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.
Shake Sugaree
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't gonna tell
I'm going to heaven
In a ground pea shell
Oh lordie me
Didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is down in pawn
Pawned my chain
Pawned everything that was in my name
Oh lordie me
Didn't I shake sugaree
I'm going sailing
In a wooden shoe
Looking for a star
I can tell my troubles do
Oh lordie me
Didn't I shake sugaree
I pawned my horse
Pawned my plow
Pawned everything
Even my old milk cow
Got a little secret
I ain't gonna tell
I'm going to heaven
In a ground pea shell
Oh lordie me
Didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is down in pawn
Everything I got is down in pawn
The lyrics of "Shake Sugaree" by Mary Lou Lord are a testament of a person struggling to make ends meet, pawned everything they owned to survive, and remained hopeful in the face of adversity. The song begins with the singer proclaiming that they have a secret that they will not tell, suggesting that they have something going in their favor, perhaps a small glimmer of hope. The following line "I'm going to heaven in a ground pea shell" is a reference to an African American folk tale where a snail that lived in a ground pea shell represented people taking refuge in small and humble dwellings. The singer's anticipation of going to heaven in a ground pea shell suggests that the idea of living modestly and humbly is seen as a step towards a better life, and not necessarily a desperate compromise.
The next verse describes the extent of the singer's situation- everything they own is down in pawn. They reference specific items; their watch, chain, and everything in their name, to emphasize that they are entirely reliant on their circumstances to change. Despite this, they remain optimistic as "didn't I shake sugaree" is repeated through the song, indicating that they have put in the effort necessary to improve their situation.
The final verse seems to talk about the singer's desire to start afresh, with references to selling everything they own, including their horse, plow, and milk cow, and going 'sailing in a wooden shoe. Looking for a star I can tell my troubles do.' The wooden shoe and the star reference other folk tales, the former symbolizing making the best of a difficult situation, and the latter representing hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a little secret
I have a personal secret that I don't want to reveal to anyone.
I ain't gonna tell
I'm not going to disclose my secret to anyone.
I'm going to heaven
When I die, I believe that I'll go to heaven.
In a ground pea shell
I envision my body being buried in a small, nature-friendly shell, instead of a conventional coffin.
Oh lordie me
A phrase used to express surprise or excitement.
Didn't I shake sugaree
A phrase used to ask if one did a good job or fulfilled a promise.
Everything I got is down in pawn
I had to pawn all my belongings to get some money.
Pawned my watch
I pawned my wristwatch to get some money.
Pawned my chain
I pawned my necklace to get some money.
Pawned everything that was in my name
I pawned all the items that were registered under my name to get some money.
I'm going sailing
I plan to sail on a boat to escape from my current situation.
In a wooden shoe
I'll be using a crude boat made of wood for my journey.
Looking for a star
I'm searching for a guiding light to lead me towards better prospects.
I can tell my troubles do
I hope that the star would help me overcome my problems and worries.
I pawned my horse
I had to pawn my horse to get some money.
Pawned my plow
I pawned my farming tool to get some money.
Pawned everything
I had to pawn everything that was of value to me to get some money.
Even my old milk cow
I had to pawn even my beloved and trusted source of milk to get some money.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TAJ MAHAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind