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Lady Writer Lyrics
Lady Writer on the t.v.
Talk about the Virgin Mary
Reminded me of you
Expectations left to come up to yeah
Lady writer on the t.v.
Yeah, she had another quality
The way you used to look
And I know you never read a book
Just the way that her hair fell down around her face
Then I recall my fall from grace
Another time, another place
Lady writer on the t.v.
She had all the brains and the beauty
The picture does not fit
You talked to me when you felt like it
Just the way that her hair fell down around her face
Then I recall my fall from grace
Another time, another place
Yes and your rich old man
You know he'd call her a dead ringer
You got the same command
Plus you mother was a jazz singer
Just the way that her hair fell down around her face
Then I recall my fall from grace
Another time, another place
Lady writer on the t.v.
She knew all about a history
You couldn't hardly write your name
I think I want you just the same as the
Lady writer on the t.v.
Talking about the Virgin Mary
Yeah you know I'm talking about you and me
And the lady writer on the t.v.
Lady writer on the t.v.
Talking about the Virgin Mary
Yeah you know I'm talking about you and me
And the lady writer on the t.v.
Talk about the Virgin Mary
Reminded me of you
Expectations left to come up to yeah
Yeah, she had another quality
The way you used to look
And I know you never read a book
Then I recall my fall from grace
Another time, another place
She had all the brains and the beauty
The picture does not fit
You talked to me when you felt like it
Then I recall my fall from grace
Another time, another place
You know he'd call her a dead ringer
You got the same command
Plus you mother was a jazz singer
Then I recall my fall from grace
Another time, another place
She knew all about a history
You couldn't hardly write your name
I think I want you just the same as the
Talking about the Virgin Mary
Yeah you know I'm talking about you and me
And the lady writer on the t.v.
Lady writer on the t.v.
Talking about the Virgin Mary
Yeah you know I'm talking about you and me
And the lady writer on the t.v.
Song Info
Submitted by
theiceman On Jun 15, 2002
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This song is about a time Mark Knofler saw a woman on television that reminded him of a former girlfriend. He is reminisciming about the look and auru his former girlfriend gave off, that is so similar to that of the Lady on the T.V. He is fully appreciating his former girlfriend, as she had all the intelligence and 'command' of this well-educated writer, yet she never 'read a book' and could 'hardly write her name'. His former girlfriend was a total package, with 'all the brains and all the beauty', and acknoledged she did not have to put in as much effort into the relationship as he did, as she only 'talked to me when she felt like it'. This further explifies the recurring line of 'I recall my fall from grace', as she was the one with the control and composure, like that of the lady writer he's watching on television.
@MusicGuruNo1 I always interpreted it to mean that his girlfriend had just the beauty of the lady writer, but not the intelligence. The way that he says that the lady writer "had all the brains and beauty" but "the picture does not fit" seems to mean that the "picture" or image is the same, but it doesn't suit or fit with the reality (of his girlfriend). He goes on to say that the lady writer had the same quality of appearance ("how you used to look"), but his old girlfriend "never read a book". The fact that...
@MusicGuruNo1 I always interpreted it to mean that his girlfriend had just the beauty of the lady writer, but not the intelligence. The way that he says that the lady writer "had all the brains and beauty" but "the picture does not fit" seems to mean that the "picture" or image is the same, but it doesn't suit or fit with the reality (of his girlfriend). He goes on to say that the lady writer had the same quality of appearance ("how you used to look"), but his old girlfriend "never read a book". The fact that the writer on the television "knew all about history", but his girlfriend "could[n't] hardly write [her] name" seems to confirm that. The verses seem to begin by showing the similarity (appearance) but end by remarking the stark difference, expressing his surprise at the fact that even though she looks exactly like his girlfriend, it couldn't possibly be the same person, because this person is educated and intelligent in a way that his old girlfriend was not.
It is true that "command" can be knowledge of a subject, but I'm not sure that it means that here -- it seems out of place interpreted that way, considering what he says elsewhere in the song. I wonder whether it means something similar to composure or control over her voice and expression. In other words, perhaps she has a similar composure or way of speaking, or control over her faculties of expression, despite being uneducated.
Ironically, it seems (to me) to be saying that he still likes/desires his old girlfriend, not because she has the same appearance and intelligence, but rather even despite her lacking the same intelligence. Being reminded of his "fall from grace" comes not from seeing the intelligence of this woman or his overall impression of her, but rather merely from seeing a single physical feature, "just the way that her hair fell down around her face". This seems to confirm that it's primarily the physical appearance that reminds him of his former girlfriend, and that the intelligence is a contrasting feature.
It sounds like someone who he saw on TV reminded him of a woman he knows.
It's all about the feminist writer and academic Marina Warner, and her book about the Virgin Mary, entitled "Alone Of All Her Sex". All the clues are there in the lyrics.
Absolutely correct. I am almost certain that I saw the same interview with Marina Warner on a TV culture programme that inspired the song. She was an extremely attractive and engaging woman (hey, she still is) and I remember a friend and I being very taken with her. It was quite a surprise when the song came out and we found it expressed our thoughts to a great extent.
Absolutely correct. I am almost certain that I saw the same interview with Marina Warner on a TV culture programme that inspired the song. She was an extremely attractive and engaging woman (hey, she still is) and I remember a friend and I being very taken with her. It was quite a surprise when the song came out and we found it expressed our thoughts to a great extent.
Listening to it again for the first time in forever, I'm getting that the narrator wishes his girlfriend was as beautiful and intelligent as the woman he's watching on television.
Not one of my favorite DS songs - even though it was the big hit from Communique, I don't find it anywhere near the best song on the album, and the guitar bit at the end sounds like the underachieving little brother of the guitar bit at the end of Sultans of Swing. But it's an okay song, I guess.
Guru, totally agree. I always sensed some sadness in the line "I recall my fall from grace". To me it sounds like it was a heavily one sided relationship, and seeing the lady on TV is bringing back all those memories. He's still not over her. But she obviously is, "only talked to me when she felt like it". The Lady Writer on the TV seems just like her, the same "type".
This is a great song! One must be tone deaf to compare this song with the Sultans of Swing and benchmarking against that! They are two different songs, two different creations.
I like the way some folks have interpreted the part "I recall my fall from grace". But I still keep wondering did he insinuate to a "sin" he committed; if so what is the sin he is referring to? Or did he just mean that he had lost a commanding position?
I think the fall from grace is insinuating the time when he fell in love with his former girl friend, who looked like the lady writer on the TV, but was nothing like her. The lady writer had all the brains and the beauty. And that picture did not fit with the former girlfriend who just looked like the lady writer, but that's where the similarities ended. Seeing the lady writer on the TV reminded him of the horrible time he had when was with the former girlfriend at a different time and a different place. So he recalls his fall from grace.
t.v woman
this song is about a tv journalist that interveiwed them and wrote a song about her
Some rather harsh comments above but I do agree it is derivative of the classic "Sultans Of Swing" but I still like it.
Seeing as you guys are comparing it to Sultans of Swing, I must say that I actually like this song better. We all have our favorites ;)
Seeing as you guys are comparing it to Sultans of Swing, I must say that I actually like this song better. We all have our favorites ;)