers.
Mary's life continues to be filled with loneliness and feelings of submission. She is not truly free and is far from being in control of her own life. Even though she hopes her son is out there enjoying his life, she can't shake the feeling of worry and concern. Mary receives letters from her mother, filled with worry and the "I told you so" mindset. To pass the time, she watches Steel Magnolias, bakes cakes and hams, and even creates an Instagram account (a reference to modern times) in an effort to distract herself.
In the final verse, Mary signs up for classes but finds no real answers. The world around her is chaotic, with fast food and raunchy dancers dominating her surroundings. She becomes consumed by fear that her child will be targeted by those who oppose him. Desperate to protect him, she cuts off her hair, hoping to be mistaken for a man and evade any danger. Despite her efforts, Mary realizes she cannot change the course of events. She reflects on the harsh reality that being the son of God can lead to persecution and ultimately, death. Mary accepts her powerlessness in the face of this tragedy.
In the last lines, Cook invites her contemporary peers to gather around and listen to the story of Mary, who experiences the submissing years. It is a tale of hardship, fear, and the inability to alter the predetermined path. The lyrics express the injustice of a world where people are targeted and killed even when they have done no wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
It was hot, 100 in the shade
The weather was scorching hot, reaching 100 degrees in the shade.
When Mary got a note from this guy named Gabe
Mary received a letter from a man named Gabe.
She don't remember getting pregnant but, she did
Mary has no recollection of how she became pregnant, but she was.
And by all accounts she churned out one heckuva kid
Despite the circumstances, Mary gave birth to an exceptional child.
But walking home from church one day, he just up and disappeared
One day, while walking home from church, her child unexpectedly vanished.
Maybe he went to find Santa or maybe he went to get beer
There are various possibilities for her child's sudden absence, whether it be seeking Santa or indulging in alcohol.
He was just twelve years old, this miracle she carried
At the tender age of twelve, Mary carried this extraordinary miracle.
It was all so confusing, she wasn't even married
The situation was incredibly perplexing, especially considering she was not married.
So she fled south to Elizabeth, her eldest cousin
Mary decided to escape to the south and seek refuge with her cousin Elizabeth.
Who despite her old age, also had one in the oven
Remarkably, despite Elizabeth's advanced age, she was also pregnant.
And in a duplex with a busted cement gnome
They resided in a duplex where a broken cement gnome adorned the surroundings.
Chattanooga was as good as home
Chattanooga served as a place they could call home.
That's in Tennessee
Chattanooga is located within the state of Tennessee.
There's Barbie lovers and firecrackers, train trackers, Coca Cola makers, insurance takers
In Chattanooga, you'll find individuals passionate about Barbie dolls, fireworks, trains, Coca Cola production, and the insurance industry.
And a lotta hot preachers
The city also boasts a substantial number of charismatic preachers.
Sarah bought some brownies
Sarah purchased brownies.
Shawna bought Rose'
Shawna acquired a bottle of Rose' (wine).
They almost booked a beach trip
Sarah and Shawna nearly planned a vacation to the beach.
But they didn't have a way
Unfortunately, they lacked the means to make the trip.
They baked biscuits at daylight
They dedicated their mornings to baking biscuits.
For whoever might stop by
Those biscuits were prepared for anyone who happened to visit.
But they didn't get a lotta callers at The corner of Do or Die
Unfortunately, they received few visitors at their location known as 'The corner of Do or Die.'
Sweet tea was flowin' and so were the tears
In that atmosphere, sweet tea was constantly being poured, along with tears shed by Mary.
As Mary lived out her submissing years
Mary spent her days enduring the submissive and challenging period of her life.
Not really free and sure not a boss
Mary lacked true freedom and the ability to be in charge.
Just mostly lonely and mostly lost
Her days were mainly characterized by feelings of loneliness and being lost.
Wherever Jesus was and whatever God had in mind
Mary wondered about the whereabouts of Jesus and the divine plan of God.
She hoped her boy was out there somewhere having a good time
She held onto the hope that her son was somewhere, enjoying himself.
Cause chance just seems to fall out of sky
Sometimes, fortunate opportunities unexpectedly present themselves.
And that's if you're lucky and the weather was dry
However, luck and favorable circumstances are not always guaranteed.
