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.
Sugar
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honey, honey.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
Honey,
Sugar, sugar.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
I just can't believe the loveliness
Of loving you.
(I just can't believe it's true)
I just can't believe the wonder
Of this feeling, too.
(I just can't believe it's true)
Oh, sugar,
Honey, honey.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
Oh, honey,
Sugar, sugar.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
When I kissed you, girl,
I knew how sweet a kiss could be.
(I knew how sweet a kiss could be)
Like the summer sunshine,
Pour your sweetness over me.
(Pour your sweetness over me)
Oh, pour your sugar on me, honey.
Pour your sugar on me, baby.
(I'm gonna make your life so sweet)
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Pour your sugar on me, oh yeah.
Pour your sugar on me, honey.
Pour your sugar on me, baby.
(I'm gonna make your life so sweet)
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Pour your sugar on me, honey.
Oh, sugar,
Honey, honey.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
Oh, honey, honey.
Sugar, sugar.
Honey, honey.
Sugar, sugar.
Honey,
Sugar, sugar.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
Mary Lou Lord's cover of "Sugar" by The Archies is a sweet love song about someone being completely enamored with the person they are in love with. The lyrics "Sugar, honey, honey. You are my candy girl, and you got me wanting you" convey the singer's deep affection for the one they love, equating them to sweet treats like sugar and candy. The repetition of "you got me wanting you" reinforces their desire for the other person.
The verses describe how the singer is in disbelief at how lovely and wonderful it feels to be in love, saying "I just can't believe the loveliness of loving you" and "I just can't believe the wonder of this feeling, too." The line "like the summer sunshine, pour your sweetness over me" paints a bright and joyful picture of being in love, where everything seems to be shining and full of light.
Line by Line Meaning
Sugar
The sweetness of life and love
Honey, honey.
Addressing a loved one with a term of endearment
You are my candy girl,
A loved one who brings joy and sweetness into life
And you got me wanting you.
The overwhelming desire to be close and intimate with a loved one
I just can't believe the loveliness
Feeling in awe of the beauty and wonder of love
Of loving you.
The deep and meaningful connection with a loved one
I just can't believe the wonder
Being amazed by the emotions and feelings of love
Of this feeling, too.
The inexplicable joy and happiness brought by love
Oh, sugar,
Addressing a loved one with a term of endearment
When I kissed you, girl,
The passionate moment of intimacy with a loved one
I knew how sweet a kiss could be.
The sensation of being overwhelmed by the sweetness and intensity of a kiss
Like the summer sunshine,
The warmth and brightness that love brings
Pour your sweetness over me.
The desire for more love and intimacy from a loved one
Oh, pour your sugar on me, honey.
Desiring more affection and sweetness from a loved one
I'm gonna make your life so sweet
Promising to bring joy and happiness to a loved one's life
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
Honey, honey.
Addressing a loved one with a term of endearment
Sugar, sugar.
Referring to the sweetness and joy brought by love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Kim, Jeff Barry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Deeply Deep Derboy
my favorite i swear...
used to listen
my rotten old
abused yet treasured
aged cassette tape
saturday morning cartoon delights
way back 1995.
where the heck they now?
oh man not just the music
they kill nowadays
but cartoon shows too!
what kind of generation
we have now?
senses lacking of something i don't know what it is...
pathetic XD
Ralph mac Donald
I remember very much enjoying her show and wanting to buy her cd but I didn’t have enough money. She said no problem and gave it to me and said, just mail it to me when you have the money. Very sweet. Not many performers, then or now would do that.
ThanksForPlayingGFFG
For anyone questioning why Drew Barrymore is so prevalent in the video, she was the host of the Saturday Morning Cartoon's Greatest Hits VHS compilation. It was released as a CD/Tape and as a collection of videos on VHS.
fish talk
ThanksForPlayingGFFG thanks for the info ❤️
Kevin Flynn
That's Mary Lou. Not Drew.
Chai Blackshear
This is my 11th favorite song of all time!
princessribbon1996
This is such a cute version!
Sabrina Love-Paisley
Mary Lou Lord is so underrated.
mcboatner
A sweet voice!
thecountofbasie
My fave version of the song...haven't seen these clips in way too long...thanks for posting
John Kenney
Great Cover ! very sweet.