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.
Motorcycle
Nan Vernon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's on his way to Santa Fe to meet his brother
And to his brother there is no one
Together they will hitchike to Canada
Where they will meet their good friend Joe
Who waits patiently by the side of the road
Lazy on Sunday
Crazy on Thuesday
You're my Coca-Cola, baby
And I'm your misfit pearl
Motorcycle, motorcycle
Rubber me down that broken yellow line
Motorcycle, motorcycle
Rubber me down that broken yellow line
I can hear you but I can't see you
You've come so close
To becoming someone else
You're a fascination
A dislocation from the mire
Lazy on Sunday
Crazy on Thuesday
You're my Coca-Cola, baby
And I'm your misfit pearl
Motorcycle, motorcycle
Rubber me down that broken yellow line
Motorcycle, motorcycle
Rubber me down that broken yellow line
This bitter grape has such a sweet aftertaste
A surprise present from the Cuban kid
Thank you mister kid
Thank you
Satchels of prayers
Shall scrape this pilgrimage
Skyscrapers cling
To their paradise in the sky
You and I shall combine the information
And satelite toward a virgin star
The lyrics to Nan Vernon's song "Motorcycle" describe a road trip taken by two brothers, Bartholomew and Joe. Bartholomew is in the back of a pick-up truck on his way to Santa Fe to meet his brother, who is waiting for him at the side of the road. Together, they plan to hitchhike to Canada to meet their friend Joe. The lyrics use imagery of travel and adventure to evoke a sense of freedom and escape.
The song has a dreamlike quality to it, with lines like "I can hear you but I can't see you / You've come so close / To becoming someone else." These lyrics suggest a hazy, surreal state of mind, perhaps brought on by the excitement and uncertainty of traveling to new places. The chorus of the song, "Motorcycle, motorcycle / Rubber me down that broken yellow line," emphasizes the sense of movement and progress that comes with traveling down a road.
There are several repeated lines throughout the song that give it a sense of structure and familiarity, such as "Lazy on Sunday / Crazy on Tuesday / You're my Coca-Cola, baby / And I'm your misfit pearl." These lyrics suggest a playful, slightly rebellious spirit between two people who are drawn to each other despite their differences.
Overall, "Motorcycle" is a song about travel, adventure, and the thrill of the unknown. Its dreamlike, poetic lyrics create a sense of wanderlust and optimism that make it a perfect soundtrack for hitting the open road.
Line by Line Meaning
Bartholomew sits in the back of a pick-up truck
Bartholomew is riding in the back of a pickup truck
He's on his way to Santa Fe to meet his brother
He's traveling to Santa Fe to see his brother
And to his brother there is no one
His brother has no one but him
Together they will hitchhike to Canada
Together, they will try to get a ride to Canada from Santa Fe
Where they will meet their good friend Joe
They are going to meet their good friend, Joe, in Canada.
Who waits patiently by the side of the road
Joe is waiting for them beside the road
Lazy on Sunday
Being lazy on a Sunday
Crazy on Thuesday
Acting crazy on a Tuesday
You're my Coca-Cola, baby
You are my darling
And I'm your misfit pearl
I am yours and am different from others
Motorcycle, motorcycle
Singing about motorcycles
Rubber me down that broken yellow line
Speeding down the road and hugging the center line
I can hear you but I can't see you
Not able to see the person, but hear them
You've come so close
They have come close to each other
To becoming someone else
Almost changing themselves into someone else
You're a fascination
The person is fascinating
A dislocation from the mire
A different perspective from their usual life
This bitter grape has such a sweet aftertaste
A sour experience has a positive outcome
A surprise present from the Cuban kid
Something unexpected received from a Cuban child
Thank you mister kid
Grateful to the child for the present
Satchels of prayers
Bags filled with prayers
Shall scrape this pilgrimage
Their journey will be difficult
Skyscrapers cling
Tall buildings standing firm
To their paradise in the sky
Referring to the pinnacle of business success
You and I shall combine the information
Together we will share information
And satelite toward a virgin star
Together we aim to explore or learn something new.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN CHARLES REYNOLDS, MATTHEW THOMAS ARTHUR SELIGMAN, NAN VERNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jody Crown
i have the cd single of this that i found in a 1.00 bin at a pawn shop. its really ashame that it wasn't a bigger song...its really done well...
tiwa manee
I have this CD, it's extraodinary.
Ian Denby
What a voice, she was with Dave Stewart and the spiritual cowboys.
David Truscott
Love this song to bits❤️️
janodespota
she is awesome
kophead81
Brilliant tune.
chuckpadgettmusic
Love her Manta Ray CD.
bonnie bianco
just ordered manta ray after hearing this.
David Joseph Vickers
There will be more to come from Nan Vernon singing from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones in the near future, Hopefully!🌎🌍🌏👑📺📻🎙🎤🌷🌈💯
Narrow Boaters
I was on set during the filming of 'No more lullabies' . Do you know if the vid was ever released?