Tabor's earliest public performances were at the Heart of England Folk Club (at the Fox and Vivian pub) in Leamington Spa in the mid 1960s. In the late 1960s an appearance at the Sidmouth Folk Festival led to folk club bookings and she contributed to various records. One of her earliest recordings was in 1972 on an anthology called Stagfolk Live. She also featured on Rosie Hardman's Firebird (1972) and The First Folk Review Record (1974). At the time she was singing purely traditional unaccompanied material but in 1976 she collaborated with Maddy Prior on the Silly Sisters album and tour, with a full band that included Nic Jones. It provided the launching pad that same year (1976) for her first album in her own right, Airs and Graces. She later joined again with Prior, this time using the name Silly Sisters for their duo. Starting in 1977 Martin Simpson joined her in the recording studio for three albums before he moved to America in 1987. (Simpson has returned from America to be a guest guitarist on albums in the 2000s.) After his departure, she started working closely with pianist Huw Warren.
In 1990, Tabor recorded an album with the folk-rock band OysterBand entitled Freedom and Rain. She went on tour with OysterBand, and the Rykodisc label published a limited-run promotional live album the following year. Many of her current fans first discovered her through this tour and album with the OysterBand. In 1992 Elvis Costello wrote "All This Useless Beauty" specifically for Tabor, and she recorded it on Angel Tiger.
Since then her solo albums have included:
A Quiet Eye (1999)
Rosa Mundi (2001)
An Echo of Hooves (2003)
At the Wood's Heart (2005)
Apples (2007)
Ashore (2011)
Ragged Kingdom is a 2011 album by June Tabor & Oysterband.
Since 2006, Tabor has also been working with Huw Warren and Iain Ballamy as Quercus.
Website: www.junetabor.co.uk
Sophisticated Lady
June Tabor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just because you're caught in your social maze
I think it's 'bout time that you realize
Your money and your power's got you mesmerized
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
Educated lady with your college degree
Amazes me why you just can't see
Learned everything from your books on the shelf
But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
I can help you be what you want to be
Together we'll see many brighter days
If it takes forever, gonna change your ways
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
The song "Sophisticated Lady" by June Tabor is a commentary on the concepts of power, education, and social status. The lyrics describe a woman who is so caught up in her own wealth and status that she uses it to control and manipulate those around her. Tabor urges her to "put on her blue jeans" and be more down-to-earth, reminding her that she is no different from anyone else once her mother is gone.
The lyrics also touch upon the idea of education and its limitations. Tabor suggests that the educated woman has learned everything from books, but no one has taught her how to think for herself. In this way, "Sophisticated Lady" is a critique of societal constructs and social norms. The song challenges the idea that power and education are the only ways to achieve success and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Sophisticated lady tryin' to change my ways
The singer is being challenged to change by someone who thinks they are better due to their socioeconomic status.
Just because you're caught in your social maze
The person challenging the singer is trapped in a societal system that encourages them to value money and power over personal growth.
I think it's 'bout time that you realize
The singer believes that the person challenging them needs to come to a new understanding of what truly matters in life.
Your money and your power's got you mesmerized
The person challenging the artist is obsessed with their socioeconomic status and has lost sight of what is truly important.
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
The artist is encouraging the person challenging them to let down their barriers and be more approachable and relatable.
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
No matter how much social status someone has, they still need love and connection like everyone else.
Educated lady with your college degree
The person challenging the singer has a higher education and should be able to think critically and independently.
Amazes me why you just can't see
The artist is perplexed as to why someone with such a higher education is unable to see the flaws in societal systems that value material possessions over personal growth.
Learned everything from your books on the shelf
The person challenging the artist has achieved an education but may not have gained practical experience or a broader perspective on life.
But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself
The person challenging the artist may have been taught a certain way of thinking by education systems and societal norms, without learning how to challenge and form their own beliefs.
Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
The singer believes they have valuable knowledge or experience to share with the person challenging them.
I can help you be what you want to be
The artist is willing to help the person challenging them grow and change in a positive way.
Together we'll see many brighter days
The singer and the person challenging them can work together to make positive changes in their lives and make the world a better place.
If it takes forever, gonna change your ways
The singer is committed to helping the person challenging them even if it takes a long time to see results.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edward Kennedy Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind