After her untimely death at age 43, music critic Terry Teachout wrote, "Nancy’s unabashedly romantic performances of the old-fashioned songs she loved were nonetheless bringing her, after a quarter-century of scuffling, the kind of national exposure no other baby-boom cabaret artist had yet received. When she died, she was on the verge of real fame—not the small-time celebrity of a New York club singer, but something bigger and more far-reaching."
She released five albums.
Surrey With the Fringe on Top
Nancy Lamott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I take you out in my surrey
When I take you out in my surrey
With a fringe on top
Watch that fringe and see how it flutters
When I set those high steppin' strutters
Nosey pokes will peak through their shutters
And their eyes will pop
The dashboard's genuine leather
With icing-glass curtain's you can roll right down
In case there's a change in the weather
Two bright side lights, winkin' n blinkin'
Ain't no finer rig I"m a thinkin'
You can keep your rig if yer thinkin'
That I'd care to swap
For that shiny, little surray
With a fringe on the top
The Sun is creepin'
By the edge of the hill
The moon is taking a header
And just when I'm thining all the earth is still
A lark will wake up in the meader
Hush you bird, my baby's a sleepin'
Maybe got a dream worth a keepin'
Woah, you team and just keep a creeping at a slow clip clop
Don't you hurry with a surray
With a fringe on the top.
The lyrics to Nancy Lamott's song "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" describe an idyllic date in a special type of carriage called a surrey, which has a decorative fringe around its top. As the singer takes their partner out for a spin in the surrey, they notice that everyone they pass - the "chicks and ducks and geese" - seems to be interested in their ride. The surrey is described in detail: the wheels are yellow, the upholstery is brown, the dashboard is made of leather, and there are "icing-glass curtains" that can be rolled down in case of bad weather. The singer is clearly enamored of the surrey, and proclaims that there is "no finer rig" than this one.
As the day turns to night, the singer urges the horses to keep moving at a steady pace so as not to disturb their sleeping baby. Even the singer's romantic reverie is disturbed by a lark's song - but it's clear that the surrey ride has been a success. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era, where simple pleasures like a ride in a fancy carriage could be an occasion for joy and romance.
Line by Line Meaning
Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
When we go out in my surrey, I expect all the animals on the road to move out of the way quickly to avoid being run over.
When I take you out in my surrey
Whenever I take you on a ride in my surrey, I feel happy and excited.
With a fringe on top
My surrey has a beautiful decoration of fringe all around its top edge.
Watch that fringe and see how it flutters
Observe how the fringe on my surrey's edges moves quickly and gracefully with the wind as we ride along.
When I set those high steppin' strutters
When I drive my surrey quickly along the road, the horses pulling it step up high and fast, showing off their strength.
Nosey pokes will peak through their shutters
As we ride by in my beautiful surrey, some curious people may look through their windows to see what's happening outside.
And their eyes will pop
Those who look at my surrey as we pass by will be amazed by its beauty and elegance.
The wheels are yeller, the apholstery's brown
My surrey's wheels are the color of yellow, and the upholstery inside is brown in color.
The dashboard's genuine leather
The dashboard of my surrey is made of high-quality, real leather.
With icing-glass curtain's you can roll right down
My surrey has clear, glass curtains on its sides that we can roll down if the weather changes suddenly.
In case there's a change in the weather
The glass curtains on my surrey come in handy if it suddenly starts raining or gets too windy outside.
Two bright side lights, winkin' n blinkin'
My surrey has two bright lights on its sides that blink and shine brightly as we ride along in the dark.
Ain't no finer rig I'm a thinkin'
I believe that my surrey is the best and most elegant form of transportation that one can have.
You can keep your rig if yer thinkin'
I don't care if you have a different kind of vehicle; my surrey is the best for me.
That I'd care to swap
I'm so happy with my surrey that I wouldn't want to exchange it for any other type of transportation.
For that shiny, little surray
I love my surrey so much that I feel proud of it whenever I see its shiny, elegant appearance.
With a fringe on the top
The fringe around the top of my surrey is not only decorative but also adds to its already impressive beauty.
The sun is creepin' by the edge of the hill
The sun is slowly moving down the horizon and setting beyond the hill as we ride along in my surrey.
The moon is taking a header
The moon is setting as well, and it looks like it's moving towards the horizon as we ride along in my surrey.
And just when I'm thinking all the earth is still
As we ride along in my surrey, everything seems so peaceful and quiet that I think that the earth has stopped moving altogether.
A lark will wake up in the meadow
Suddenly, a bird will start singing in the nearby meadow, breaking the silence we had been enjoying as we ride along in my surrey.
Hush you bird, my baby's a sleepin'
I want the singing bird to be quiet because my baby is sleeping soundly in my surrey, and I don't want her to wake up.
Maybe got a dream worth a keepin'
My baby may be having a wonderful dream while sleeping in my surrey, and I don't want the singing bird to disturb that dream.
Woah, you team and just keep a creeping at a slow clip clop
I want the horse team pulling my surrey to keep moving slowly and steadily so that my baby can keep sleeping soundly.
Don't you hurry with a surray
I want my surrey to keep moving at a slow and steady pace, and not go too fast and disturb my baby.
With a fringe on the top
Even as we ride along quietly and slowly, the fringe on the top of my surrey still adds to its elegance and beauty.
Writer(s): Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein Ii
Contributed by Jayden G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.