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.
Old Tin Tray
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
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You find that you're not where you thought you were
Or even where you hoped you might be in the field
It sounds like a lie but you know that it's real
And then you came and you reached out a hand
And so you stepped in as a part of the plan
The summer came and went and the leaves turned to red
It can't be helped if we get on your nerves
We just wanna touch what you said we deserve
It's not that we don't know what you've done for your cause
It's just that there's a name on the line and its yours
Hey hey hey, its another dark day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray
Hey hey hey, its another dark day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray
We can't say we'll succeed on our own
At least if we try and we end up unknown
It won't be 'cause of you that we're still on the shelf
It's easier to take if you do it yourself
And you know once in a while it occurs
You find that you're not where you thought you were
Or even where you hoped you might be in the field
You know what you can do with you're sad little deal
Hey hey hey, its another dark day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray
Hey hey hey, its another dark day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray
Hey hey hey, its another dark day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray
Hey hey hey, its another dark day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray
The song "Old Tin Tray" by Mary Lou Lord speaks to the feeling of disillusionment and the challenge of staying true to one's values, especially when faced with adversity. The opening lines, "Once in a while it occurs, you find that you're not where you thought you were, or even where you hoped you might be in the field," capture this sentiment perfectly. This feeling of being lost is often paired with doubt about whether one's efforts will actually lead to success, which the line "It sounds like a lie but you know that it's real" expresses.
Despite this uncertainty, the singer finds solace in the help of others, as expressed in the line "And then you came and you reached out a hand, and so you stepped in as a part of the plan." The song acknowledges that everyone needs help at times, especially when trying to achieve something meaningful, but that it can be difficult to maintain belief in oneself and one's cause. The repeated refrain of "Hey hey hey, it's another dark day, you never know what's on its way, until it's landed in your old tin tray" echoes this sense of not knowing what the future holds, but being prepared to face it anyway.
The song also grapples with the fear of failure and the pressure to succeed, as expressed in the lines "We just wanna touch what you said we deserve, it's not that we don't know what you've done for your cause, it's just that there's a name on the line and it's yours." The idea that one's actions reflect not only on oneself but also on the cause they're fighting for adds an extra layer of difficulty to the struggle.
Overall, "Old Tin Tray" speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with self-doubt, fear of failure, and uncertainty about the future, while also acknowledging that these challenges are often easier faced with the help of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Once in a while it occurs
Occasionally, it happens
You find that you're not where you thought you were
You're not where you intended to be
Or even where you hoped you might be in the field
You're not even close to where you hoped to be
It sounds like a lie but you know that it's real
It may seem unbelievable, but it's true
And then you came and you reached out a hand
You helped us out
And so you stepped in as a part of the plan
You joined us in our mission
The summer came and went and the leaves turned to red
Time passed quickly
Tell me were we wrong to believe what you said
Did we make a mistake trusting you?
It can't be helped if we get on your nerves
We understand if we annoy you
We just wanna touch what you said we deserve
We just want what we believe we're entitled to
It's not that we don't know what you've done for your cause
We recognize your contributions
It's just that there's a name on the line and its yours
We associate your name with this issue
Hey hey hey, its another dark day
It's a depressing day
You never know what's on its way
You never know what to expect
Till its landed in your old tin tray
Until it arrives and you have to deal with it
We can't say we'll succeed on our own
We can't guarantee success without assistance
At least if we try and we end up unknown
If we fail and no one knows, at least we tried
It won't be 'cause of you that we're still on the shelf
Your actions won't be the reason for our failure
It's easier to take if you do it yourself
It's easier to handle if you take care of it yourself
You know once in a while it occurs
Occasionally, it happens
You find that you're not where you thought you were
You're not where you intended to be
Or even where you hoped you might be in the field
You're not even close to where you hoped to be
You know what you can do with you're sad little deal
We don't want to deal with your negativity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind