I wasn’t so sure this song would ever see the public light of day. First of all, it’s premised around an especially silly pun (which I’m hoping I needn’t explain). Second, until I added a new verse last night as I was recording it, I was afraid it would come off as a dark and threatening sort of thing. I was imagining having to put up another “This is not a murder ballad” kind of disclaimer…
Happily, I came up with a way to end the song that makes it whole… that actually gives it some much needed resolution. An ending that hopefully means I won’t be accused of fostering violence against anyone.
In fact, I was still writing the song as I recorded this very version. At the last moment I found myself doing the chorus and realizing I had to change it, somehow, to reflect that resolution. And even casual listeners will surely hear the hesitation as I delivered the new lines off the top of my head.
Rather than re-record the track, I decided to share that moment of creation with you, my trusted and loyal reader. Also, it was late and I was tired and… after all, this is A Year of Songs… it’s not about perfection. Or even competence.
It’s about keeping going…
Who’ll Stop Lorraine?
I’ve known Lorraine since we were kids
and I’ve always been amazed
Every time she went too damn far I thought
Who’ll stop Lorraine?
I saw her hunt down Billy Jim
he was doomed from that first day
I saw her rip his heart in two and thought,
Who’ll stop Lorraine?
From the hotel bar to the airport lounge
Everyone knows her name
Over and over I ask myself,
Who’ll Stop Lorraine?
Finally one day I’d had enough
I sat her down looked her in the eye
Lorraine I love you, girl, but straighten up,
’cause, Lorraine, you’re wreckin’ people’s lives
From the hotel bar to the airport lounge
Everyone knows your name
Over and over they ask themselves,
Who’ll Stop Lorraine?
I never thought Id see a tear in her eye
I never thought I’d see into her soul
but since that day she’s come so far
and God I’ve come to love her so
From the hotel bar to the airport lounge
Everyone knows her name
Over and over they ask themselves,
Whatever became of Lorraine?
(C)2001, TK Major
PS… I also have one from 1994 (that I just now rediscovered — I doubt I’ve read it since I wrote it) called “When Lorraine Comes”… I strongly suspect that one won’t make it into AYoS. (Sample lyrics: “When Lorraine comes / she coughs and shakes her head / she hardly moves in bed / she might as well be dead /When Lorraine comes…” I think you get the drift.)
model of the Corvette sports car as well as a ‘banana-seated’ Schwinn bicycle, a short profile, chopper-barred bike that held a hegemonic grip on America’s youth in that far-off decade. I sort of wanted to capture the sense of a couple of kids fighting over a Stingray, one of them tugging on the handlebars, the other pulling hard on the ‘chicken bar’ on the back of the long seat.