Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
The Lady Came From Baltimore
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All she wore was lace
Didn't know that I was poor
She never saw my place
I was there to steal the money
Take her rings and run
Then I fell in love with the lady
Lady's name was Susan Moore
Daddy was the law
Didn't know that I was poor
And lived outside the law
Daddy said I was a thief
Didn't have the love
But I was Susan's true belief
Married her for love
I was there to steal the money
Take her rings and run
Then I fell in love with the lady
Got away with none
Now she lived and built a wall
To keep the robbers out
Didn't care a thing at all
That's what I'm about
I was there to steal the money
Take her rings and run
Then I fell in love with the lady
Got away with none
Then I fell in love with the lady
Got away with none
The Scott Walker song "The Lady Came From Baltimore" tells the story of a man who planned to rob a wealthy woman named Susan Moore whom he met in Baltimore. The man thought he could steal her money and jewelry and run away without getting caught. However, as he spent more time with her, he fell in love with her and abandoned his plan of theft. He marries Susan despite the disapproval of her father who is a lawman himself. In the end, the couple is happily together, and Susan builds a wall around her house to keep robbers away, indicating that she has moved on from her previous life and is now content with her new husband.
The lyrics of the song are simple but powerful, showcasing the transformation of a man from a thief to a lover. It explores themes of love, trust, and the power of redemption. Despite the man's initial intentions, his love for Susan transforms him into a better person, and he chooses to stay with her and build a life together. Additionally, the song highlights the societal pressure and economic divide between the two characters, with the main character thinking that he could only achieve financial stability through theft.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady came from Baltimore
This woman came from Baltimore.
All she wore was lace
She was only wearing lace.
Didn't know that I was poor
She was unaware of my financial status.
She never saw my place
She never came to my home.
I was there to steal the money
My intention was to steal her money.
Take her rings and run
I planned to steal her rings and leave.
Then I fell in love with the lady
I unexpectedly fell in love with her.
Got away with none
I didn't steal anything.
Lady's name was Susan Moore
Her name was Susan Moore.
Daddy was the law
Her father was a law enforcement official.
And lived outside the law
I was a criminal.
Daddy said I was a thief
Her father accused me of being a thief.
Didn't have the love
Susan's father didn't approve of our relationship.
But I was Susan's true belief
Susan believed in our love.
Married her for love
We got married because of our love for each other.
Now she lived and built a wall
She built a wall for protection.
To keep the robbers out
She wanted to keep thieves away from her home.
Didn't care a thing at all
She didn't care about material possessions.
That's what I'm about
However, it was my original intention to steal from her.
Then I fell in love with the lady
I still fell in love with her despite my initial plan.
Got away with none
I didn't successfully steal anything from her.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TIM HARDIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sadakichihartmann1827
Beautiful, what a magnificent voice! Tim Hardin is such an underrated songwriter.
@VionaBee
I heard the original by Tim Hardin, then tried covers by Ricky Nelson, Bobby Darin, Joan Baez and Johnny Cash.. The song is beautiful in every interpretation. But... When I heard Scott sing it, I don't need another version of it. This one tops them all.
@norbertesperstedt4588
Das ist absolut die beste Stimme für diesen Song😊
@travellingman23
Amazing cover. I’ve always loved this. R.I.P.
@wellandtrulyjoshed
Beautiful man beautiful voice ❤️ RIP Scott 💔 You were my true belief 👏😢
@MarinosSiopis
Scott's voice is amazing!
@raggedsoldiers
Always loved this song
@adriannicholl1886
One of the great voices.........of any generation!!
@davidlyon2151
The man is class
@GuyFawkes15
Thank you, Scott and R.I.P.