The Queen of Midnight Runs
I don't normally field questions here, but Peter asked this one, and I thought I'd clarify...
"Steve, I don't mean to sound like an a-hole with this question although I will probably sound like one. I hear that the song 'Bloody Mary' is based from a person from Dave Navarro's book yet you wrote the lyrics to it. Does that not seem a tad.. well, strange? You singing and writing and voicing your 'opinion' about someone you don't actually know? I know if I had someone I didn't know writing songs about me I'd feel somewhat confused and angry even."
Peter,
This is a good question on a really interesting topic. I find that anywhere I can get inspiration for a song, I am happy (and lucky) to do so. There exists a certain "writer's license". This is allowing oneself to see things through other people's eyes in the hopes of finding an emotion to write a song around. You could criticize Billy Joel for writing "Goodnight Saigon" because he never actually fought in a war, or you could say that his "writer's license" allowed him to express a fictional soldier's feelings in the hopes of allowing all listeners of the song to share that emotion. So that is my position in writing about anything - even other people's relationships, and events that have nothing to do with me. I figure that if the Spirits gave some inspiration- then the song wanted to be written.
Ok, now to the song "Bloody Mary" specifically. If you read past blog posts to when the song was written, it came about like this: The band were working on a new song, and I was in a lyric search mode. Dave's book had just come out, and he mentions a drug dealer named "Mary". There is no real info about her in the book, just the name. I was having dinner that night and saw "Bloody Mary" on the drink menu. All of a sudden the idea clicked. A seemingly glamourous woman cruising around the Hollywood hills, serving the demand of her elite clientele. On the surface glamourous, on the inside ...sad. I got the lyrics written over the next two nights, and told Dave. He loved the idea and told me that "Mary" ...wasn't even her name! - he changed the names in the book for privacy. So the "Bloody Mary" of the song doesn't really exist. She was inspired by the idea of a real person, but a person who's name I don't even know.
Comments
Thanks for the info...I've always been curious about that song and if "Mary" knew she was soon to be "immortalized".
Posted by: Cori | May 30, 2005 01:02 PM
I've been lurking around this site and Navarro's since launch and this entry got me moved enough to finally comment on stuff... just wanted to say, as a musician and lyricist, that this method of writing is one of the best and the fact that most lyricists in music today don't do it really hurts the art. Being able to step outside of yourself can only elevate your craft and, every so often, force you to dig things up in yourself to really grasp the situations of others. And who doesn't want that?
Posted by: The Other Steve | May 30, 2005 04:49 PM
Good response, Steve.
Posted by: Mike | May 30, 2005 07:32 PM
Steve-There was a famous piano player back in the day, that said "From where it comes from I know not" I am glad you are tapping into that.........No need to explain......because you rock........
Posted by: Brett | May 30, 2005 09:31 PM
Steve I have to agree you rock...
Don’t want to sound too cheesy but you are absolutely fabulous.
Hope you and Riss had a great Memorial Day weekend. I don’t know but I have a feeling that this next week will be better than last week. It seems like there was some planetary imbalance or something cause there were quite a few of us having difficulty. Maybe it’s time for a new rope if that makes any sense.
Anyhow, again you Rock!
Posted by: Wendybird | May 30, 2005 11:26 PM
yeah, to be honest (now that I think about it) last week wasn't a bowl of cherries for me either (starting with a $600 car repair on my old, barely-worth $600 car!) so hopefully Wendy is right, and we will all have better luck next week. =) (way to be optimistic!)
Posted by: Abby | May 31, 2005 01:33 AM
Umm, Peter, I'm pretty sure the following didn't occur either in order to write from a first person perspective:
1. Bruce Springsteen did not serve in the Vietnam conflict
2. Gordon Lightfoot did not sail on the Edmund Fitzgerald
3. Although getting up there in age, Rush wasn't around during "Bastille Day"
4. Jimi Hendrix didn't have a particular Mary in mind either when he wrote "The Wind Cries Mary"
5. Led Zeppelin wasn't born during the times of "into the land of the ice and snow...we drive our ships to new lands, to find a home, sing and cry..."
6. Mick Jagger didn't have a particular "Angie" in mind
7. Kurt was not a teenager when he wrote "Teen Spirit"
Would you have been angry if any of these people had written a song about you? Just wondering.
Posted by: Lyn | May 31, 2005 08:20 AM
Gotta love that writer's license.
You post the greatest stuff, Steve. I like how you put a variety of things on this blog and don't just talk about yourself (not that I mind hearing about you or what's going on with you).
Thanks for the update on the shows and what's up in Panic Channel land.
Loved that Chuck Palahniuk interview.
Ah oui, the 100th anniversary of Jules Verne in Nantes... they basically played out the story of the Sultan's visit on the streets. I'm a huge fan of the French language and culture. They have massive respect for history and know how to party!
What cracked me up on the Nantes.fr site was the story of the 5 cars inexplicably wrecked... a giant needle from one of the marionettes was found in one of the cars. A passerby commented "Is this how they punish drivers who don't pay the parking meter here?"
Anywho, I'm sorry to hear last week was dark and confusing for you. I really wonder how you do it sometimes, with so much going on. You're getting some sleep at least, aren't you? We don't want you getting sick.
It was an ok week for me, would have been a lot better if I wasn't sick. It's my day off to recuperate.
Hope y'all had a good memorial day.
Take care!
Posted by: mortisha8 | May 31, 2005 11:49 AM
You steve just checkin.. for i think the 2nd time ever, crazy eh?
Just to say Im listenin to tons of skycycle now and totally loving it :)
I hope this week is better, and you dont feel like things are going backwards. Good to see your still loving FTM!
Will
Posted by: willd | May 31, 2005 11:49 AM
Lyn, I get that generally songwriter's write about imaginary things, but from what I *thought* Steve was writing a song about an ACTUAL, PARTICULAR person that he didn't know about.
Steve, thanks for the answer dude.
Posted by: Peter | May 31, 2005 04:30 PM
Peter, It's cool Man-I was just looking for an excuse to say "Gordon Lightfoot" on Steve's blog-probably the first, last, and only time :)
Posted by: Lyn | May 31, 2005 06:14 PM
The Dandy Warhols did a pretty awesome cover of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
Posted by: Six7Six7 | May 31, 2005 06:44 PM
Oh thats interesting. And about when I asked about the Bloody Mary lyrics... thanks... I didnt even know they were there! Have a nice dayy!
Posted by: ..::Jess::.. | May 31, 2005 07:33 PM
I know this doesn't belong here but I was just Googling "Skycycle" because I had "God Only Knows" in my head all day today from that Ones and Zeros album. I never saw Skycycle perform but a friend of mine caught a gig while on vacation in LA (This was back in like 99 or 2000) . He brought me back the CD and I got hooked. I remember learning not too long after that the band had broken up. Now I'm just glad I found you again and I so look forward to hearing and new tunes your new bands puts out. Not to perpetuate the cliche, but because there is really no better way to say it: You DO rock!
Posted by: Myk | June 2, 2005 12:04 PM
Actually continuing the skycycle theme... do you have any vids and bootlegs you would be willing to share?
Posted by: willd | June 2, 2005 03:13 PM