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.
Helsinki
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are things in life I won't show you
And all this time apart is the batter of my heart and my head
Sitting at the bar, wondering where you are
Maybe you're in Spain, maybe you're in Maine on a plain
Helsinki's around your corner but I'm just going through hell
Milan is just another border
There are things in life I want
There are things in life that still haunt me
Like the memory of your face
And that's what time just can't erase from my head
And no matter what I do I can't stop thinking of you
And it's hard for me to say goodbye to yesterday
And hello, hello, hello to tomorrow
Helsinki's around your corner but I'm just going through hell
The fax machine here is out of order
And there's too many planes to catch and too much time to kill
The song Helsinki by Mary Lou Lord is about the pain of distance and the longing for a loved one. The lyrics suggest that there are some things in life that are impossible to express or show, even to those closest to us. The phrase "all this time apart is the batter of my heart and my head" reveals the toll that distance can take on a person. It's as if every moment spent away from the person you love leaves a mark.
The song suggests that the singer's significant other could be anywhere in the world, as the lyrics mention both Spain and Maine. This unknown quality amplifies the feeling of distance and isolation. Even though Helsinki is "just around the corner," it feels unreachable. The singer is going through hell, and attempts to move on by looking to tomorrow, but still can't escape the memory of the person they long for.
Line by Line Meaning
There are things in life I know
I have knowledge about certain aspects of life
There are things in life I won't show you
I have some secrets which I do not want to share with you
And all this time apart is the batter of my heart and my head
Being away from you has affected me both emotionally and mentally
Sitting at the bar, wondering where you are
I am alone and thinking about your whereabouts
Maybe you're in Spain, maybe you're in Maine on a plain
I am unsure about where you might be right now
Helsinki's around your corner but I'm just going through hell
Although Helsinki is near you, I am still struggling without you
Milan is just another border
Crossing borders is a common occurrence, but my inner turmoil persists
And there's too many planes to catch and too much time to kill
There are plenty of travel options, but I can't escape my thoughts
There are things in life I want
I have desires and aspirations
There are things in life that still haunt me
I am troubled by some events or occurrences from my past
Like the memory of your face
I have a vivid recollection of your face in my mind
And that's what time just can't erase from my head
Despite the passing of time, I am still unable to forget about you
And no matter what I do I can't stop thinking of you
Your thoughts seem to have taken over my mind completely
And it's hard for me to say goodbye to yesterday
I find it difficult to let go of the past
And hello, hello, hello to tomorrow
I look forward to the possibility of a better future
The fax machine here is out of order
There are some obstacles that are beyond my control
Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.