Mary Lou Lord first gained notice playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston subway stations (particularly on the Red Line, as noted by the name she chose for her music and lyric publishing company, On the Red Line Music.)
She has claimed that she had a romantic relationship with Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain before the group's rise to mainstream fame. This claim was disputed by some, including Cobain himself, though it has been suggested that Cobain's wife Courtney Love made him publicly lie about his past relationships to prove his devotion to her. In 1994, Lord showed up uninvited at a party for Courtney Love's band Hole, which ended with Love chasing Lord down Sunset Strip.
Lord toured three separate times with Elliott Smith during the 1990s. He also wrote and helped Lord record a song called, "I Figured You Out", in 1997. Smith would later say that, "I gave that song away 'cause I thought it sounded like The Eagles and that it sucked."
Her recordings have been a mixture of covers (including songs by Elliott Smith and Richard Thompson) and original material, with a number of songs written by, or in collaboration with, Nick Saloman of the British band The Bevis Frond.
Her recording of Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle" (which was originally featured on her self-titled 8-song Kill Rock Stars release) was featured in commercials for Target stores, after which her label reissued the song as the lead-off track of a CD single which also included two demo recordings from the sessions for Got No Shadow.
In 2001, Lord released Live City Sounds. This was a self-released disc of Mary Lou playing live in the Boston subway. The disc was later re-released after Mary Lou signed to Rubric Records.
She announced in 2005 that she suffered from a rare vocal chord affliction known as spasmodic dysphonia. She thereafter became more involved in A&R work and started Jittery Jack Management with her husband, Kevin Patey.
Down Along The Lea
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where you going where you been
What you got to moan about only what I've seen
Times are hard but I heard you say
Why you telling me
I've been seeing for myself
Down along the lea
Don't know how well off you are
Watching from your silver star
You don't know you're born
Harbored in your little cove
Loath to put to sea
I've been drifting on the tide
Down along the lea
High hi the brain dead cry
What a loser what a state
Take a good look in her eyes
Pupils look like plates
Confusing me with someone else
I guess she looks like me
I think I passed her on her way
Down along the lea
Well I think I passed her on her way
Down along the lea
Mary Lou Lord's song Down Along The Lea is a reflection on the struggles of everyday life and the stark contrasts between those who are struggling and those who are better off. The song begins with a questioning tone as the singer asks where the other person has been and what they have to complain about. The response is dismissive - "only what I've seen" - indicating that the person asking the questions hasn't seen the same struggles. The singer has been "drifting on the tide / down along the lea", or going with the current of life, while the other person seems to be harbored in their "little cove", content in their relative comfort.
The contrast between the two people is highlighted in the second verse, where the singer encounters someone who is clearly struggling with addiction or mental health issues. The singer sees a reflection of herself in this person, but also recognizes that they are different. They may have passed each other on the way "down along the lea", but they are on different paths with different challenges.
Overall, this song captures the frustration and isolation that can come from struggling with one's circumstances, and the difficulty of relating to others who may not understand those struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Day in day out
Every day without fail
Where you going where you been
Asking about the person's movements
What you got to moan about only what I've seen
Challenging the person's complaints
Times are hard but I heard you say
Acknowledging the person's struggles
Why you telling me
Questioning why the person is sharing this information
I've been seeing for myself
Implying that the singer knows the truth despite what the person says
Down along the lea
Referring to a specific place
Don't know how well off you are
Suggesting that the person doesn't appreciate what they have
Pills and money, safe and warm
Listing the luxuries the person has
Watching from your silver star
Implying that the person is privileged and oblivious to others' struggles
You don't know you're born
Asserting that the person has had an easy life compared to others
Harbored in your little cove
Using a nautical metaphor to describe the person's comfortable life
Loath to put to sea
Implying that the person is afraid to take risks
I've been drifting on the tide
Using a nautical metaphor to describe the singer's difficult life
High hi the brain dead cry
Describing a sense of despair
What a loser what a state
Disparaging someone's negative circumstances
Take a good look in her eyes
Encouraging observation of the person's emotions
Pupils look like plates
Describing the person's dilated pupils
Confusing me with someone else
Mistaking the singer for another person
I guess she looks like me
Acknowledging the similarity in appearance
I think I passed her on her way
Recalling an encounter with the person
Down along the lea
Reiterating the location of the encounter
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NICK SALOMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind