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Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 14:42:55 -0500
From: Brian Peters
To: guitar@olga.net
Subject: TAB: j/jethro_tull/cross-eyed_mary.tab
Cross-Eyed Mary by Jethro Tull.
Writen By Ian Aderson. Found on the album Aqualung.
Transcribed by Brian Peters.
Cross-Eyed Mary
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Intro:
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Nice Litte Flute Ditty. For Guitar It's something like this.
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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ZENacheived Average |
#1 by ZENacheived at Mar 25, 1974 at 9:31 AM EST |
| We don't find out that she's underage until halfway through the song. "and the jack knife barber drops her off at school" Jackknife barbers were common during the American era of Anti-abortion (when abortion was illegal). People would go to abortion barbers to do it illegally. Hense the name. She's already past adolecense because she had to have an abortion. But she's still young enough to go to school and play on a playground. I'll leave it up to you guys who aren't from America to decide what age that is. I doubt a 20-22 year old would "laugh on a playground" tho. I love the intro flute part. It makes me visualize a forest setting or some sort of peaceful atmosphere, and then it suddenly drops you into the cynicism. | |
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lee Wanna Be |
#2 by lee Dutton at May 23, 1976 at 11:40 AM EST |
| Great flute work, as always. | |
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KEV! Wanna Be |
#3 by KEV! Kavanagh at May 23, 1978 at 5:11 AM EST |
| I agree, this song is definitly more than just the story of a little child. It is about how the modern religions end up being "prostitutes" taking mopney and favors from the rich people. the last paragraph is very revealing. "She's is the poor man rich girl" means she is well loved by the poor and she will help them for a song. Remeber singing is an important part of many religiuos ceremonies. Whe the song says "she's the rich men stealer" it means she takes money from the higher classes for favours. | |
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Jess Average |
#4 by Jess at Apr 24, 1980 at 1:38 AM EST |
| Anyone seen the news? Gary Glitter has been sent down for 3 years. | |
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C.J. Wanna Be |
#5 by C.J. Donnelly at Feb 28, 1981 at 9:28 PM EST |
| Actually I think by "get along" Anderson is talking more about sex rather than monetary donations. | |
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Stephen Average |
#6 by Stephen Weber at Jul 13, 1985 at 8:39 PM EST |
| I agree to the meaning, GAnthony. Agreed that that song writers eat by writing/singing songs. If you think this song is shocking, perhaps it was written for you, to kick you into doing something about a situation that still exists in your home town. Take that silver spoon out of your... mouth and help the Cross-eyed Marry in your neighborhood. To paraphrase an old book, feelings without action are dead. Geez, art isn't just to look at/listen to. It also spurs into action (not a reference to Hunting Girl). By the way, I wasn't shocked into buying the vinyl; I bought the 8-track. ;-) | |
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Mªr↓& Average |
#7 by Mªr↓ænå Simply at Jul 9, 1989 at 3:28 PM EST |
| From the looks of it, yes, Mary is a child prostitute. But the last line suggests that she uses her wages to help the poor. "Robin Hood of Highgate helps the poor man get along." | |
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josh Average |
#8 by josh meador at Jan 8, 1992 at 5:19 AM EST |
| Mary is a teen prostitute with no future. Her pimps get rich off of her, and the poor homeless outcasts get cheap sex out of her. The fact that Anderson named her "Mary" is, I think, not without meaning. In Catholic (and Church of England) tradition "Mary" is the Mother of the Church (John 19:27). So how do Christians treat "Mary" today? They buy her, sell her, use and abuse her! She's "cross-eyed" because the church has lost its focus. Whether we're talking about TV evangelists or Catholic churches... they often don't spend as much time PRACTICING Christianity as they do MAKING MONEY from SELLING "Mary". So I ask YOU, when are YOU going to really LOVE "Mary"? | |
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Chris (a.k.a. " Wanna Be |
#9 by Chris (a.k.a. "Spikes") Muhler at Jan 27, 1996 at 10:34 PM EST |
| GAnthony is right. Ian Anderson has presented up with another character in his concept album. Aqualung and Cross-Eyed Mary are the products of an organized religious driven society which seeks to become the gods they create and alienate those they see as inferior. Aqualung and Cross-Eyed Mary are just guilty of being themselves, and of living, as they religious society goes about its ways. By the way, the album is very anti-organized religion as you see, but it's pro-god. Listen to the song Wind Up from the album if you don't know what I mean. Anderson had real problems with "the bloody Church of England" as he put it. | |
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heitor Average |
#10 by heitor dolinski at Jun 14, 2003 at 11:03 AM EST |
| I think Mary is a reference to Virgin Mary, and thus an allegory for the Church. I think he is comparing the organized Church to a 'child prostitute'. The church dines on expensive gruel (fancy priests with gold and expensive wine), takes from the rich (guilts people into giving money, etc), gives hope to the poor. I think the whole song alludes to this theme. | |
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aleXeXeX Rhythm Player |
#11 by aleXeXeX at Apr 11, 2006 at 10:09 AM EST |
| Motor27, is the old man Aqualung. Because he is mentioned in the song. This was what I thought, but some of the things about the expense account wouldn't make sense then. | |
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