Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics.
After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly-Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021.
Help Me Mary
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've lost my home to thieves
They bully the stereo and drink
They leave suspicious things in the sink
They make rude remarks about me
They wonder just how wild I would be
As they egg me on and keep me mad (egg me on)
I lock my door at night
I keep my mouth shut tight
I practice all my moves
I memorize their stupid rules
I make myself their friend
I'll show them just how far I can bend
As they egg me on and keep me mad (egg me on)
They play me like a pit bull in a basement, and for that
I'm asking you, Mary, please
Temper my hatred with peace
Weave my disgust into fame
And watch how fast they run to the flame
In Liz Phair's song Help Me Mary, the singer is asking for guidance and assistance from Mary to deal with the situation of losing her home to thieves. The thieves are causing chaos in the home, drinking and disrespecting her space. The thieves are also making rude comments about the singer, trying to provoke her anger and see how far they can push her. In this way, the singer feels like a pit bull in a basement, trapped and controlled by the thieves.
The singer tries to cope with the situation by keeping her door locked and being careful with her actions, but ultimately she wants to show the thieves that she is not to be pushed around. She asks Mary to temper her anger and replace it with peace, and to use her disgust as fuel for her talents and accomplishments. The singer expresses a desire to prove the thieves wrong and for them to see her in a different light, to come running to the flame of her success and perseverance.
Overall, Help Me Mary is a song about feeling trapped, frustrated, and powerless in the face of difficulties, but also about finding the strength to overcome them and rise above.
Line by Line Meaning
Help me, Mary, please
The singer is asking for help from someone named Mary.
I've lost my home to thieves
The singer's home has been robbed and she no longer feels safe.
They bully the stereo and drink
The thieves are being disruptive by messing with the stereo and drinking.
They leave suspicious stains in the sink
The thieves are disrespectful of the singer's space by leaving dirty stains in the sink.
They make rude remarks about me
The thieves are unkind and insulting towards the singer.
They wonder just how wild I would be
The thieves are curious about the singer's reaction and are pushing her to her limits.
As they egg me on and keep me mad
The thieves are provoking the singer and trying to keep her angry.
They play me like a pit bull in a basement, and for that
The singer feels like the thieves are manipulating her like a dog waiting in a cage.
I lock my door at night
The singer is taking steps to protect herself by locking her door at night.
I keep my mouth shut tight
The singer is keeping quiet and not telling the thieves how she really feels.
I practice all my moves
The singer is preparing herself for future conflicts with the thieves.
I memorize their stupid rules
The singer is learning the challenges she faces with the thieves and preparing herself for dealing with them.
I make myself their friend
The singer is pretending to befriend the thieves in order to appease them and avoid conflict.
I'll show them just how far I can bend
The singer is willing to compromise her values in order to avoid a confrontation.
I'm asking you, Mary, please
The singer is still asking for help from Mary in dealing with the thieves.
Temper my hatred with peace
The singer wants to control her negative emotions and find peace in the situation.
Weave my disgust into fame
The singer wants to use her negative experiences to fuel her creative work and turn it into something positive.
And watch how fast they run to the flame
The singer believes that by transforming her negative emotions into art, she will gain power over the thieves who will be drawn to her light.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Liz Phair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind