Marc had played guitar since the age of 9, but started to pursue music more seriously around 1964, when he became Toby Tyler, covering songs by Bob Dylan, and Dion.
(A track recorded around this time as Mark Feld, "All At Once" has recently been discovered will be released soon.) In his teen years, Marc became known as one of the first "mods". This led him to a brief stint as a model, and he chose to leave school when he was 14 years old. He also played guitar in a band called John's Children. Marc was needed for this group as a 'Pete Townshend' figure, but after 3 months, he left the band.
Together with Steve Peregrin Took, he formed his own duo Tyrannosaurus Rex, which quickly gained a large underground following. After 3 successful albums, Steve Peregrin Took's drug habits and suggestion of doing some of his own songs was enough for Marc to kick him out of the duo. Mickey Finn quickly replaced Steve, and the new duo recorded the album A Beard Of Stars, with Marc replacing Steve's backing vocals on the tracks they already began recording.
On Marc's second album with Finn, he decided to shorten the name of the band to T. Rex, and found fame and chart succes in 1970 with Ride a White Swan.
Following that success, Marc wrote several more top 10 hits and albums, Electric Warrior(1971), The Slider (1972), Tanx(1973), Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow Or a Creamed Cage In August)(1974), Bolan's Zip-Gun(1975), Futuristic Dragon(1976) and the final album
Dandy In the Underworld(1977).
Marc Bolan tried to make it clear during his lifetime that he was NOT to be grouped in the lot called Glam Rock. In 1973, he appeared under the headline "Glam Rock Is Dead: Says Marc" - he felt he was not being treated seriously as an artist, so with Zinc Alloy onward, he moved into a Rock & Soul sound, radically different than what was the musical trend at the time. Many of Marc's fans stayed behind with the Glam movement, but Marc pursued further into less commercial music adventures, with the help of his soul-singer girlfriend, Gloria Jones. Together they had a son, Rolan Bolan, in 1975.
Tragically, Marc died in a car crash on 16 September 1977 in a purple Mini driven by Gloria Jones.
Girl
Marc Bolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High in your fields above earth
Come and be real for us
You with your mind
Oh yes you are
Beautifully fine
O Girl
Limp in society's ditch you are
Visually fine
Oh yes you are
But mentally dying
O boy
Just like a boat you are
Sunk but somehow you float you do
Mentally weak
Oh yes you are
But so much you speak
The lyrics to Marc Bolan's song "Girl" are full of contrasts and paradoxes, and they touch on themes such as mental health, identity, and societal expectations. The song opens with an address to God, asking him to come down from "high in [his] fields above earth" and be "real" for us. This could be interpreted in a number of ways - perhaps Bolan is asking God to give us a sign of his existence, or maybe he's asking for some sort of divine intervention in the world.
The song then moves on to address three different individuals - a girl, an electric witch who's "limp in society's ditch", a boy who's "just like a boat... sunk but somehow [he] float[s]", and a final address to God himself. Each of these verses contains a similar juxtaposition of opposites - the girl is "visually fine" but "mentally dying", the boy is "mentally weak" but "speaks so much". These contrasts highlight the ways in which society can be limiting and confining, putting pressure on individuals to present a certain way and to suppress aspects of themselves that don't fit the mold.
One of the most striking things about this song is its use of language - Bolan's lyrics are often cryptic and full of wordplay, and they leave a lot open to interpretation. The imagery of a "limp electric witch" is particularly evocative, conjuring up all sorts of spooky, otherworldly associations. The song's refrain ("Oh yes you are...") is another example of Bolan's clever use of repetition, creating a sort of litany that emphasizes the contrasts and contradictions present in the song.
Overall, "Girl" is a thought-provoking and enigmatic song that rewards close listening and careful consideration. Its themes of identity, mental health, and societal pressure are as relevant today as they were when the song was first released.
Line by Line Meaning
O God
Addressing a higher power
High in your fields above earth
Asking for divine intervention from the heavens
Come and be real for us
Imploring God to show himself and interact with humanity
You with your mind
Recognizing God's intelligence and wisdom
Oh yes you are
Affirmation of God's greatness
Beautifully fine
Praising God's aesthetic appeal
O Girl
Addressing a woman
Electric witch you are
Complimenting the woman's alluring, captivating nature
Limp in society's ditch you are
Recognizing the difficulties and challenges the woman faces within societal norms
Visually fine
Appreciating the woman's physical attractiveness
Oh yes you are
Affirmation of the woman's appeal
But mentally dying
Acknowledging the woman's struggle with mental health
O boy
Addressing a man
Just like a boat you are
Comparing the man's stability in life to a boat's wavering in water
Sunk but somehow you float you do
Despite the man's struggles, he manages to persevere
Mentally weak
Acknowledging the man's struggles with mental health
Oh yes you are
Affirmation of the man's personal qualities
But so much you speak
Recognizing the man's ability to express himself despite his struggles
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: MARC BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elaine crimson moon Symes
the greatest most creative, flamboyant, coolest guy, ever pure genius is marc bolan
Julia Martin
So powerful .Echoes down the years.A true poet and spiritual being. Love ❤️❤️💜🌟
Laurie Janes
I love the way he’s always on the verge of laughing. So talented, so sweet, so missed. So loved. 💕
Mick Guite
A happy,beautiful genius at the height of his powers!I love him!
David Drummer Richards
What a genius musician king of glam
Carol Runham
I loved this man so much he was so ahead of his time magical and so beautiful in every way possible❤️💕✨🦄💖
Tina J. Singh
Oh boy, so magically and naturally talented you were.... why oh why did you have to leave us so soon 😢
Missing you & still so much in love with you ♥️♥️♥️
Laurie Janes
Me, too, Tina. Marc has always been my favorite. Still think of him every day. 💕
Gene M
Nice
Gene M
How is this