Mary Lou Lord is one of those interesting one-offs in my CD collection that reinforces how interesting the artistic world can be. You could write a movie about her career despite the fact that almost nobody has heard of her.
Lord got her start playing in Boston subway stations and got her break when she ran into Kurt Cobain, on tour with Nirvana, one night outside a club. The two hit it off and became close friends (and lovers, according to some accounts). She also befriended Elliott Smith and toured in support of him (he plays guitar on some of her recorded tracks).
Lord released one proper album, 1998’s well-received Got No Shadow. Her whisper-thin voice masked some serious songwriting chops, and she proved adept at both acoustic folk and pop-rock. The album, independently released on the Kill Rock Stars label, featured guest spots by a stable of established artists, including Shawn Colvin, Elliott Smith, Jon Brion and Roger McGuinn.
Despite all this early promise, she didn’t release another album until 2004’s Baby Blue, a full-band recording that didn’t make much of a splash at all. A year later, she revealed that she suffered from spasmodic dysphonia, a disease that injures the vocal chords, and she never recorded again.
All that backstory occupies a quarter of an inch on my CD shelf, where Got No Shadow sits in the middle of the L’s. It remains a great listen… every track is a keeper. ‘She Had You’ is a splendid look at the irrational trauma of romantic jealousy. Lord sings about an old friend over whom she has triumphed in every way… except the one that really matters.
We used to meet there – doing our whiz and blow
I had a friend there – she was a waste of space
She tried to match me – she couldn’t stay the pace
She was a no one
She was a loser
But she had you – she had you
I couldn’t stand it – seeing you there with her
I never told you – how much it really hurt
I went to college – I got a fancy car
Drop dead apartment – now I’m a shining star
But she never made it
She’s selling Avon
But she had you – she had you
I have respect now – I always knew I would
‘Cause I had a passport – out of the neighborhood
And when I go back – I always see her there
I ask how she’s doing – not that I really care
She’s still on the corner
She’s still going nowhere
Meet Me In Montauk 
What a sad story! Does she still write for others?
This is a good song, though a bit too grungy for my personal taste.
I do love this song. It’s sad that she never recorded again. The bitterness and desperation of never having a chance with that person you wanted is universal, if a little irrational. She has everything and can’t let go of that jealousy. Sad, but understandable.
Wow. This song very effectively captures that sort of bitterness and jealousy. It’s almost uncomfortable to hear. Too bad that she never recorded again; makes me wonder which character in the song she actually is. Is she the one with the passport out of the neighborhood or the girl who is still on the corner?
Hmmm….. maybe she’s writing this from the POV of Courtney Love about herself? Intriguing possibility, no?
That’s an interesting take. Not that Love is much of a “shining star” but she certainly had more success commercially than Lord. And when this was written, Love was probably at the top of her game, with Larry Flynt and many accolades for Hole.