Siffre released his first six albums of songs between 1970 and 1975, and a further three albums between 1988 and 1998. During this period he had several solo hits, including "It Must Be Love" (No. 14, 1971) (later covered by and a No. 4 hit for Madness, for which Siffre himself appeared in the video); "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" (No. 11, 1972); and "Watch Me" (No. 29, 1972). In 1978 two of his songs, "Solid Love" (performed by Siffre) and "We Got It Bad" (co-written and performed by Bob James) reached the UK finals of the BBC's A Song for Europe. His 1987 hit "(Something Inside) So Strong", which reached No. 4, was an anti-Apartheid anthem that won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically", and has since been used in Amnesty International campaigns, a television advertisement and Alice Walker's film against female genital mutilation: Warrior Marks.
In 1997, Siffre's play "DeathWrite" was staged at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and later televised.
His song "I Got The..." was sampled in rapper Eminem's hit single "My Name Is," Siffre, who is openly gay, said in an interview that he turned down the offer to approve the song at first until the original sexist and homophobic lyrics were removed: "Dissing the victims of bigotry – women as bitches, homosexuals as faggots – is lazy writing. Diss the bigots not their victims." Siffre eventually allowed its usage when he was sent a censored "clean" version, not realizing that he was also allowing the riffs use on the alternative "dirty" versions with the original lyrics.
In 1984 Siffre began writing poetry and has since released three books of poetry: "Blood on the Page" 1995 and "Monument" 1997. His poetry addresses a variety of themes, from theology and childhood to sociology, love, hate, language, critical thinking, and communication. In 2006, he released a new album, The Last Songs.
Blue Lady
Labi Siffre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blue in your hair
Butterfly glasses and sensible shoes
Gin on your table
A small one to start
Rings for your fingers
A drink for your heart
Pardon if I stare
I Hope that somewhere somebody cares
Blue lady
Secrets inside
You stay till its closing
Ears and eyes wide
Blue lady
A mother maybe
A son or a daughter is where you should be
Blue lady
Pardon if I stare
I Hope that somewhere somebody cares
I watch you
I've got you
Well maybe that's true
But blue lady I may be wrong about you
Blue lady
The way we see each other
We discover secretsin ourselves
Understanding bells ring
Or maybe i Imagine
Blue lady
How would it be
If I came to keep you company
But blue lady sad if it's true
That's spomething that strangers just don't do
So blue lady
Pardon if I stare
I Hope that somewhere somebody cares
The song "Blue Lady" by Labi Siffre is a melancholic and introspective piece that explores the loneliness and isolation of an unknown woman, who is described as having blue hair, butterfly glasses, sensible shoes, and plenty of rings on her fingers. The lyrics suggest that this woman is a regular at a bar, as she always has gin on her table and stays until closing time, listening and observing everything around her with her ears and eyes wide open. Despite her mysterious and intriguing appearance, the blue lady is also portrayed as sad and in need of someone to care for her, as she may be a mother or a daughter who feels disconnected from her family.
The singer of the song seems to be drawn to the blue lady's enigmatic persona, as he admits to watching her and imagining what her life could be like. However, he also acknowledges that he may be wrong in his assumptions about her and that it would be inappropriate for him to try to keep her company, given their status as strangers. The chorus of the song, "Blue lady, pardon if I stare, I hope that somewhere somebody cares," encapsulates the bittersweet tone of the lyrics, as they capture both the curiosity and empathy that the singer feels towards the blue lady.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue lady
Addressing the woman with blue in her hair
Blue in your hair
Describing the blue tint in your hair
Butterfly glasses and sensible shoes
Describing your fashion sense with butterfly glasses and practical shoes
Gin on your table
Observing the gin on your table
A small one to start
Noticing you starting with a small drink
Rings for your fingers
Noticing the rings on your fingers
A drink for your heart
Suggesting your drink is for comfort or ease of mind
Pardon if I stare
Apologizing for looking at you
I Hope that somewhere somebody cares
Expressing a hope that there is someone in your life who cares
Secrets inside
Speculating that you have secrets
You stay till its closing
Observing that you stay at the bar until it closes
Ears and eyes wide
Noticing that you are observant and alert
A mother maybe
Wondering if you might be a mother
A son or a daughter is where you should be
Suggesting that you should be at home with your child
I watch you
Admitting to observing you
I've got you
Claiming to have understood you
Well maybe that's true
Admitting uncertainty about whether or not understanding you is true
But blue lady I may be wrong about you
Acknowledging the possibility of being mistaken about your nature
The way we see each other
Reflecting on the way we view each other
We discover secrets in ourselves
Suggesting that the way we see each other can reveal our own secrets
Understanding bells ring
Suggesting that we might come to a better understanding of ourselves and each other
Or maybe I imagine
Admitting the possibility that it might be wishful thinking
How would it be
Wondering how it would be if we spent time together
If I came to keep you company
Offering to keep you company
But blue lady sad if it's true
Doubting that you would accept company from a stranger
That's something that strangers just don't do
Asserting that strangers typically do not offer to keep each other company
Writer(s): Labi Siffre
Contributed by Micah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Melanie
on Cannock Chase
So beautiful :)