The Mabel Normand preview

[BlueDenimLamp]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Check out a sample of Stevie’s song “Mabel Normand” from her album ’24 Karat Gold-Songs From The… <a href="http://t.co/U9Lhorvm9j">http://t.co/U9Lhorvm9j</a></p>&mdash; Stevie Nicks (@StevieNicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevieNicks/statuses/500322315876724736">August 15, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<iframe src="//instagram.com/p/rueHJ6SvYQ/embed/" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>

I LIKE THIS!!! :blob2::nod:

[markolas]

OMG I don't know what to think!

[sorcerer999]

In...teresting...

Sounds kind of Country-ish. Or at the very least, country rock. But that's the "Nashville sound" for ya!

This definitely seems like it's going to be similar to the demo...a spoken "story song", if you will. But one can't really judge based on 15 seconds. We'll see.

I really like what I've been hearing with all these snippits so far! :)

[sorcerer999]

...and just to note that I'M GLAD we're starting to get previews twice a week now. Seems they're finally keeping their promise. Yay! Tuesdays and Fridays must be the days.

[markolas]

I don't think it sounds country in the least. The demo is a tuneless mess, unlike this snippet.

[louielouie2000]

This is the only clip thus far which has absolutely made me grin from ear to ear. What a fantastic vocal- you can hear the passion in her voice for the first time in quite a long time.

I really wondered how they'd shape such a crazy little demo into a full fledged song, and I have to say, I'm quite intrigued with what I'm hearing. Utterly unexpected- in the good way. :nod:

Also, I'm completely shocked we got a second clip this week. :eek:

[markolas]

I like the vocal here a lot.

[Johnny Stew]

Sure sounds good! "Mabel Normand's" inclusion was a head-scratcher, but based on this teaser the full song just may pleasantly surprise all of us.

[BlueLight]

Oh. My. Gosh. This sounds absolutely incredible. Love the vocal, and can't wait to see what form this song takes. Happy camper here. :blob2:

[Richard B]

Super neat.
Although I'm still wondering why every single polaroid shot is from the Rock-A-Little era. I think that's when she really got into selfies in her bathroom.

[sue]

Love it, Love it, Love it. Sounds like she got her Mojo back. Great emotive sounding vocals. (even if we only heard 15 seconds)

[Machu]

Beautiful vocals and production. I can't wait to hear this one in full!! Best clip so far, imo.

[Rod~A~Little]

Sounding good and vocals seem strong. Sounds like its going to be a country rocker.

I live in Nashville and wish I could have run into her while she was here recording. Oh well.

[louielouie2000]

I don't think it sounds country in the least. The demo is a tuneless mess, unlike this snippet.

You don't think anything short of Hank Williams sounds country, though. :p I think it has a slightly country-tinged electric guitar sound in the way Wide Sargasso Sea & You May Be The One did. But even those songs aren't really country-rockers... they're probably more correctly classified as roots-style.

In any event, I'm finally starting to get excited about this album. I'd been a bit reticent so far- the title is clunky, I wasn't exactly bowled over by the Dealer, and the execution of the lyric video was utterly hokey. But after getting the clips for If You Were My Love & especially Mabel Normand, I'm entering into full-on excitement mode! :blob2:

[sorcerer999]

But after getting the clips for If You Were My Love & especially Mabel Normand, I'm entering into full-on excitement mode! :blob2:

The vocals in the snippits for both Mabel and IYWML sound STELLAR! Excitement mode? Agreed! And way past it! :] CRAZY EXCITED!

I for one am glad we're only getting 15 secs of each songs. I want there to be some surprises upon the first listening experience, and as it turns out we'll already have heard 4 full tracks by release date.

[Danielle]

I am ridiculously happy. She's sounding sooooo good! :blob2:

[welcomechris]

Download Mp3 (http://www.mediafire.com/listen/gc4i35yp47swndt/Mabel_Normand.mp3)

Download Mp4 (http://www.mediafire.com/watch/8gi6178kse4v7k7/Mabel_Normand.mp4)

[DauphineMarie]

I ALWAYS KNEW YOU COULD DO IT MABEL. I am literally screaming right now lol I just want to throw it out there now that I have always loved the demo, no matter how cocaine-rambly it is. I am so proud of you Stevie :laugh: :]

[jkmaletic]

It's been such an exciting week in Stevie Land. This album is shaping up to be another home run.
Sounds fantastic, Dave and Stevie!!

