Mary Gauthier (born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1962) is an American count… Read Full Bio ↴Mary Gauthier (born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1962) is an American country and folk singer/songwriter. Given up at birth by a mother she never knew, Mary was adopted. At age 15, she ran away from home and stole her parents' car, and spent the next several years in detox, halfway houses, and living with friends; she spent her 18th birthday in jail. These experiences provided fodder for her songwriting later on (particularly her song "Drag Queens in Limousines"). Later on, she enrolled at Louisiana State University as a philosophy major, but after five years there, dropped out due to drug problems and moved to Boston. After working waitress jobs and eventually being promoted to manager of the restaurant where she worked, financial backers paid her way to attend the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and she opened a Cajun restaurant in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, "Dixie Kitchen" (also the title of her first album). She wrote her first song at age 35. After the release of her first album, she sold her share in the restaurant to finance her second album, Drag Queens in Limousines. Gauthier is an out lesbian and two of the songs on her first album, "Goddamn HIV" and "Skeleton Town", dealt with AIDS.

Her surname is pronounced "go-chay."

Karla Faye
Mary Gauthier Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A little girl lost, her world full of pain
He said it feels good, she gave him her vein
The dope made her numb and numb felt like free
Until she came down, down, down to a new misery

A junkie, a whore living for the next high
She'd lie cheat and steal, she forgot how to cry
Wide awake for two weeks, shooting heroin then speed

When she killed in cold, cold blood all she felt was her need

It's an eye for an eye, now you're gonna die
A tooth for a tooth, it's your moment of truth
There's no mercy here, your stay is denied
Go on and pray, pray, pray, there's mercy in the sky

Alone in her cell, no dope in her veins
The killer'd become, little girl lost again
She fell to her knees, she prayed she would die
On the cold cement floor, she finally cried

And love came like the wind, love whispered her name
It reached through and held her, lifted her pain
Fifteen years on death row, her faith deeper each day
Her last words were, ?I love you all?
Good-bye, Karla Faye

Now it's an eye for an eye and you're gonna die
A tooth for a tooth, it's your moment of truth

There's no mercy here, your stay is denied
Go on and pray, pray, pray

Overall Meaning

The song "Karla Faye" by Mary Gauthier tells the story of Karla Faye Tucker, a woman who was the first woman to be executed in Texas since the Civil War. The first verse describes how Karla Faye was a little girl who was lost and in pain, and how drugs made her feel numb and free until she ultimately descended into a new misery. The second verse then portrays how Karla Faye became a junkie and a prostitute, giving up on her ability to cry and resorting to committing crimes to support her habits. However, the real focus of the song is Karla Faye's murder of two people. The chorus repeats the idea that it's an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and that there's no mercy to be found. The final verse then shifts back to Karla Faye as she faced her final days on death row, where she discovered faith and love despite her harrowing past.

Line by Line Meaning

A little girl lost, her world full of pain
A young woman who had never been able to process the trauma of her past was in a place of immense suffering.

He said it feels good, she gave him her vein
She sought out drugs to numb the pain, and was willing to do anything to get them.

The dope made her numb and numb felt like free
Initially, the numbness was a relief from pain and the illusion of freedom, but was in fact a trap.

Until she came down, down, down to a new misery
Eventually the drugs stopped working and became the source of even greater misery.

A junkie, a whore living for the next high
Addiction and desperation led her to a life of prostitution that was all-consuming.

She'd lie cheat and steal, she forgot how to cry
She did whatever she had to do to survive, numbing herself to morality and empathy.

Wide awake for two weeks, shooting heroin then speed
She chased the next high, pushing her limits to find a way to escape her reality.

When she killed in cold, cold blood all she felt was her need
In the midst of her addiction, she committed a brutal murder, driven only by her own desperation and addiction.

It's an eye for an eye, now you're gonna die
The legal system is seeking retribution and the death penalty in response.

A tooth for a tooth, it's your moment of truth
The ultimate punishment will be exacted for her ultimate crime.

There's no mercy here, your stay is denied
She will be executed with no consideration for compassion or extenuating circumstances.

Go on and pray, pray, pray, there's mercy in the sky
She clings to the hope of divine mercy and guidance despite the earthly justice being doled out.

Alone in her cell, no dope in her veins
After her capture, she was left alone to face the reality of what she had done, without the escape of drugs.

The killer'd become, little girl lost again
Without her addiction to numb her pain, she was forced to confront her past and the trauma that made her who she was.

She fell to her knees, she prayed she would die
Confronted with the magnitude of what she had done and what was being done to her, she longed for death as a release.

On the cold cement floor, she finally cried
The harsh reality of her past, present, and future hit her, and she broke down in tears.

And love came like the wind, love whispered her name
In this dark moment, something unexpected happened: she experienced a powerful feeling of love and connection.

It reached through and held her, lifted her pain
This love gave her the strength to face her past and carry on, even in the face of what seemed like insurmountable judgment and punishment.

Fifteen years on death row, her faith deeper each day
In the years that followed, she grew and evolved spiritually, gaining a sense of peace and acceptance in the face of her fate.

Her last words were, ?I love you all?
Having found forgiveness and love within herself, she sought to extend that love to others, even the people who would execute her.

Good-bye, Karla Faye
The song ends with a haunting, simple farewell to this troubled and ultimately compassionate woman.

Now it's an eye for an eye and you're gonna die
The repetition of these lines highlights the unrelenting nature of the consequences she faced.

A tooth for a tooth, it's your moment of truth
The moment of truth being faced is not the ultimate truth of love and acceptance, but rather the stark realization of judgment and punishment.

There's no mercy here, your stay is denied
As she faces her fate, she is reminded that there is no escape from the harsh reality of the justice system.

Go on and pray, pray, pray
Even as she faces her final moments, she continues to hold out hope for mercy and connection.

Lyrics © CRITTUNES, KAREN SCHAUBEN PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATION
Written by: CRIT HARMON, MARY GAUTHIER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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