She was born Laura Nigro on 18th October 1947 in the Bronx, New York, of Italian-American and Jewish-American parents. As a child, she taught herself piano, read poetry, and listened to her mother's records by Leontyne Price, Billie Holiday and classical composers such as Ravel and Debussy. She composed her first songs at age eight. While in high school, she sang with a group of friends in subway stations and on street corners.
As a teenager she experimented with using different names, and Nyro was the one she was using at the time. She sold her song "And When I Die" to Peter, Paul and Mary for $5,000, and made her first extended professional appearance in 1966, at age 18, singing at the "hungry i" coffeehouse in San Francisco. Mogull negotiated her a recording contract, and she recorded her debut album, More Than a New Discovery, for the Verve Folkways label. The album provided material for other artists, notably the 5th Dimension.
In 1967, Nyro made only her second major live appearance, at the Monterey Pop Festival. Although some accounts described her performance as a fiasco that culminated in her being booed off the stage,[8] recordings later made public contradict this view.[
Nyro was best known by the general public – and had the most commercial success – as a songwriter rather than a performer. Her best-known songs include "And When I Die" (made a hit by Blood, Sweat & Tears), "Stoney End" (covered by Barbra Streisand), "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", "Save the Country" (all covered by The 5th Dimension), and "Eli's Coming" (a hit for Three Dog Night). Ironically, Nyro's own best-selling single was "Up on the Roof", a cover of the Carole King-Gerry Goffin hit originally recorded by The Drifters in 1962.
She died on 8th April 1997.
In 2012 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
December
Laura Nyro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They fill me like melons,
Touch me with chivalry,
Truly I know, truly I know who you are,
December will bear our affair,
Running on streets of delight and Decemberry ice.
They'll see me, I'm ageless,
Love-colored soul, love-colored soul kissing spice,
Yes, my love, I take my coffee in the morning,
And all your love,
A spoonful or so make us grow.
Mama was clever, my mama was clever,
And my daddy loved her forever,
Forever!
Kisses from you I'll remember,
Kisses from you in the flames of December,
Kisses from you, true they are,
Kisses from you in the flames of December's boudoir.
Oh, mainstream marzipan sweet,
Baking out in December heat.
The lyrics of Laura Nyro's song "December's Boudoir" are poetic and intricately layered, offering a glimpse into the passion and intensity of a romantic relationship. The opening lines set the scene, describing the sensations of being with a lover in the midst of winter: "Kisses from you in the flames of December's boudoir, / They fill me like melons." The imagery here is rich and evocative, conjuring up the warmth and intensity of physical intimacy.
As the song continues, Nyro explores the depth of her love and devotion to her partner. She sings, "Touch me with chivalry, / Truly I know, truly I know who you are," expressing a sense of admiration and respect for the person she loves. The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, with Nyro declaring that "Kisses from you I'll remember, / Kisses from you in the flames of December." The repetition of this line underscores the importance of this bond to her.
Throughout the song, Nyro weaves in references to her family and heritage, highlighting the connection between her personal relationships and her larger cultural context. She sings, "Mama was clever, my mama was clever, / And my daddy loved her forever, / Forever!" This verse suggests the influence of her parents on her own life and relationships.
Overall, "December's Boudoir" is a beautiful and complex song that explores the depths of romantic love and the ways in which personal relationships are connected to larger cultural contexts.
Line by Line Meaning
Kisses from you in the flames of December's boudoir,
Receiving affection from you in this intimate setting ignites excitement and passion inside of me amidst the cold winter month.
They fill me like melons,
The kisses and attention you give me are refreshing and satisfying, similar to the feeling of biting into a juicy watermelon.
Touch me with chivalry,
You treat me with respect, courtesy, and generosity, embodying the qualities of a chivalrous person.
Truly I know, truly I know who you are,
My understanding of your personality and essence is thorough and accurate.
December will bear our affair,
Our relationship will take place during this winter month and withstand its challenges.
Running on streets of delight and Decemberry ice.
We will experience euphoric happiness, even amidst the slippery and cold conditions of winter.
They'll see me, I'm ageless,
Others may perceive me as getting older, but my love for you keeps me feeling youthful and lively.
Loving you timelessly,
My love for you transcends beyond the boundaries of time, existing in the past, present, and future.
Love-colored soul, love-colored soul kissing spice,
My soul is drenched in love, and our kisses add an extra dimension of tangy and pungent flavor to our connection.
Yes, my love, I take my coffee in the morning,
I have a habitual routine and preference for having coffee in the morning.
And all your love,
I embrace and appreciate all the affection you give me.
A spoonful or so make us grow.
Even the smallest amount of love has the potential to nurture and evolve our relationship.
Mama was clever, my mama was clever,
My mother possessed intelligence and resourcefulness.
And my daddy loved her forever,
My father displayed enduring affection and devotion towards my mother.
Forever!
Their love for each other was eternal and unchanging.
