Mary Lou Lord (born March 1, 1965 in Salem, Massachusetts) is an indie/folk… Read Full Bio ↴Mary Lou Lord (born March 1, 1965 in Salem, Massachusetts) is an indie/folk rock musician, busker and recording artist.

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.

Two Boats
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics

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Harsh words I heard him say
He knows how to hurt me
Rear lights and flying kites
Long days in the sun
All gone behind us now
So hard to remember
This time I'll put it down
Before it's begun

And you harbored in your sheltering bay
Still watching as she's sailing away
No movement on the ocean today
But for two boats drifting apart

Deep looks into my eyes he tries to convince me
No way I'd fall for that
I know what I am

He swears and so do I
But we don't believe it
No God or chosen one
Can prove where we stand

And you harbored in your sheltering bay
Still watching as she's sailing away
No movement on the ocean today
But for two boats drifting apart

And Now I doubt everything I knew,
Or at least what I supposed
It's my fault and it's your fault too, you know

And you harbored in your sheltering bay
Still watching as she's sailing away

No movement on the ocean today
But for two boats drifting apart

Overall Meaning

The song “Two Boats” by Mary Lou Lord is a reflective tune about relationships that have drifted apart. The opening line, “Harsh words I heard him say, he knows how to hurt me,” sets the tone for the emotional tone of the track. The singer recalls the memories of their past relationship, and how the good times have slipped away from them. The line “Rear lights and flying kites, long days in the sun, all gone behind us now so hard to remember” depicts a sense of nostalgia and longing to go back to the good old days. However, she struggles to establish any kind of reconciliation, instead choosing to accept and acknowledge the distance that has formed between her and her ex-partner.

The chorus, “And you harbored in your sheltering bay, still watching as she's sailing away, no movement on the ocean today but for two boats drifting apart,” metaphorically describes the feeling of two people drifting apart, unable to sustain the spark that brought them together. The song’s poignant reflection on the end of a relationship is emphasized by the closing verse: “Now I doubt everything I knew, or at least what I supposed, it's my fault and it's your fault too, you know.” The line presents a sense of regret not only for her own actions but for the entire relationship falling apart.

Overall, the song is a melancholic homage to a relationship that has ended but remains close to their hearts. Mary Lou Lord provides a beautiful and insightful commentary on the closing of a chapter in our lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Harsh words I heard him say
He said something hurtful to me

He knows how to hurt me
He has the ability to cause me pain

Rear lights and flying kites
Memories of days spent together

Long days in the sun
The time spent together was joyous and lengthy

All gone behind us now
The happy memories are in the past

So hard to remember
It's difficult to recall those times

This time I'll put it down
I'll make note of the memories this time

Before it's begun
Before it becomes too far in the past

And you harbored in your sheltering bay
You watched from a safe distance

Still watching as she's sailing away
Observed as she left

No movement on the ocean today
The waters are still and calm