Ferry's Finest Lyric

teresa · **Posted:** Thu Oct 15, 2015 2:42 am

What is Mother of Pearl Really about? Did anyone ever ask Bryan Ferry in an interview or does anyone know I've heard the cocaine answer

VivaRoxyMusic.com · **Posted:** Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:34 pm

welcome to the forum Teresa.

J.O'B.

RoxySiren · **Joined:** Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:18 am **Posts:** 680

Welcome Teresa. Way to go with your question! mop is a v big lyric. Who knows what it's really abou? This could be a good thread extension. I think it has many many layers of meaning. The imagery you mention is one aspect of it. There are many more I believe.
To add to the debate, I would like to throw this in:
Bry likes the contrast between blue and red. See the halo around his portrait on the in your mind cover. The initial blast on MOP was red...maybe "adrenalin fuelled

". Then the extended post party shtick was "blue". Bry himself once alluded to the end/blue thing on Pearl.

teresa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 20, 2015 1:30 am

RoxySiren wrote:

Welcome Teresa. Way to go with your question! mop is a v big lyric. Who knows what it's really abou? This could be a good thread extension. I think it has many many layers of meaning. The imagery you mention is one aspect of it. There are many more I believe.
To add to the debate, I would like to throw this in:
Bry likes the contrast between blue and red. See the halo around his portrait on the in your mind cover. The initial blast on MOP was red...maybe "adrenalin fuelled

". Then the extended post party shtick was "blue". Bry himself once alluded to the end/blue thing on Pearl.

Thank you Roxy Siren for that ! I had never heard that. I always thought when I heard the lyrics that the meaning was more along spiritual lines, kind of like Paul McCartneys' Let It Be. Like he was singing almost about a spiritual experience. Paul McCartney is obviously singing about Mary the mother of Jesus in Let It Be , but I had always wanted to read something like that into MOP lyrics

Its one of my favorite Roxy Music/ Bryan Ferry songs. I' m sure the members on this site might have done a "What are your favorite RM/BF songs and why so I have to look back through the posts. I have a lot of catching up I want to do. It's nice to have other people who are as fascinated with this music and this artist as I am to discuss these things with! Like an art discussion group or film noir fans . I don't have a lot of friends who love RM like I do! All my friends tend to have very different tastes in music, and my adult children as well.
Have you looked around on Bryan Ferrys' main site? They have all of his songs and most of the lyrics, concert schedules, and some interesting history.
Are you in the UK? There's a five hojr time difference between us. :cry:

I'm over here in the US (across the pond)

and I'm hoping Bryan comes over this year! There just does'nt seem like there's enough of him to go around

Everyone who posts on his FB page begs him to come to their city or town, here and around the world.
Maybe we can get everyone to post their favorite songs and albums again, and the reasons why they like what they do. Maybe we could start a new thread for that together. That really interests me, finding out what they like and why.
Thanks RoxySiren, please add another post and we can see if everyone would like to add what their favorites are.
This really is nice for me, I just lost my beautiful husband David this last March 7th after 37 too short years and so many of Bryans songs remind me of him. Its sad and comforting at the same time.I was telling some of the other members about how I sent an email to Bryans' site about losing David and how much his music reminded me of him and what a comfort it was. It wasn't twenty minutes later that I received the kindest email and condolences from him. He truly seems like a gentleman! Here's a picture of my jealous guy :cry:

teresa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 20, 2015 1:58 am

jesmond wrote:

You need to know a bit of Italian to appreciate it but my favourite for sheer wit is:

"Casanova, is that your name or do you live there?"

Hello Jesmond I agree There are so many things to love about Casanova ! It's too short though. I have to play it over and over when I want to hear that one. The live video is great! You can find it on Youtube

Those gestures! One of my favorite things about watching him live is his expressive hand gestures.

teresa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:02 am

jesmond wrote:

You need to know a bit of Italian to appreciate it but my favourite for sheer wit is:

"Casanova, is that your name or do you live there?"

Hello Jesmond,
I agree! Casanova is great. Just way too short! I have to play it over and over when I want to hear that one. The live version on Youtube is the best.
One of my favorite things about Bryan Ferry is watching his gestures, especially his expressive hands

teresa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:06 am

[quote="Windswept2"]Elegantly Ageing Hipsters,

As lifelong fans who are familiar with his work it is easy to take for granted the quality of our hero's writing.

Cohen and Dylan are constantly acknowledged as important lyricists and rightly so but frankly BF is every bit their equal and up there alongside Ray Davies as the most important English songsmith of W2's generation.

As part of his lifelong phd studies in Roxology, W2 is constantly amazed hero's at the quality of his work.

Here are just three peerless examples:

A SONG FOR EUROPE
"Here as I sit at this empty cafe
Thinking of you
I remember all those moments
Lost in wonder that we'll never
Find again"
Has any verse ever evoked the feeling of loss in a more poignant fashion?

