During Nan's teenage years in Los Angeles, according to an interview in Cosmopolitan magazine, she discovered magic mushrooms and the guitar.
She played in a late 80's band called Babooshka, and in the 90's joined the touring bands both for ex-Police guitarist Andy Summers, and ex-Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart's backing band, The Spiritual Cowboys.
After a couple years in the UK and working with producers like Ian Stanley and Dave Stewart she eventually released several collaborations, some singles and her own debut album Manta Ray for Elektra in 1995 and a beautiful version of Moon River for a Del-Fi compilation of Henry Mancini songs, Shots in the Dark.
Record company coordination, and promotional support, both in the UK and the US, were fraught with difficulty, and her US label East/West folded shortly after her debut. Little was heard from the promising Ms. Vernon after this period.
Iron John
Nan Vernon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every morning she puts her hard hat on
To work a long day
That will shift through the night
Working on a heart of gold
Following a vein
Chipping through a cast iron lung
Iron John
Iron John
Iron John
He's so strong
Iron John
He's so strong
Father's tears were never shown
They hid in her imagination
Like a punch drunk fighter
But she kept the score
Mother may she have some more
It helps her to remember
Iron John
Iron John
Iron John
He's so strong
Iron John
Iron John
He's so strong
Fathom
The anchor drops
And the chain follows
Ringing through the widening
Deep deeper deepening
As it passes through the forthless of oblivion
Passed no trespassing signs
Through barbed wire
And sleeping piles of dead cars
Floating stray thoughts
Pump and puff
Their pace making dirge
We know you you're the voyeur
The lyrics of Nan Vernon's song Iron John paints a picture of someone working hard in a shop that sells gold. This person named Mercy, puts on her hard hat every morning and works tirelessly through the day, shifting through the night, chipping away on a cast iron lung to free the heart of gold she is working on. The lyrics reflect the determination and hard work of the character Mercy. The heart refers to a person's inner self, emotions, and soul, which Mercy is working to free, as though it is cast iron holding it in.
The song draws its name from the old Germanic fairy tale of Iron John, a character who guarded a well in the forest that led to water of life and wisdom. The story is about a wild man, who lived in the woods wearing nothing but his iron-like hair, and it is said to symbolize the archetype of male warrior energy that has been repressed in modern times. Through working hard and overcoming challenges, Mercy is embodying the spirit of the Iron John character.
The lyrics also hint towards the idea that Mercy has had a tough upbringing, having had a father who never showed his tears, and she kept the score. Mercy's mother may ask for some more, indicating that Mercy may have not had enough love and support from her mother growing up. These struggles and hardships that Mercy has been through in her life make her a tough and determined individual who is working hard to find the heart of gold.
Line by Line Meaning
Mercy lives in a shop that sells the gold
The singer, Mercy, lives in a world obsessed with materialism and the accumulation of wealth.
Every morning she puts her hard hat on
Mercy is resilient and hardworking, ready to tackle the challenges of the day.
To work a long day
Mercy's days are filled with endless toil and labor.
That will shift through the night
Her work is never done, she must continue working even after the sun goes down.
Working on a heart of gold
Despite the harshness of her life, Mercy is trying to cultivate a heart of gold – a kind and compassionate spirit.
Following a vein
She searches for the vein of gold that runs through everyone and everything.
Chipping through a cast iron lung
Mercy is struggling to free herself from the suffocating grip of materialism and consumerism.
To free that heart of gold
Her ultimate goal is to liberate herself and others from the trap of greed and selfishness.
Iron John
Iron John is a symbol of strength and resilience, a figure to be admired.
He's so strong
Iron John is a source of inspiration for Mercy.
Father's tears were never shown
Mercy's father was unable or unwilling to express his emotions.
They hid in her imagination
As a result, Mercy developed her own imaginary world to cope with the pain and longing she felt.
Like a punch drunk fighter
The pain and struggle of her upbringing left Mercy feeling battered and bruised, like a boxer in the ring.
But she kept the score
Despite the challenges she faces, Mercy remains focused and determined to overcome.
Mother may she have some more
Mercy asks for more nourishment, both physical and emotional, from her mother figure.
It helps her to remember
By receiving more support and love, Mercy is able to remember that she is worthy of these things and can cultivate them within herself.
Fathom
This word signifies a deep and profound understanding of something.
The anchor drops
This line suggests something or someone being brought down to a deeper level of consciousness or awareness.
And the chain follows
The journey downward is continuous, and persists like a chain reaction.
Ringing through the widening
The sound of the journey grows louder as it expands, echoing and amplifying in its intensity.
Deep deeper deepening
The journey continues to reach deeper and deeper depths of understanding.
As it passes through the forthless of oblivion
The search for meaning and understanding takes the journeyer through the emptiness and nothingness of oblivion.
Passed no trespassing signs
This line suggests that the journey requires going beyond the boundaries and limitations society has imposed upon us.
Through barbed wire
The obstacles that stand in the way of the journey are sharp and dangerous.
And sleeping piles of dead cars
This line suggests that the journey takes the traveler through the detritus of society and the remnants of the past.
Floating stray thoughts
The journey is riddled with distractions and wandering thoughts, which serve to distance the traveler from their goal.
Pump and puff
This line suggests a hard, arduous slog towards the end goal.
Their pace making dirge
The relentless pace of the journey can feel funereal, or like a mournful song.
We know you you're the voyeur
This final line suggests that the journey is being observed and noticed by others, even if they don't understand its meaning or purpose.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHAN PATRICK PERKINS, NAN VERNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@jaxsun72
Why would somebody want to become a member of this crappy channel?
@flynnlizzy5469
NO, I don't like it when people LIE to me.
@charlesrockafellor4200
Maybe if you were to ACTUALLY SHOW INAPPROPRIATE PHOTOS, then I'd consider it...
@DogFlamingoXIII
I hate this kind of titling too. This is just a collection of historical images that were often in history books or magazines. Some were taken for media. This is right up there with those, "25 Things You Didn't Know About..." titles, where I get irritated, because you have no idea what I do and don't know. It could have just been named something like "25 Things You Might Not Have Known About...", and it would have been just as interesting and not irritating.
@aLwE17
If only youtube has a haha react
@stelleratorsuprise8185
If you came for the beautiful picture of a model wearing a Native American inspired costume, this might be the only photo not appropriate for a history book, it's so rare you won't find it in the whole video clip. It’s a picture of model Catherine McNeil from Vogue in 2008.
@dkelly26666
Yes, I was going to say that CLEARLY it's a modern photo. Thank you for the source.
@norlesh
I gave the above comment a thumbs up for the useful information; and balanced it out by giving the clip a thumbs down for the click-baiting.
@bearingcee
I did click for that photo, but not because I wanted to see a sexy Squaw, but wanted to see how fake the photo was. I'm Plains Apache, and I promise our mahies (my ease) (women) didn't dress like she in the pic.