Meaningful songs #8 - DORY PREVIN

This is the eighth in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "LemonHaired Ladies", released in 1971, is by a singer called DORY PREVIN.

Dory Previn

On the album, Mythical Kings & Iguanas - hear the song here

As a lament to a former and younger love(r), this song expresses resignation to the fact her younger partner treats her badly; because of the age difference he knows he can?

This song is acknowledged to be about the departure of her then husband to actress Mia Farrow (a lemon haired lady), as documented in her autobiography, "Midnight Baby". In the 1970s Dory gained a significant following for her dark and honest views on life and love, drawing heavily on a troubled childhood, her marriage (to conductor Andre Previn) and mental ill health.

LEMON HAIRED LADIES

Whatever you give me I'll take as it comes

Discarding self-pity I'll manage with crumbs

I'll settle for moments, I won't ask for life

I'll not expect labels like lover, or wife

  

If showing affection embarrasses you

I will not depend, and I will not pursue

For you are younger than I, younger than I, younger than I

And I am wiser than you

The 1 a.m. phone-calls, you're here, then you're gone

Come when you need me, I won't carry on

I'll simply accept you the way that you are

Unsure and unstructured, my door is ajar

Those lemon haired ladies of twenty or so

Of course you must see them, just don't let me know

Don't let me know, whatever you do

For you are younger than I, younger than I, younger than I

And I am weaker than you

  

I'll give you a year

Maybe two, maybe three

Then what will happen?

Where will I be?

You're still a boy

But what about me?

What about me?

What about me?

Why must you treat me with such little care?

I've so much inside me I'm aching to share

Why am I constant to someone like you?

Children don't know the meaning of "true"

Those lemon haired ladies, why must you see them?

All that I want, in your eyes is to be them

Time is on their side, that's all I lack

Oh, I wish you would just go away

No, come back

Come back. Go away

Come back. Go away

  

What in Hell can I do? I'm supposed to be wise

For I am older than you, older than you

  

You're so self-centred, the games that you play

Do as you please, well, you will anyway

Of course you will see them, no use to pretend

For you are younger than I, younger than I

Those lemon haired ladies

And they will win in the end

  

Return to the first article in this series or the first song in this series.

Read the next article in the series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.

Read more about Dory Previn