In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Don't call pretty Peggy, she can't hear you no more
Don't leave no message 'round her back door
They say the old laughin' lady been here before
She don't keep time, she don't count score
You can't have a cupboard if there ain't no wall
You got to move, there's no time left to stall
They say the old laughing lady dropped by to call
And when she leaves, she leaves nothing at all
See the drunkard of the village falling on the street
Can't tell his ankles from the rest of his feet
He loves his old laughing lady 'cause her taste is so sweet
But his laughing lady's loving ain't the kind he can keep
There's a fever on the freeway, blacks out the night
There's a slipping on the stairway, just don't feel right
And there's a rumbling in the bedroom and a flashing of light
There's the old laughing lady, everything is alright
Don't leave no message 'round her back door
They say the old laughin' lady been here before
She don't keep time, she don't count score
You can't have a cupboard if there ain't no wall
You got to move, there's no time left to stall
They say the old laughing lady dropped by to call
And when she leaves, she leaves nothing at all
See the drunkard of the village falling on the street
Can't tell his ankles from the rest of his feet
He loves his old laughing lady 'cause her taste is so sweet
But his laughing lady's loving ain't the kind he can keep
There's a fever on the freeway, blacks out the night
There's a slipping on the stairway, just don't feel right
And there's a rumbling in the bedroom and a flashing of light
There's the old laughing lady, everything is alright
Lyrics submitted by sloop, edited by JackTStripper
The Old Laughing Lady Lyrics as written by Neil Young
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
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I agree that there seems to be a theme of addiction, but do we all forget that his wife is Pegi? As in "Don't call pretty Pegi"? Where might she fit in?
Nope....Neil didn't marry Pegi until 1978. He was with actress Carrie Snodgress until 1975.