[jwd]

The first snippet I've heard that actually made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
This Mabel Normand is someone I want to know a little more about! Very mysterious and a little tragic. The perfect blend to a perfect Nicks song!! SING it to me Stevie!!!:blob2:

[DauphineMarie]

The first snippet I've heard that actually made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
This Mabel Normand is someone I want to know a little more about! Very mysterious and a little tragic. The perfect blend to a perfect Nicks song!! SING it to me Stevie!!!:blob2:

You should read all about her, she is truly talented and fascinating. :)

[jwd]

You should read all about her, she is truly talented and fascinating. :)

I most definitely will!

[APerfectLie]

I have been wanting this song for so long! Hate that the clip is so short but I love it so much! Glad people are now jumping on the Mabel Normand train!

[BombaySapphire3]

The first real WOW moment for these clips so far..I guess this completely lays to rest the idea that all the songs will be produced duplicates of the demos.

[Jondalar]

I don't think it sounds country in the least. The demo is a tuneless mess, unlike this snippet.

Totally agree.

[PenguinHead]

Her voice sounds amazing; what she lost in vocal range she makes up for with a powerful projection and a passionate gutsy growl. I love that she threw us a curve ball with Mabel Normand. I also like the production values; the songs almost sound like unadorned live performances, with a little bit of Street Angel grit.

I believe the process served her well; instead of noodling around in a studio for six months, the unprecedentedly short time in recording the album motivated her and gave her a mission. That they already had a the templates for these songs also helped the process. There's kind of a vintage soul to them.I predict this album will garner many positive reviews and sell well.

[ViscountViktor]

I love the guitar, the vocals - everything!

[Jondalar]

Love the feel of this album.

[PenguinHead]

The first real WOW moment for these clips so far..I guess this completely lays to rest the idea that all the songs will be produced duplicates of the demos.

Most of her demos are works in progress, not set in stone. Demos are just the starting place for songs; we can't predict what will done to them. I love that she chose this song because it was so unexpected! No one expected that Lady from the Mountain would be transformed into Moonlight, so I don't think the songs recorded will necessarily be a straight shot recreation of the demos as we know them.

This, indeed, is an exciting time for Stevie fans.

[BombaySapphire3]

Really starting to get amped up here:blob2:I am so happy that she is doing this .There is really no one else on earth that could pull a song like this off except for Stevie Nicks.

[PenguinHead]

Really starting to get amped up here:blob2:I am so happy that she is doing this .There is really no one else on earth that could pull a song like this off except for Stevie Nicks.

:laugh: That's for sure!

[Christopher]

I ALWAYS KNEW YOU COULD DO IT MABEL. I am literally screaming right now lol I just want to throw it out there now that I have always loved the demo, no matter how cocaine-rambly it is. I am so proud of you Stevie :laugh: :]

Blown away is all that I can say!

I know it's just a 15 second clip, but first, I've not heard wicked vocals from Stevie like this since RAL or "Long Way To Go"! And secondly, this is the perfect example of why Dave Stewart is so great for Stevie! They saw the genuis of Stevie's tragic lyrics, rambling melody, & metaphor, using Mabel Normand (& Charlie Chaplin) to whom Stevie is really comparing their narrative to her tragic relationship with Joe Walsh. Then Dave, or Waddy, added in a nice, simple guitar lick to frame the song. Sounds like they nailed this one to the wall! YES!!
I think only Bob Dylan could pull off this kind of song! Maybe, Tom Petty...maybe?

[HoursAndHours]

The first real WOW moment for these clips so far..I guess this completely lays to rest the idea that all the songs will be produced duplicates of the demos.