CASANOVA
"You, the hero
So many times you've loved, and didn't linger
Now my finger points at you. another loser
You, an island on your own
Complete in every detail
Monumental a precious jewel
Or Just a fool?"
A great insight into the vanity and futility of the playboy.

2HB
" Here's looking at you kid celebrate years
Here's looking at you kid wipe away tears
Long time since we're together
Now I hope it's forever"
The un-relinquished hope to be reunited with your lifelong love. If this doesn't shiver your timbers you haven't got a pulse!

It would be great to hear the favourites of the ghosts haunting this hallowed cyber hall.

Salutations W2[/quote]

Hello Windswept2,
Those are all wonderful choices! The true romantic

teresa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:08 am

Windswept2 wrote:

RoxySiren wrote:

.........the last full-on lyrical splurge was the alphaville album IRSNSHO. Shame it only came out in dribs and drabs later on........

Hipsters,

Roxysiren makes a great point.

The original unreleased 'Alphaville' tapes were perhaps the last lyrically intense outing and the fact that they were nearly all co-writes with fellow Wearsider, Dave Stewart, begs the question as to wether our hero is at his best when he has some sort of caisse de resonance?

If our hero was sounding a lot, if not all, of his early work off the good Doctor Puxley, this would doubtless have played a significant part in The Bonny Lad's creativity.

Perhaps Puxley played Watson to Ferry's Holmes?

It would be great to hear the real story from the man himself and W2 hopes that the autobiography is well underway. We know that :

"Kiss and tell money talks
And love it burns
Kiss and tell give and take
We live and learn
Fever, the heat of the night
Dreamer, stealer of sighs"

But we need to have the story of one of the greatest lyricists of our time.

Salutations,

W2

So in agreement W2! He is a brilliant lyricist

teresa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:12 am

teresa wrote:

Windswept2 wrote:

Elegantly Ageing Hipsters,

As lifelong fans who are familiar with his work it is easy to take for granted the quality of our hero's writing.

Cohen and Dylan are constantly acknowledged as important lyricists and rightly so but frankly BF is every bit their equal and up there alongside Ray Davies as the most important English songsmith of W2's generation.

As part of his lifelong phd studies in Roxology, W2 is constantly amazed hero's at the quality of his work.

Here are just three peerless examples:

A SONG FOR EUROPE
"Here as I sit at this empty cafe
Thinking of you
I remember all those moments
Lost in wonder that we'll never
Find again"
Has any verse ever evoked the feeling of loss in a more poignant fashion?

CASANOVA
"You, the hero
So many times you've loved, and didn't linger
Now my finger points at you. another loser
You, an island on your own
Complete in every detail
Monumental a precious jewel
Or Just a fool?"
A great insight into the vanity and futility of the playboy.

2HB
" Here's looking at you kid celebrate years
Here's looking at you kid wipe away tears
Long time since we're together
Now I hope it's forever"
The un-relinquished hope to be reunited with your lifelong love. If this doesn't shiver your timbers you haven't got a pulse!

It would be great to hear the favourites of the ghosts haunting this hallowed cyber hall.

Salutations W2

Hello Windswept2,
Those are all wonderful choices! The true romantic

teresa wrote:

Windswept2 wrote:

RoxySiren wrote:

.........the last full-on lyrical splurge was the alphaville album IRSNSHO. Shame it only came out in dribs and drabs later on........

Hipsters,

Roxysiren makes a great point.

The original unreleased 'Alphaville' tapes were perhaps the last lyrically intense outing and the fact that they were nearly all co-writes with fellow Wearsider, Dave Stewart, begs the question as to wether our hero is at his best when he has some sort of caisse de resonance?

If our hero was sounding a lot, if not all, of his early work off the good Doctor Puxley, this would doubtless have played a significant part in The Bonny Lad's creativity.

Perhaps Puxley played Watson to Ferry's Holmes?

It would be great to hear the real story from the man himself and W2 hopes that the autobiography is well underway. We know that :

"Kiss and tell money talks
And love it burns
Kiss and tell give and take
We live and learn
Fever, the heat of the night
Dreamer, stealer of sighs"

But we need to have the story of one of the greatest lyricists of our time.

Salutations,

W2

So in agreement W2! He is a brilliant lyricist[/quote
There are so many beautiful lyrics
Dreamer Stealer of Sighs

teresa · **Posted:** Sun Nov 01, 2015 1:24 am

RoxySiren wrote:

Mother of pearl
Dream home
If there is something (fully appreciated this after flashbacks of a fool)
Manifesto
Casanova
San simeon
More than this (only appreciated this properly after Lost in Translation)
slave to Love (only appreciated this after Willy de Ville's version)
The only face

I also think there's a lot of stuff, albeit different style, in the more recent work. I just need a few more decades for it to percolate in my brain before I rush to a conclusion on them. :lol:

Agree

Teresa

Ferry's Finest Lyric

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