As a group, the six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the grea… Read Full Bio ↴As a group, the six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the greatest live acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture and history. Their numerous critically acclaimed recordings have included their own original songs as well as tried and true standards, both instrumental and vocal.

The Barra MacNeils live concert experience brings so much more to the stage than most live acts ever can. Multiple lead vocalists, beautiful sibling harmonies, top drawer instrumental prowess on a wide variety of acoustic, stringed, percussion and wind instruments, dancing, storytelling, Gaelic songs and a journey through an ancient culture. Family entertainment at its highest level.

Steeped in Cape Breton tradition with strong Celtic roots and musical artistry, this diverse and talented family group continues to wow audiences around the world with their captivating vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship.

Multi-award winners, the Barra MacNeils have released numerous recordings including, Racket In the Attic (2002), Christmas Album (1999), Until Now (1997), The Question (1995), The Traditional Album (1994), Closer to Paradise (1993 - Certified Gold in Canada), Timeframe (1990), Rock in the Stream (1989), The Barra MacNeils (1986). In 2001, they released a DVD titled Cape Breton Christmas incorporating music from their live Christmas Concert Special (as seen on television), plus a visit to Cape Breton, interviews with the Barra MacNeils home at Christmas and music videos.

Canada's Celtic ambassadors, the Barra MacNeils continue to perform to sold out audiences throughout Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom. From headlining major festivals, concerts, special guest appearances (Rita MacNeils CTV Christmas Special, performing with The Chieftains) television specials, film and television placement (Men
with Brooms Soundtrack; Racket In The Attic) and their annual Christmas tour, they have set the course with a solid foundation for success. The Barra MacNeils one-hour Christmas Television Special (2000) continues to be broadcast on Country Music Television (CMT) and on the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) network in the United States.

The Barra MacNeils will continue to do what they love to do best, and that is playing their music for the fans. This incredibly talented family group will tour Canada, the US and Europe to spread their distinctive brand of Celtic flavour around the world.

The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan
The Barra MacNeils Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan

The morning sun touched lightly on
The eyes of Lucy Jordan
In a white suburban bedroom
In a white suburban town

And she lay there 'neath the covers

Dreaming of a thousand lovers
'Til the world turned to orange
And the room went spinning round

At the age of 37
She realized she'd never ride
Through Paris in a sports car
With the warm wind in her hair

So she let the phone keep ringing
As she sat there softly singing
Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorized
In her Daddy's easy chair

Her husband he's off to work
And the kids are off to school
And there were oh so many ways
For her to spend her days

She could clean the house for hours
Or rearrange the flowers
Or run naked through the shady street
Screaming all the way

At the age of 37
She realized she'd never ride
Through Paris in a sports car
With the warm wind in her hair

So she let the phone keep ringing
As she sat there softly singing
Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorized
In her Daddy's easy chair

The evening sun touched gently on
The eyes of Lucy Jordan
On the rooftop where she climbed
When all the laughter grew too loud

And she bowed and curtsied to the man
Who reached and offered her his hand
And he led her down to the long white car that waited past the crowd

At the age of 37
She knew she'd found forever

As she rode along through Paris
With the warm wind in her hair

Overall Meaning

"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" is a song about a woman who dreams of a different life but feels trapped in her current one. Lucy Jordan is a middle-aged woman who lives in a white suburban town with her husband and kids. She lies in bed dreaming of a more exciting life, imagining herself riding through Paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair. However, as she looks at her life, she realizes that she'll never experience those dreams. She spends her days doing housework or sitting in her father's easy chair singing nursery rhymes. As she grows increasingly frustrated, Lucy climbs to the rooftop and meets a man who takes her away in a long white car to Paris, where she finally feels free.

The song speaks to the universal longing for something more in life and the feeling of being trapped in our current circumstances. Lucy's story is relatable to many people who have found themselves stuck in a routine and unable to break free from the monotony. The song also explores the idea that it's never too late to pursue your dreams, even if it may seem impossible at first.

Line by Line Meaning

The morning sun touched lightly on
The sun shone softly through the window, awakening Lucy from her sleep.

The eyes of Lucy Jordan
Lucy looked up, feeling grateful for the new day.

In a white suburban bedroom
Lucy was in her room, situated in a typical suburban neighborhood.

In a white suburban town
The town Lucy was located in was just like any other white suburban town.

And she lay there 'neath the covers
Lucy was still in bed, under the covers.

Dreaming of a thousand lovers
She had dreams of falling in love with many people.

'Til the world turned to orange
The world outside her window turned orange signaling the start of a new day.

And the room went spinning round
Lucy felt dizzy, as if the room was spinning around her.

At the age of 37
Lucy was 37 years old, an age that felt significant to her.

She realized she'd never ride
Lucy came to the realization that she would never experience the pleasure of

Though Paris in a sports car
driving through Paris in a fancy car.

With the warm wind in her hair
Feeling the wind blow through her hair as she drove.

So she let the phone keep ringing
Lucy ignored her phone as it rang, not wanting to be bothered.

As she sat there softly singing
She sang songs to herself quietly, passing the time.

Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorized
These were childlike songs she had remembered since her youth.

In her Daddy's easy chair
She was sitting in her father's chair, feeling safe and comfortable.

Her husband he's off to work
Lucy's spouse had already left for the day, heading to work.

And the kids are off to school
Her children were also gone, off to school.

And there were oh so many ways
Lucy had countless options.

For her to spend her days
Choosing how she would spend her day was up to her.

She could clean the house for hours
Lucy could spend hours just cleaning her home.

Or rearrange the flowers
Perhaps she would tend to her garden's flowers.

Or run naked through the shady street
Lucy daydreamt about doing something daring, like running naked through a quiet neighborhood street.

Screaming all the way
She pictured herself screaming with joy.

The evening sun touched gently on
As the day came to a close, the sunrays hit Lucy's face gently.

The eyes of Lucy Jordan
Lucy looked up, lost in thought at the end of a long day.

On the rooftop where she climbed
Lucy climbed to the rooftop, needing to get away from the loud world below.

When all the laughter grew too loud
The noise of others became too much for Lucy to bear.

And she bowed and curtsied to the man
A man approached Lucy and greeted her in a gentlemanly fashion.

Who reached and offered her his hand
He stretched out his hand, as if welcoming her to a better world.

And he led her down to the long white car that waited past the crowd
The man led Lucy to a luxurious car, located past a group of people waiting nearby.

She knew she'd found forever
Lucy felt like she had found something that couldn't be taken away from her.

As she rode along through Paris
Lucy journeyed through Paris, taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

With the warm wind in her hair
The wind blew through Lucy's hair, reminiscent of the dream she had for so long.

Contributed by Ian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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