Kisses from you I'll remember,
The loving gestures you have shown me will remain in my thoughts and memories.
Kisses from you, true they are,
I am certain that your affection towards me is genuine and authentic.
Kisses from you in the flames of December,
Receiving your love and attention amidst the cold setting of winter creates a fiery and passionate atmosphere.
Oh, mainstream marzipan sweet,
Our relationship and our love for each other is universally appealing and enjoyable, similar to the taste of the popular almond-based confection.
Baking out in December heat.
Our passion and love towards each other is not diminished by the cold conditions of winter, but instead radiates warmth and intensity.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LAURA NYRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ndl9764
Hi, Can you verify my findings on chord progression?
II- Imj7 IVmj7 IMj7 V7/V
(bb) Gm Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Fmaj9 G(7)/D
Kisses from you in the flames of December's boudoir
III7 II7 V7/V/V
A7 G7 Dm6/F G7 G7 (Dm6/F part G79 so dorian)
They fill me like melons
Imaj7 Sub(VI7 VII7)VI7 Sub(V7/II) = V7/VI tonal change from F to Gb
Fmaj7 Ab7 Bb7 D7 Db7
Touch me with chivalry
VImaj7 III
Gbmaj7 Fm7
Truly I know
VImaj7 III tonal change back V7/VII
Gbmaj7 Fm7 G79
Truly I know who you are
Dm C [D] F G
Verse 2:
[N.C.] G79
(d) December will bear our affair
(Gm) Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Fmaj9 G79
Runnin' on streets of delight and Decemberry ice
A7 G7 gsus4(orF7) G
Oh see me, I'm ageless
Fmaj7 Ab7 Bb7 D#9 Db
Loving you timelessly
Gbmaj7 Fm7
Love colored soul
Gbmaj7 Fm7 G79
Love colored soul kissing spice
G/D A/D G/D
Yes my love I take my coffee in the morning
A/D G/D A/D
And all your love
Dm C/D [D] F G/C
-----------------------
[n.c] G79
(d) A spoonful or so make us grow
Dm7 F6 G79 [4X] (Dm7 F6 =Daeol)
/ / / /
Dm7 F6 G79
(e) Mama was clever [6X]
Dm7 F6 G79 Bm7 E7 (II-V)
My mama was clever
Am7 Bm7 Am7
And my daddy loved her forever
Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 D7
For... ever
Gm7 Am7/D Bbmaj7 Am7
Kisses from you I'll remember
Kisses from you in the flames of December
Kisses from you true they are
Gm7 Am7/D Bbmaj7 Am7 Dm6
Kisses from you in the flames of December's boudoir
Dm7 Am7/D
(c) Ooh, mainstream
F9(mj7) Em7/D
Marzipan sweet
Gm7 Fmaj7 E7(no 3)
Bakin' out
A7b3
In December
Strings end
Eb7 D76 Db(m)76 Gm76
@nathanielbagshot
"They fill me like melons. Touch me with civalry." Absolute, pure, bloody genius. God rest her soul.
@martindemo
This song is pure Laura. It pretty well contains everything that we love her for..
@arlaur
Compound chords that resolve to MORE compound chords. Lyrics that read like an Adrienne Rich poem. Stunning brilliance!
@occiaballa
This song is like a breathless journey. Enchanting.
@donmooradian2526
There was madness to her music. Some songs tip-toed gently as fairy’s feet on flower petals; others stomped like a ghetto gang charging down an alley—and any one of her song’s could do both. Her lyrics could be glints of sparkling sunlight bouncing off flowing melodies or heavy hail pounding a tin roof or mournful tears washing away dreams. Upbeat as a picnic in Central Park. Dark as Satan’s heart. Jazzy. Soaring. Crashing. Floating. Churning. Folksy. Broadway. Soul. Funk. Rock. Gospel. A poetic muse. A alluring siren. A gutter cussing waif. Her creations were the ultimate synthesis of mind-soul-hand. They should have named a new genre of music just for her: Stream of Consciousness music.
@MelaLazo
Just joined Google+, missed reading thoughtful comments such as yours. I'm still awe-struck by the scope of what she created in such a short time. Hope you've seen Laura Nyro: Musical Architecture, a lovely tribute video with poignant interview clips. Stream of Consciousness music, nice.
@donmooradian2526
MelaLazo i had not seen that but watched it on your recommendation.At 3:04 in the doc she refers to "a certain kind of crazy" to the times and music. That is a great description of her music in her own words.
@MelaLazo
Don Mooradian Yep. Nice talking with you. ...Melanie
@carollipton4584
Wow- such an amazingly eloquent tribute. My cousin went to High School of Music and Art with her. She was legendary in the Bronx where I grew up.
@carollipton4584
Her father was a piano tuner. She once interviewed that her mother died of ovarian cancer at age 49, right after her father completed the finishing touches to their house. She died of ovarian cancer at the same age 49. Will be 20 years this coming year, and still hard to believe she's gone.