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.
Thirteen
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't you let me meet you at the pool
Maybe Friday I can
Get tickets for the dance
And I'll take you
Won't you tell your dad get off my back
Tell him what we said about Paint It Black
Come inside where it's okay
And I'll shake you
Won't you tell me what you're thinking of
Would you be an outlaw for my love?
If it's so, well let me know
If it's no, then I can go
I won't make you
Mary Lou Lord's "Thirteen" is a cover of the Big Star song of the same name. The lyrics revolve around a teenage boy's attempt to woo a girl who is also around thirteen years old. The boy asks if he can walk her home from school or meet her at the pool. He also suggests getting tickets for the dance on Friday and taking her. The boy then urges the girl to tell her dad to get off his back and reassures her that rock and roll is here to stay. He suggests that she come inside, where it's okay, and he'll shake her – presumably in the dance sense.
The boy then asks the girl to tell him what she's thinking of and wonders if she would be an outlaw for his love. He tells her that if she says yes, he'll stick around, but if she says no, he'll leave her alone. The song conveys the eagerness and uncertainty of young love, with the boy trying to navigate the complexities of teenage life and the girl's potential disapproval.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you let me walk you home from school
Asks the person to allow them to escort them home from school
Won't you let me meet you at the pool
Asks the person to meet them at the pool
Maybe Friday I can Get tickets for the dance And I'll take you
Asks the person out for a dance date on Friday, while also offering the tickets they'll need to attend the dance with them
Won't you tell your dad get off my back
Asks the person to talk to their dad and get him to back off from bothering them about their relationship
Tell him what we said about Paint It Black
Suggests telling the person's dad about how they both enjoy the Rolling Stones' song 'Paint It Black'
Rock and roll is here to stay
Asserts that rock and roll music is not a passing fad
Come inside where it's okay And I'll shake you
Invites the person inside and offers to dance with them
Won't you tell me what you're thinking of
Asks the person to share their thoughts and feelings
Would you be an outlaw for my love?
Asks the person if they would go against societal norms and expectations to be with them
If it's so, well let me know If it's no, then I can go I won't make you
Lets the person know that it's their choice whether or not to be with them, and assures them that they will respect their decision either way
Contributed by Alex N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.