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.
Subway
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The spray painted words of the prophets have failed
Down in this tunnel there's no day or night
Up above is it darkness or light
It's all just a dream I wake up and I'm back
Where the wheels of reality screech down the track
The ride is the moment they're all waiting for
Can't afford to beleive that there's more
And he lives in the suburbs and he carries a phone
I watch him arrive and I'll watch him go home
He'll pitch me a quarter as he stops to chage lines
He'd stay but he never has time
Would he stay if he ever had time
So hold my eye
While the rest of the city flies by
The tips and the tokens you left me today
Are the price of my ride on the subway
And I've seen drowning hobos and rich men who pass
Reflected in fragments of Boston bound glass
And I'll be Jimmie Rodgers, The Cure or The Who
If it makes any difference to you
Does it make any difference to you
So hold my eye
While the rest of the city flies by
The tips and the tokens you left me today
Are the price of my ride on the subway
They're the price of my ride on the subway
They're the price of my ride on the subway
Mary Lou Lord's song "Subway" is a poignant portrayal of the life of a street musician performing in the tunnels of the New York City subway system. The opening lines, "There's no sun and no starlight to shine on the rails, the spray painted words of the prophets have failed," set a somber tone, highlighting the bleak and isolated environment of the subway. Lord then contrasts the darkness of the tunnel with the question of what lies beyond it. The singer of the song is stuck in this moment of limbo, never quite sure whether there is anything better awaiting above ground. The wheels of reality screech down the track, and the momentary escape of the subway ride is all the singer and those around her are left with.
The lyrics then turn to the people the singer encounters on her subway journey. One person is described as living in the suburbs and carrying a phone, highlighting the stark differences between those above and below ground. The performer watches as people come and go, reminding us that the subway is not just a place of transience for the performer but for those who ride it daily as well. Significantly, the singer wonders if these people would ever stay if they had the time.
The song repeats the line "hold my eye while the rest of the city flies by" twice in the chorus, providing a sense of connection with the people who leave their tips and tokens as the "price" of the performer's ride. Lord's song portrays a life of isolation and despair, but one where small moments of connection and human interaction provide the only glimmer of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no sun and no starlight to shine on the rails
There is no natural light in the subway tunnel
The spray painted words of the prophets have failed
The graffiti on the walls of the subway are not insightful or helpful
Down in this tunnel there's no day or night
The subway is dark at all times
Up above is it darkness or light
It is unclear if it is dark or light outside of the subway
It's all just a dream I wake up and I'm back
The subway feels like a surreal and never-ending experience
Where the wheels of reality screech down the track
The reality of everyday life feels painful and noisy
The ride is the moment they're all waiting for
People on the subway are focused on the ride and not thinking about anything else
Can't afford to believe that there's more
People on the subway do not have high expectations of getting more out of life
I can't kid myself into thinking there's more
The songwriter cannot delude herself into thinking there is more to life than what she sees on the subway
And he lives in the suburbs and he carries a phone
The songwriter observes a man who appears wealthy and modern
I watch him arrive and I'll watch him go home
The songwriter is an observant person who notices the people around her on the subway
He'll pitch me a quarter as he stops to change lines
The man throws a small amount of money at the songwriter as he passes her by
He'd stay but he never has time
The man appears too busy to have a real conversation or connection with the songwriter
Would he stay if he ever had time
The songwriter wonders if the man would engage with her if he weren't in such a hurry
So hold my eye
The songwriter wants the listener to pay attention to her
While the rest of the city flies by
People outside the subway are busy and moving quickly
The tips and the tokens you left me today
The small amount of money thrown by the man earlier is appreciated by the songwriter
Are the price of my ride on the subway
The songwriter depends on these small contributions to afford her subway fare
And I've seen drowning hobos and rich men who pass
The songwriter has witnessed a wide range of people on the subway, from homeless individuals to wealthy ones
Reflected in fragments of Boston bound glass
The scenery outside the subway is visible through the windows on the train
And I'll be Jimmie Rodgers, The Cure or The Who
The songwriter identifies with musicians who have written about the struggles of everyday life
If it makes any difference to you
The songwriter is unsure if her message will resonate with the listener
They're the price of my ride on the subway
The small contributions she receives on the subway are essential for the songwriter to afford her ride
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARY LOU LORD, NICK SALOMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind