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.
Speeding Motorcycle
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Speeding Motorcycle, always changing me
Speeding Motorcycle, don't you drive wrecklessly
Speeding Motorcycle, of my heart
Many boys have taken you for a ride
Hurt you deep inside but you never slow down
Cause we dont wanna wreck, but we can do lotta tricks
We dont have to break our necks, to get our kicks
Speeding Motorcycle, the road is ours
And we don't need reason and we don't need logic
Cause we've got feelin' and we're very proud of it
Speeding motorcycle, lets just go
Speeding motorcycle, lets go lets go lets go
Speeding motorcycle, there is nothing you can do
Speeding motorcycle, I love you
The song "Speeding Motorcycle" by Mary Lou Lord talks about a motorcycle being a metaphor for someone's heart, which is always speeding and changing, never slowing down even though it has been hurt. The singer wants to be smart and not wreck the motorcycle or their hearts, but still do some tricks and have fun on the road of life. The lyrics also convey the idea that emotions don't always need reason and logic, as feelings are enough to be proud of and follow one's heart wherever it leads. The final lines declare a deep love for the motorcycle, which may signify the love one has for their heart or the adventurous side of themselves.
Overall, the song seems to be encouraging listeners to embrace their hearts' desires and enjoy life's journey, even though it may involve taking some risks. The motorcycle represents the unpredictability and excitement of life, and the singer urges the listener to take control and go wherever it takes them.
Line by Line Meaning
Speeding Motorcycle, of my heart
My heart is like a speeding motorcycle that is constantly changing and evolving
Speeding Motorcycle, always changing me
This motorcycle is always changing me and pushing me to grow and evolve
Speeding Motorcycle, don't you drive wrecklessly
I want this motorcycle to go fast, but I also want to be safe and not take unnecessary risks
Speeding Motorcycle, of my heart
Once again, my heart is being compared to a speeding motorcycle
Many boys have taken you for a ride
Many people have tried to take advantage of me and my heart
Hurt you deep inside but you never slow down
Despite being hurt in the past, I am still moving forward and not slowing down
Speeding Motorcycle, lets be smart
We can still push ourselves and have fun, but let's do it in a smart and safe way
Cause we dont wanna wreck, but we can do lotta tricks
We don't want to crash or get hurt, but we can still have a lot of fun and do cool things
We dont have to break our necks, to get our kicks
We can have fun without taking unnecessary risks or putting ourselves in danger
Speeding Motorcycle, the road is ours
We have the freedom to go wherever we want on this motorcycle and explore the world
And we don't need reason and we don't need logic
We don't always need to have a reason or justification for what we do or how we feel
Cause we've got feelin' and we're very proud of it
Our emotions and feelings are important and we are not ashamed of them
Speeding motorcycle, lets just go
Let's not overthink it, let's just go and have an adventure on this motorcycle
Speeding motorcycle, lets go lets go lets go
An enthusiastic call to action to get on the motorcycle and ride
Speeding motorcycle, there is nothing you can do
Once we're on this motorcycle, nothing can stop us or slow us down
Speeding motorcycle, I love you
An expression of love for this motorcycle and the freedom it represents
Contributed by Cole E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ailecia Ruscin
I have this record and every time I spin it at my DJ night people come up to ask who it is doing the cover. It's a fantastic cover.
Ni hel
My favourite version... rip daniel Johnston :’(
stevesanta00
Great song. Thanks for uploading.
justinmartin3z
FYI - this is a song she covers by Daniel Johnston
Flat Accord Music
I bet you're sad. I'm sorry, Mary Lou. -Ryan
Julie Strickler
Why do you guys hate her?? I really would love to know?
Brendon Borg
I used to listen to her music all the time but I dislike her from when she crowdfunded her album and didn't give any update
she kept on making bogus excuses, she took advantage of her fans that wanted to support her.