From Attack of the Grey Lantern
Released Febr… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Paul Draper.
From Attack of the Grey Lantern
Released February 1997.
The hidden track at the end of Dark Mavis is "An Open Letter To The Lyrical Trainspotter" originally from the Stripper Vicar single (Five EP).
An acoustic performance of Dark Mavis appears as a b-side to Closed For Business (Seven EP) in October 1997.
Dark Mavis
Mansun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't be late, hard to take, vicar twists and gets away
His lipstick's running, his dress is stunning
He's got high heels on, and his flock don't care now
Mavis, what he will wear
In the path of righteous man
There is rubble where I stand
I'll be the one
Vicar stay, ''cause your lipstick smeared away from your face
Vicar twist, grey pajamas in your case
His tights are nylon, his nails by Revlon
He's got high heels on, and his flock don't care now
Mavis, what he will wear
In the path of righteous man
There is rubble where I stand
I'll be the one
You can kiss his vase until the end of the month
And if you should see me passing by
Do not disturb me as I fly
Though I am walking here
This is where I'll be
In the path of righteous man
There is rubble where I stand
I'll be the one
You can kiss his vase until the end of the month
In the path of righteous man
There is rubble where I stand
I'll be the one
You can kiss his vase until the end of the month
Until the end of the month
Until the end of the month
Oh yeah, yeah
Ooh-ooh, oh yeah
Ooh-ooh, oh yeah
Ooh-ooh, oh yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, oh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, oh yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, oh yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, oh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh-oh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, oh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh-oh
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah yeah
The lyrics of Mansun's "Dark Mavis" are quite ambiguous, to say the least. The song appears to be about a male vicar who likes to dress up in women's clothing, wearing high heels, lipstick, and nail polish, and his congregation doesn't seem to mind. The chorus repeats the line "In the path of righteous man, there is rubble where I stand," possibly suggesting that the singer is questioning the morality of religious figures despite their outward righteousness.
The song also mentions Mavis, whose appearance seems to be of some importance to the vicar. The repeated line "You can kiss his vase until the end of the month" is somewhat confusing, but it could be interpreted as a reference to the vicar's sexuality or perhaps his religious duties. Overall, the song appears to be a commentary on religious hypocrisy and the facade of piety that some people put on in public.
Line by Line Meaning
Wait around, I'll be walking quite a while
I'll be gone for a long time, so don't wait for me
Don't be late, hard to take, vicar twists and gets away
The vicar is unreliable and it's difficult to deal with him
His lipstick's running, his dress is stunning
The vicar is wearing makeup and a dress, which is surprising
He's got high heels on, and his flock don't care now
The vicar is wearing women's shoes, and his followers are accepting of it
Mavis, what he will wear
Mavis is curious about the vicar's fashion choices
In the path of righteous man
This refers to living a good, virtuous life
There is rubble where I stand
Things are tough and difficult in the current situation
I'll be the one
The artist will be the one to overcome the challenges
You can kiss his vase until the end of the month
The artist is saying that you can waste your time on pointless things
Vicar stay, ''cause your lipstick smeared away from your face
The artist is telling the vicar to stay because his makeup is messed up
Vicar twist, grey pajamas in your case
The vicar has unusual habits, like wearing pajamas
His tights are nylon, his nails by Revlon
The vicar pays attention to his appearance and wears stockings and nail polish
And if you should see me passing by
The singer is warning that they won't be around for long
Do not disturb me as I fly
The singer wants to be left alone as they move on
Though I am walking here
The singer is still moving on despite the difficulties
This is where I'll be
The artist is accepting of their current situation
Until the end of the month
A time frame for something to happen, possibly related to the previous line
Oh yeah, yeah
Expression of agreement or enthusiasm
Ooh-ooh, oh yeah
Expression of agreement or enthusiasm
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, oh
Nonsensical sounds
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah
Nonsensical sounds
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh
Nonsensical sounds
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh yeah
Nonsensical sounds
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ooh-oh
Nonsensical sounds
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, yeah yeah
Nonsensical sounds
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL EDWARD DRAPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SymonDymond
Actually one of my all time favourite songs on an album that deserves legendary status if we didnt live in a world where ignorance is good...
Nick Grey
Don't think I've heard this in over ten years - absolutely brilliant. One of the benefits of getting older, you start to rediscover old classics.
Carl Schönbeck
What a classic!
boris yeltsin
this band get to me on so many levels love em big time
ThinWhiteDude
What a great acoustic version. Elegant...
bustergn
love this version! 💜
The Ballad Of A Mixtape
This is an ace version- i've got a a couple of acoustic Mansun songs as b-sides on tape singles- like Ski Jump Nose....such a great band..(apart from most of Little Kix)
Pea Elle
What a lovely way to say goodbye to my favourite band of the ninties.
nikbear
Wonderful,time for a reunion? PLEASE!
lligas
I don't know mansun.but I fell in love with this song the first time i heard it.