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.
That Kind of Girl
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under a "No Smoking" sign
She cut right there in front of him
Said "suckers wait in line,"
Turned off by your walkman
You try to say hello
Now that I come to think of it
He never could say no
Careful, don't give her an inch
She'll take half your world
Why does he love that kind of girl?
And all of her exes, they could form a band
To play the kind of music
That she could never stand
Country's just for bumpkins
That's what she always said
And she likes Smashing Pumpkins
She'll smash one on your head
Careful, don't give her an inch
She'll take half your world
Why does he love that kind of girl?
My photogenic memory
Ran out of film today
I never knew what not to do
Just knew what not to say
And she can play the victim
And she can victimize
She'll play you off your brother
Right there in front of your eyes
Careful, don't give her an inch
She'll take half your world
Why does he love that kind of girl?
She gave him rocks for his head
And promised him a pearl
Why does he love that kind of girl?
Why does he love that kind of girl?
Mary Lou Lord's song "That Kind of Girl" is a cautionary tale about a woman who is confident, assertive and prone to manipulation. The song begins with the singer meeting a woman blowing smoke rings under a "No Smoking" sign. The woman cuts in front of him, saying "suckers wait in line." He is intrigued by her boldness but put off by her dismissive attitude towards his Walkman. Despite this, he can't resist her and is drawn to her confidence.
As the song progresses, we learn more about the woman's tendencies. All of her exes dislike her taste in music, but she doesn't care. She likes what she likes and won't apologize for it. The singer is blinded by her charm and overlooks her manipulative behavior. She plays the victim and victimizes others, but he can't see it. She gives him rocks for his head but promises him a pearl, a metaphor for her manipulative behavior.
The chorus, "Careful, don't give her an inch, she'll take half your world," serves as a warning to the singer and to the listener. The woman is dangerous, but her confidence is alluring. The singer is trapped, unable to resist her even though he knows he should. The song ends with the same question it began with: "Why does he love that kind of girl?"
Line by Line Meaning
He met her blowing smoke rings
He first encountered her while she was smoking and blowing smoke rings.
Under a "No Smoking" sign
She was smoking under a sign that forbade smoking in that area.
She cut right there in front of him
She made a bold move and approached him without hesitation.
Said "suckers wait in line,"
She dissed anyone who would stand in a line instead of going for what they want.
Turned off by your walkman
She was not impressed by his music player.
You try to say hello
He attempted to greet her.
Now that I come to think of it
Upon reflection, he realizes something that he hadn't thought of before.
He never could say no
He has a hard time saying no to her demands.
Careful, don't give her an inch
Be cautious in your interactions with her.
She'll take half your world
She has the potential to consume a lot of your time and energy.
Why does he love that kind of girl?
This line represents the singer's confusion over why he is drawn to her, despite her flaws.
And all of her exes, they could form a band
She has a string of ex-boyfriends who share commonalities.
To play the kind of music
One of those commonalities is their taste in music.
That she could never stand
The singer dislikes the music that her exes enjoyed.
Country's just for bumpkins
She has a disdain for country music and those who enjoy it.
That's what she always said
She often expresses her dislike for country music.
And she likes Smashing Pumpkins
She enjoys the band Smashing Pumpkins.
She'll smash one on your head
The singer takes a figurative approach to say that she could be violent or aggressive.
My photogenic memory
The singer has a strong photographic memory.
Ran out of film today
His memory is no longer able to recall what has happened in the present moment.
I never knew what not to do
He has difficulty knowing how to act in certain situations.
Just knew what not to say
He has some degree of self-awareness to know what not to say.
And she can play the victim
She is capable of acting like the victim in arguments or disputes.
And she can victimize
She can also be the perpetrator in situations, despite acting like the victim.
She'll play you off your brother
She could use a family member or close friend against the singer during arguments or disputes.
Right there in front of your eyes
Her manipulations and deceit could happen right in front of the singer without him realizing it.
She gave him rocks for his head
She gave him something useless or harmful.
And promised him a pearl
She made a promise of something valuable, but has failed to deliver.
Why does he love that kind of girl?
The repetition of this line highlights the singer's confusion and self-doubt over why he is attracted to this girl despite her negative qualities.
Contributed by Camilla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.