Yep. This really has a Blue Denim feel to it. Doubleplusgood, lol. :D

[Christopher]

Although I'm still wondering why every single polaroid shot is from the Rock-A-Little era. I think that's when she really got into selfies in her bathroom.

Mabel Normand & She Loves Him Still are from the RAL sessions ("I Don't Care" is rumored to be from that era as well) But, specifically, the former two songs reflect Stevie & Joe Walsh's on again, off again, crazy, passionate, and ultimately tragic relationship. I believe when Stevie revisited these songs, she finally embraced the crazy RAL era. And I'd say it's about time!:xoxo:

[welcomechris]

Mabel Normand & She Loves Him Still are from the RAL sessions ("I Don't Care" is rumored to be from that era as well) But, specifically, the former two songs reflect Stevie & Joe Walsh's on again, off again, crazy, passionate, and ultimately tragic relationship. I believe when Stevie revisited these songs, she finally embraced the crazy RAL era. And I'd say it's about time!:xoxo:

Where did you hear that

[HoursAndHours]

Mabel Normand & She Loves Him Still are from the RAL sessions ("I Don't Care" is rumored to be from that era as well) But, specifically, the former two songs reflect Stevie & Joe Walsh's on again, off again, crazy, passionate, and ultimately tragic relationship. I believe when Stevie revisited these songs, she finally embraced the crazy RAL era. And I'd say it's about time!:xoxo:

I think I might take RAL, and a few outtakes from that era to the gym with me tomorrow. Seems like it would be good fat-boy-on-a-treadmill music. :D

I hope you're right, and that she's finally embraced the era. It would be so great if she started pulling out some RAL & TOSOTM songs for her set again.

[welcomechris]

I think I might take RAL, and a few outtakes from that era to the gym with me tomorrow. Seems like it would be good fat-boy-on-a-treadmill music. :D

I hope you're right, and that she's finally embraced the era. It would be so great if she started pulling out some RAL & TOSOTM songs for her set again.

There are no demos of I Don't Care and no demos sound even close to it

[HoursAndHours]

There are no demos of I Don't Care and no demos sound even close to it

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I don't immediately see how that relates to what I said? :shrug:

[Christopher]

There are no demos of I Don't Care and no demos sound even close to it
Yes. We know this. Calm down, it's just a rumor, more speculation, and rumblings with other fans elsewhere. I shouldn't have mentioned it, but part of the fun is speculating, right?
Besides, there are demos & outtakes in the vault that us fans have never heard, that have not gotten out, or remain uncirculated in the fan community. Stevie recorded an unprecedented amount of material during the making of RAL. It's rumored she recorded upwards of 30 or more songs. We have a lot of RAL material, but not all. There's more where "Reconsider Me" came from.:nod:

Anyway back to the awesome Mabel Normand...

[Danigirl]

What a fantastic vocal- you can hear the passion in her voice

Yes! I agree. I want more of this in 24K.

[SameGlassTable]

Love it .

Feels like "Rock a little"

[Jondalar]

Yep. This really has a Blue Denim feel to it. Doubleplusgood, lol. :D

Gross thought. :(

[sorcerer999]

Yep. This really has a Blue Denim feel to it. Doubleplusgood, lol. :D

Gross thought. :(

To each his own. I happen to LOVE "Blue Denim". Even if you don't like the song, you have to agree that the vocals were awesome, especially the end. In fact, her vocals throughout the whole "Street Angel" tour were incredibites!

I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again...September 30th can't come quickly enough! :D

[welcomechris]

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I don't immediately see how that relates to what I said? :shrug:

Oops I replied to the wrong one. Sorry


I mean what I say in the nicest way possible and i'm just saying I Don't Care may be a new track, since it is not copyrighted at all

[louielouie2000]

To each his own. I happen to LOVE "Blue Denim". Even if you don't like the song, you have to agree that the vocals were awesome, especially the end. In fact, her vocals throughout the whole "Street Angel" tour were incredibites!


I've never seen what there is to dislike about Blue Denim. It's got a great vocal, a very guitar-driven hook, and it hearkens back to an earlier, cleaner production style for Stevie. That's exactly why I love much of the Street Angel album. Honestly, we're hearing all those same values from these 24k songs, too.

But I digress. I'm totally loving all the shades of Rock A Little we're seeing & hearing in 24k, too. Rock A Little was such a strong album... it was very cohesive, up tempo, and easy to listen to. It was really a departure from anything Stevie had done before. I kinda hate it doesn't get a whole lot of respect among fans.

[KarmaContestant]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TNZH0ZU6zAk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The part of the demo Stevie is singing in the clip is from 0:25 to 0:35

[sorcerer999]

Rock A Little was such a strong album... it was very cohesive, up tempo, and easy to listen to. I kinda hate it doesn't get a whole lot of respect among fans.

It's weird. I didn't like RAL at all when I first heard it. I was really hoping for Rumours-Bella Donna "Stevie". I didn't appreciate how brilliant it was because I was expecting/hoping for other things. It took a good 10 years for me to go back, listen to it over and over and let it grow.

And now I LOVE IT. It has become one of my favorite albums. And I also concur that it doesn't get it's due respect. But I kinda like the fact that I'm one of the few who "dig" it. It's kind of like being in a secret club. But then, just being a "Stevie" fan in this day and age is also like being involved in a secret club! ;)

[James89]

This clip has given me a lot more faith in Stevie's solo career. I thought that if The Dealer was the standout song from 24 Karat, then we wouldn't hear anything amazing for a long time. THANK GOD FOR THIS CLIP!!! I really like it and I hope Stevie shows more of a variety of styles in the album than she did on In Your Dreams. That album just bores me a little now. It sounds harsh but I don't see any point in listening to it if I can rock out to Rock a Little or dance to The Wild Heart. I hope some people understand what I'm saying here. I don't want 24 Karat to have 14 bland-ish songs and two good ones. I want it all to be great and listenable like Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, Rock a Little and Trouble in Shangri-La. I think it will be great and I hope it doesn't sound as bland as In Your Dreams, even though the songs on that album were beautifully written.

[MoonSister75]

Yet another fabulous clip - it's just getting more and more exciting :blob2:

Thanks to everyone for posting the snippets, no need to check Instagram when there is The Ledge :angel:

This album is going to be great! :D:D

[Johnny Stew]

I believe when Stevie revisited these songs, she finally embraced the crazy RAL era. And I'd say it's about time!:xoxo:

Love it .

Feels like "Rock a little"

I'm totally loving all the shades of Rock A Little we're seeing & hearing in 24k, too. Rock A Little was such a strong album... it was very cohesive, up tempo, and easy to listen to. It was really a departure from anything Stevie had done before. I kinda hate it doesn't get a whole lot of respect among fans.

It's weird. I didn't like RAL at all when I first heard it.

And now I LOVE IT. It has become one of my favorite albums. And I also concur that it doesn't get it's due respect. But I kinda like the fact that I'm one of the few who "dig" it. It's kind of like being in a secret club. But then, just being a "Stevie" fan in this day and age is also like being involved in a secret club! ;)

I've gone on & on about my love for 'Rock A Little' on here in the past, so I won't bore anyone by repeating myself -- but I have to say that I'm loving all of the 'RaL' love of late. :nod:

[WildHearted]

I never cared for the demo of Mabel Normand, but this clip rocks. Really excited about this album now.

[Tango]

I didn't realize Mabel Normand was a real person until I checked on her name:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Normand


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/MabelNormand_with_round_mirror.jpg

[HoursAndHours]

Oops I replied to the wrong one. Sorry


I mean what I say in the nicest way possible and i'm just saying I Don't Care may be a new track, since it is not copyrighted at all

No worries.

Like I said, I don't necessarily disagree. It's just that I can't shake the feeling that I've heard the music before. But it wouldn't be the first time for me being a wrong idiot, so... :D

Gross thought. :(

I love Blue Denim. I love Sometimes It's A Bitch, too. :p

[gssmith]

I always liked blue denim and some times it's s bitch too! Never understood the hate. Sometimes it's a bitch ain't no dreams or stand back, but a good song.

I've loved all these clips. Got to read about maybel. Never heard of her

[michelej1]

I think people don't like the pedestrian Blue Denim lyrics. I like Blue Denim, but not SIAB.

Michele

[StreetAngel86]

i can't stand the demo

but this ... this is interesting
i like it

ETA: i love all the RAL polaroids. she was such a hot mess.



I hope you're right, and that she's finally embraced the era. It would be so great if she started pulling out some RAL & TOSOTM songs for her set again.

liTerally my idea of HEAVEN :)
a rocking Juliet.
long way to go
Rock a Little ... live eep

[PenguinHead]

This clip has given me a lot more faith in Stevie's solo career. I thought that if The Dealer was the standout song from 24 Karat, then we wouldn't hear anything amazing for a long time. THANK GOD FOR THIS CLIP!!! I really like it and I hope Stevie shows more of a variety of styles in the album than she did on In Your Dreams. That album just bores me a little now. It sounds harsh but I don't see any point in listening to it if I can rock out to Rock a Little or dance to The Wild Heart. I hope some people understand what I'm saying here. I don't want 24 Karat to have 14 bland-ish songs and two good ones. I want it all to be great and listenable like Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, Rock a Little and Trouble in Shangri-La. I think it will be great and I hope it doesn't sound as bland as In Your Dreams, even though the songs on that album were beautifully written.

To each it's own, but some fans, including myself, love In Your Dreams: I don't see it as bland at all. But then, we all have our personal preferences, perceptions and expectations, and I respect yours. Since Dave is again at the helm of this new album, are fans who weren't fans of Dave's production on In Your Dreams the least bit concerned at his involvement in this album? Is it any different now?

[BombaySapphire3]

To each it's own, but some fans, including myself, love In Your Dreams: I don't see it as bland at all. But then, we all have our personal preferences, perceptions and expectations, and I respect yours. Since Dave is again at the helm of this new album, are fans who weren't fans of Dave's production on In Your Dreams the least bit concerned at his involvement in this album? Is it any different now?

I also love a lot of IYD ..like any Stevie album after Bella Donna it has it's flaws but IMO it really works as an entire piece .I think for the people that don't like it some of their complaints are that it is too slick or overproduced.It does not seem like that will be much of a problem for 24KG since they all only had a couple of weeks to record it,

[Artemis]

With all the love for RAL lately, does this mean in ten years time we'll see an outpouring of love for TOSOTM or Street Angel? :laugh: Loving this snippet though, she's sounding alive again, really attacking the song vocally.

[sodascouts]

Reserving judgment on this one.

[StreetAngel86]

With all the love for RAL lately, does this mean in ten years time we'll see an outpouring of love for TOSOTM or Street Angel? :laugh: Loving this snippet though, she's sounding alive again, really attacking the song vocally.

i hope so.
i guess she regards those 2 in particular as dark dark times
and pretends they don't exist.

but i hope she pulled out the SA version of IYWML along with the other versions and thought hmmm well it wasn't that bad

maybe she'll don some big hair too

[KarmaContestant]

I didn't realize Mabel Normand was a real person until I checked on her name:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Normand


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/MabelNormand_with_round_mirror.jpg

The YouTube clip I posted earlier of the Mabel Normand demo is made up of scenes from movies she was in.

[Hawkeye]

In total agreement with the majority here that this snippet is the first real WOW moment of this whole project. the dealer is a good song, very true to a demo I never cared much for but if that's as middle of the road as this album gets then fine. But this very small clip sounds so exciting and the vocal so perfect, that it makes you go wow. And. How ironic that the first song to make me go wow is one of her most unlistenable demos out there.

[sorcerer999]

How ironic that the first song to make me go wow is one of her most unlistenable demos out there.

I don't think it's unlistenable. Just a (ahem, cough, cough) "work in progress". :laugh:

[Nickingham]

I will have to wait and listen to the entire song before I reach a verdict but.......
So far, I'm diggin this!!!!! :thumbsup:
It's waaay better than the demo!

[Aussie W/Heart]

LOVE IT, i soooo cant wait till the whole album drops.. Exciting times ahead :blob2:

[TxEpiscopalian]

I must admit I never really gave this particular demo the time of day but not due to the vocals. Its that god awful instrumentation or lack thereof. Hearing the 24Karat Gold Version even in this tiny snippet was wonderful. It has the powerful precise vocals and the instrumentation is dark yet airy. I am intrigued and can't wait for the release!

[Japhry]

This is a fantastic snippet. I can't wait to hear this and the entire Starshine-and want to know what "Lady" sounds like.

[Jondalar]

The snippets make me realize that this album is going to be diverse and sound like a quality album.

[Keith]

who would of thought Mabel Normand would be one of the songs I couldn't wait to hear.. after this snippet, its on my list. I can't wait to hear the whole song - Stevie's sounding good here. What a nice surprise on a fall like Saturday morning. :)

[HoursAndHours]

This is a fantastic snippet. I can't wait to hear this and the entire Starshine-and want to know what "Lady" sounds like.

Well, we allegedly get the Lady single a week from Monday. :]

[pryderi]

Hearing this snippet makes me want to hear All The Beautiful Worlds in Stevie's present voice.

[BlueLight]

Can't stop listening to this snippet. And cannot wait to hear her sing the line "Since you've been gone, Rome burned down."

[BlueLight]

Just a thought: I wonder whether the first video, filmed in an old theatre, could be for Mabel Normand? Seems like a good fit for a song referencing a silent film star.

[Jondalar]

Just a thought: I wonder whether the first video, filmed in an old theatre, could be for Mabel Normand? Seems like a good fit for a song referencing a silent film star.

You guys have not heard the whole song. If she doesn't change the lyrics it is going to be awful. Only half of demo is about Mabel Normand. Then it changes into a song about someone else.

[mitzo]

It has a kind of Wide Sargasso Sea feel. Might be interesting.

[BlueLight]

You guys have not heard the whole song. If she doesn't change the lyrics it is going to be awful. Only half of demo is about Mabel Normand. Then it changes into a song about someone else.

But I have! And I love it, even in its rough demo form. Of course it's about someone else, but most of her songs are.

[welcomechris]

She hasn't changed enough tho,

"I guess she even felt guilty, about even dying"

[Hawkeye]

You guys have not heard the whole song. If she doesn't change the lyrics it is going to be awful. Only half of demo is about Mabel Normand. Then it changes into a song about someone else.

So What!!! I don't care if the rest of the song is about her dogs taking a Sh** as long as the the vocals are equally as passionate with the awesome background music. The appeal of the song for at least 90 percent of us isn't hearing the story of mable normand. How does the song being about 2 different people make it awful. Ever hear of a little song called edge of 17?

[sorcerer999]

So What!!! I don't care if the rest of the song is about her dogs taking a Sh** as long as the the vocals are equally as passionate with the awesome background music. The appeal of the song for at least 90 percent of us isn't hearing the story of mable normand. How does the song being about 2 different people make it awful. Ever hear of a little song called edge of 17?

Agreed. "Sara" is another good example. The "great dark wing" is Mick. Don Henley is the one "building the house." And then of course, there's "Sara" herself.

Stevie has stated on numerous occasions that most of her songs are about a combination of many people.

"Mabel Normand" is a song that parallels the life of the actress to experiences going on in Stevie's own life. She did the same thing with "Greta", "Alice" and "Julia".

[bombaysaffires]

I think the difference in all the other songs is that the mixing of different threads throughout each song is more subtle..Mabel Normand just sort of shifts jarringly from one to another. In the other songs you don't need to know that in one part the lyrics are inspired by Mick and in another part by Don.. the song as a whole is clearly about a relationship with a man and all that "off screen" stuff is just who she was thinking about. In Mabel Normand it's not about subtle references to people in real life, it's the actual lyrics of the song shifting in a jarring way so you lose all orientation of who the heck she's talking about.

[sodascouts]

She hasn't changed enough tho,

"I guess she even felt guilty, about even dying"

Yeah.... I was dismayed by that, too.

[MarkMc1990]

It's kind of funny, I heard the "Mabel Normand" snippet on Instagram and decided to look up the demo and I LOVED it. Then I came on here and saw everyone taking about it being one of her worst :laugh:. Like, okay, it's obviously a mess but there was just something so hauntingly appealing about it. Without evening hearing the snippet, I could guess that this demo had potential if she revamps it a bit. And I'll bet anything that's the case.

Loved the guitar in the snippet, though I kind of hope she keeps some elements of the three repeating piano chords. Maybe in the intro before the guitar kicks in? Not gonna happen but it would be a cool little homage to the demo.

Anyway, I Googled the lyrics and whoever transcribed them wrote "her life was a gas" but I'm 99% sure Stevie is saying "her life was aghast" :shocked:

[michelej1]

Anyway, I Googled the lyrics and whoever transcribed them wrote "her life was a gas" but I'm 99% sure Stevie is saying "her life was aghast" :shocked:

But lives can't be aghast. I'm aghast at the thought! Michele

[sorcerer999]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the correct lyric is, "her life was a gas", which was an expression used a lot back in the 20's and 30's. It basically means her life was one big party. Her life was fun.

If it were "aghast" then you'd be able to hear Stevie sing a "T" sound, which clearly she doesn't on the two times she repeats the line. That and the fact that it doesn't make any sense.

[MarkMc1990]

Ah, I've never heard that expression but it makes a lot of sense now especially with the time period. It's a moot point now but I still think aghast would make sense..

a·ghast
əˈgast/Submit
adjective
filled with horror or shock.
"when the news came out they were aghast"

Applying that definition it would translate the line to "her life was filled with horror (or shock)"
followed by the lines "Simply everything that happened, Well, they say it was sad"

[DauphineMarie]

It's kind of funny, I heard the "Mabel Normand" snippet on Instagram and decided to look up the demo and I LOVED it. Then I came on here and saw everyone taking about it being one of her worst :laugh:. Like, okay, it's obviously a mess but there was just something so hauntingly appealing about it. Without evening hearing the snippet, I could guess that this demo had potential if she revamps it a bit. And I'll bet anything that's the case.

Loved the guitar in the snippet, though I kind of hope she keeps some elements of the three repeating piano chords. Maybe in the intro before the guitar kicks in? Not gonna happen but it would be a cool little homage to the demo.

Anyway, I Googled the lyrics and whoever transcribed them wrote "her life was a gas" but I'm 99% sure Stevie is saying "her life was aghast" :shocked:

I agree completely. Mabel Normand is one of my all-time favourite demos, so naturally I was flying when it made the album. Those three chords are so simple, yet have an endearing quality, very familiar. Lots of people complain about the jarring of perspectives, but I think it's poetic; starting with a different person, transitioning to your own life, and shifting back to Mabel to show the parallels between the two lives. I think it's some of her most honest lyrics as well.

[michelej1]

Applying that definition it would translate the line to "her life was filled with horror (or shock)"


But lives aren't sentient beings. Just like you wouldn't say, "her life was horrified," you would not say "her life was aghast." Rather, a person would be horrified or aghast, since lives can't feel emotion.

But we need not hold lyrics to the same rules as ordinary speech, I suppose.

Michele

[HoursAndHours]

For context in other songs:

Blondie: Heart Of Glass
"Once I had a love and it was a gas
Soon turned out had a heart of glass
Seemed like the real thing..."

Rolling Stones: Jumping Jack Flash
"I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain
But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas
But it's all right, I'm jumping Jack flash
It's a gas, gas, gas"

[APerfectLie]

But lives aren't sentient beings. Just like you wouldn't say, "her life was horrified," you would not say "her life was aghast." Rather, a person would be horrified or aghast, since lives can't feel emotion.

But we need not hold lyrics to the same rules as ordinary speech, I suppose.

Michele

You wouldn't say that to Bob Dylan!!

[gssmith]

It has a kind of Wide Sargasso Sea feel. Might be interesting.

I thought the same thing