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.
Lonely Women
Laura Nyro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one hurries home to lonely women
A gal could die without her man
And no one knows it better than
Lonely women
No one knows the blues like lonely women do
No one knows the blues like lonely women, yeah
Walls that tell you where you've been
And you've been to the hollow
Lonely women yeah
Let me die early morning
Whoa bitter tears, whoa bitter tears
Uptight downpour
Don't got no children to be grandmother for, be grandmother for
She don't believe no more
She don't believe no one hurries home to call you baby
Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows
But no one, no one knows.
The lyrics of Laura Nyro's song "Lonely Women" evoke a sense of desolation and despair felt by women who are left alone, with no one to return to at the end of the day. The first two lines of the verse set the somber mood, as it says "No one hurries home to lonely women, A gal could die without her man." The lyrics express the concern that women are often left alone, without any companionship, and that this loneliness can lead to such despair that it can prove fatal.
The second verse of the song speaks to the unique understanding that lonely women have of the blues, saying "No one knows the blues like lonely women do, Blues that make the walls rush in, Walls that tell you where you've been." The lyrics make it clear that loneliness can lead to a sense of being trapped, with nowhere to turn. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "lonely women," emphasizing the point that the song is about the struggles of women who have been abandoned and left alone.
The bridge of the song is particularly poignant, with the lyrics "Let me die early morning, Whoa bitter tears, whoa bitter tears, Uptight downpour." The words express a desire to escape from the pain and hardship of being left alone. The verse that follows continues with the theme of women being left to face their loneliness without any support, saying that a woman without children has no one to be a grandmother for. The final lines of the song emphasize the point that loneliness can be all-consuming, saying "She don't believe no one hurries home to call you baby, Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows, But no one, no one knows."
Overall, the lyrics of "Lonely Women" are a beautiful and moving tribute to the strength and resilience of women who are left to face their loneliness alone.
Line by Line Meaning
No one hurries home to lonely women
Lonely women are often left alone because no one feels the need to rush home to be with them.
A gal could die without her man
Lonely women feel like they need a man to survive and not having one could be the death of them.
And no one knows it better than lonely women
Lonely women understand how important it is to have someone to love and be loved by.
No one knows the blues like lonely women do
Lonely women feel the sadness and melancholy that comes with being alone more deeply than anyone else.
Blues that make the walls rush in
Lonely women feel trapped and suffocated by the loneliness that surrounds them.
Walls that tell you where you've been
Lonely women are reminded of their loneliness every time they see the walls of their home.
And you've been to the hollow
Being alone has made the singer feel empty and hollow inside.
Let me die early morning, whoa bitter tears, whoa bitter tears, uptight downpour
The pain of being alone feels so intense that the artist would rather die than continue living with it.
Don't got no children to be grandmother for, be grandmother for
The artist doesn't have any children or grandchildren to live for and bring joy to.
She don't believe no more, she don't believe no one hurries home to call you baby
The artist has lost faith in the idea that someone will love her enough to rush home to be with her.
Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows, but no one, no one knows
Everyone is aware of the loneliness that lonely women feel, but they don't truly understand the pain that comes with it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LAURA NYRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tommaso Guarducci
No one hurries home to lonely women
No one hurries home to lonely women
A gal could die without her man
And no one knows it better than
Lonely women
No one knows the blues like lonely women do
No one knows the blues like lonely women, yeah
Blues that make the walls rush in
Walls that tell you where you've been
And you've been to the hollow
Lonely women yeah
Let me die early morning
Whoa bitter tears, whoa bitter tears
Uptight downpour
Don't got no children to be grandmother for, be grandmother for
She don't believe no more
She don't believe no one hurries home to call you baby
Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows
But no one, no one knows.
Lupco Kotevski
On tenor sax is the great jazz player Zoot Sims. Interestingly, on her first two LP's Laura used only jazz players, greats like Zoot Sims, Toots Thielemanns, Bernie Glow, Buddy Lucas, Joe Farrell, Mel Davis.
Uwe Boll
All her pieces are MASTERPIECES! This is ART! The best musician with the greatest VOICE ever & forever! I love this Lady! BEAUTIFUL!!!
A Foxy Fox
Are you Uwe Boll the film director?
Uwe Boll
Hi Mary Jane. I discovered Laura very late (07.2017!) - but not too late! Normally I do not hear Songwriter music, I like complex music (King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Samla Mammas Manna, Henry Cow, Art Zoyd, Magma, Igor Stravinsky etc.) - but Laura Nyro is the hammer! Best VOICE & ARTIST ever in my opinion! Greetings from Germany!
Mary Jane
Uwe Boll Oh boy, me too. I have all her albums (originals), know every note, lyric. Love, love her. Here it is 50 yrs later and her music is still so relevant. Way, way ahead of her time.
Lovemylovething
Your Fans are lonely without you Laura - but someday, we'll be with you. Much Love to you on your Birthday, Beautiful Angel.
Lovemylovething
Very glad you're ok Louisa, thanks for sharing your experience. Laura's Birthday is coming up again on the 18th of October. I always light a special candle on that night, and listen to her Music, while trying my best to channel all the Love of her Tribe out to her. I'll be sure to include an extra 'Thank you" vibe to our favorite Angel for bringing you comfort in the Dream visitation. :)
Tommaso Guarducci
No one hurries home to lonely women
No one hurries home to lonely women
A gal could die without her man
And no one knows it better than
Lonely women
No one knows the blues like lonely women do
No one knows the blues like lonely women, yeah
Blues that make the walls rush in
Walls that tell you where you've been
And you've been to the hollow
Lonely women yeah
Let me die early morning
Whoa bitter tears, whoa bitter tears
Uptight downpour
Don't got no children to be grandmother for, be grandmother for
She don't believe no more
She don't believe no one hurries home to call you baby
Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows
But no one, no one knows.
Wiglaf67
Love the change in rhythm at 2:10.
JS A
yeah it's great, and the change in lyrical content as well