Beautiful Child

johnnystorms · #1 10-01-2010, 02:32 AM

ok. i've lapsed at times on my ledgie addiction. but i have a BIG question about BC. "you fell in love when i was only 10" who could this possibly refer to and who is the beautiful child if she fell in love with him when she was 10? how is this possible?!?!?!?
it is one of my favorite songs but i'm puzzled. can anyone help?

TrueFaith77 · #2 10-01-2010, 03:29 AM

HE fell in love when she was 10...with somebody other than her...I think it points up the irony of "child"--obvs he isn't.

louielouie2000 · #3 10-01-2010, 04:06 AM

I think the usage of "child" and "I was only 10" are meant to be metaphors. I think Stevie's writing about the love affair and subsequent breakup that finally made her grow up. I think we've all had that one really intense love that forever changed us, made us view the world through different lenses, and most notably... matured us. After the loss of your first true love, there's also an enormous loss of innocence... and I think that's what this song is about.

holidayroad · #4 10-01-2010, 07:18 AM

Maybe it's about a crush she had on someone older, but the person was effectively out of reach because he had already fallen in love. Then, now that she's older, she wishes the person would take another look at her. It seems in the song that the person does at least consider it, but realizes it can't work out. That's my take on it......I could be totally wrong.

luckydimecaper · #5 10-01-2010, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I think the usage of "child" and "I was only 10" are meant to be metaphors. I think Stevie's writing about the love affair and subsequent breakup that finally made her grow up. I think we've all had that one really intense love that forever changed us, made us view the world through different lenses, and most notably... matured us. After the loss of your first true love, there's also an enormous loss of innocence... and I think that's what this song is about.

That's what I think too

I never really listened to this song much until recently, when I kind of went through the whole process you just described. Now the song actually has a meaning to me, that I never really cared for before.

GypsySorcerer · #6 10-01-2010, 02:44 PM

She needed something to rhyme with "then?"

LiquidDiamonds · #7 10-01-2010, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

She needed something to rhyme with "then?"

michelej1 · #8 10-01-2010, 07:03 PM

I think she is only saying that she was innocent, trusting and naive about the ways of the world -- maybe not juvenile in general, but specifically with this person.

Sometimes, you meet someone whom you look up to, credit them with so much sophistocation, wisdom and maturity that you feel like a child in comparison, because there seems to be so much they can teach you. Your feelings for them are mingled with as much admiration and wonder as passion. So, in this relationship, she was like a 10 year old, untried, untested, unfulfilled, and unhurt until this encounter.

Michele

#9 10-01-2010, 07:45 PM

It means that at the age of his love with someone in his life, say at 18 or whenever, at that time in her life (somewhere across the world) she was at the age of only 10. They didn't know each other at the time, she is just pointing out the age difference of experiences that was happening at that time. Like when my husband tells me he saw David Bowie back whenever, I say to him "Wow, and to think I was in kindergarten then!" He just loves that.

vivfox · #10 10-01-2010, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by llb

It means that at the age of his love with someone in his life, say at 18 or whenever, at that time in her life (somewhere across the world) she was at the age of only 10. They didn't know each other at the time, she is just pointing out the age difference of experiences that was happening at that time.

Sounds about right to me.

johnnystorms · #11 10-02-2010, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

HE fell in love when she was 10...with somebody other than her...I think it points up the irony of "child"--obvs he isn't.

yeah but "he" would be the only time in the song she refers to him in 3rd person, every other reference is "you"

johnnystorms · #12 10-02-2010, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivfox

Sounds about right to me.

ok viv, that guy is crazy hot n dominant looking! you're killin' me!

johnnystorms · #13 10-02-2010, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I think the usage of "child" and "I was only 10" are meant to be metaphors. I think Stevie's writing about the love affair and subsequent breakup that finally made her grow up. I think we've all had that one really intense love that forever changed us, made us view the world through different lenses, and most notably... matured us. After the loss of your first true love, there's also an enormous loss of innocence... and I think that's what this song is about.

gotta agree with the metaphor louie. she defintely says "you" not "he". also really adds to her interpretation of VC's "the one". thx for the insight!

vivfox · #14 10-02-2010, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnystorms

ok viv, that guy is crazy hot n dominant looking! you're killin' me!

Well you're in luck because he is Gay and he's a thug.

starshine · #15 10-03-2010, 03:27 PM

I do recall either Stevie in an interview not sure if it was one of those radio interviews or was it a magazine interview? I thought she stated that Beautiful Child was written about Mick and his than wife. I think the line about ..." I was only 10" ....was written about them as children or something like that....but I guess with Stevie who really really knows what her all her songs are about....Plus she changes things in interviews all of the time too. Anyway, if anyone knows what I speak of above please let all of us know. Thanks!!