Lots of letters from Mama came, full of worry and I told ya's
Mary received numerous letters from her mother expressing concern and providing advice.
So she curled up on the couch and watched Steel Magnolias
To find solace, Mary curled up on the couch and watched the film 'Steel Magnolias.'
She baked a cake and baked a ham
In her spare time, Mary occupied herself with baking both a cake and a ham.
She opened an account on Instagram
In a bid to keep up with the times, Mary created an Instagram account.
Cause that's what ya did back then
During that period, creating an Instagram account was considered a common practice.
Mary was a good ol gal
Mary was a reliable and respectable woman.
She didn't deserve this shit
The difficult circumstances she found herself in were undeserved.
She wrote her lines out one at a time
Mary meticulously crafted her thoughts and expressions line by line.
And she didn't complain one bit
Despite everything, Mary never uttered a complaint.
She saw Sinead cover Loretta on Saturday Night Live
Mary watched Sinead O'Connor perform an interpretation of Loretta Lynn's song on 'Saturday Night Live.'
Like every good virgin does
She observed the performance as any virtuous woman would.
But she spent most her time just sittin' round wondering
However, she mostly spent her time contemplating and questioning.
Where in the hell Jesus was
She desperately sought answers about the whereabouts and situation of Jesus.
Sarah bought the brownies
Sarah purchased the brownies mentioned earlier.
Shawna bought Rose'
Shawna acquired Rose' as previously mentioned.
They almost booked a beach trip
Sarah and Shawna once again came close to planning a beach vacation.
But they didn't have a way
Lack of means prevented them from making the trip.
They baked biscuits at daylight
They continued to bake biscuits in the mornings.
For whoever might stop by
The biscuits were prepared for anyone who might visit them.
But they didn't get a lotta callers at The corner of Do or Die
Unfortunately, their location at 'The corner of Do or Die' still received few visitors.
Time went by like molasses
Time passed slowly and sluggishly.
So she signed up for some classes
To occupy herself, Mary enrolled in educational courses.
But it seemed there were no real answers
However, she found that there were no concrete solutions or explanations.
Just a lotta fast food and raunchy dancers
Instead, she encountered an abundance of fast food options and provocative dancers.
And things everywhere were the worst kind of wild
The surroundings were chaotic and filled with unsettling elements.
She knew in her gut they were coming for her child
Deep down, she had a strong intuition that they were coming to harm her child.
With bumpers and thumpers and guns ablazing
She foresaw a dangerous situation involving aggressive individuals armed with guns.
Ol Jesus was in for some gnarly hazing
Jesus was about to experience severe and brutal mistreatment.
Frat boy hazing that is, the worst kind
She likened the impending mistreatment to the harsh initiation rituals performed by fraternity boys.
She thought oh my God, what have I done
Filled with fear and regret, she questioned her own actions and choices.
He's a bottle of milk and all the love inside him is mine
Considering her child's innocence and the love she held for him, she believed it was her responsibility to protect him.
They're gonna kill my baby, they don't like him none
She was deeply concerned that her child would be harmed due to the dislike others had towards him.
So she cut off all her hair, she thought she might could get there
In a desperate attempt to reach a safer place, she decided to cut off all her hair.
If they would just mistake her for a man
Her hope was that others would mistakenly perceive her as a man and leave her alone.
It looked kinda mod, it probably wouldn't please God
Although her appearance may have seemed trendy, she acknowledged that it might not be in accordance with God's expectations.
But she had to have some kind of plan
Even if uncertain, she needed to formulate some sort of strategy.
Turns out there are no fish at the end of a lightning rod
She discovered that pursuing unrealistic hopes and dreams would not lead to the desired outcomes.
And the worst thing you can grow up to be is the son of God
She realized that being the son of God could bring immense hardships and suffering.
I'm not sure there's anything anybody can do
She expressed doubt regarding the ability of anyone to change the situation.
When people will kill ya even when there's nothing wrong with you
She lamented the fact that people can be driven to harm others despite their innocence or lack of wrongdoing.
So come gather round me friends, all my contemporary peers
Mary implored her friends and fellow contemporaries to gather around her.
And I tell you all the story of Mary, The submissing years
She aimed to share the tale of her submissiveness during those challenging years.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Elizabeth Yvonne Cook
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind