"Quiet Please"

I was going through some old notes and I found materials I put together to document the playlist from the Nick Lowe show Mary and I went to last November (the original review post is here: http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-okay-to-like-nick-lowe.html). Last night as I was grilling dinner I put on “Quiet Please…the New Best of Nick Lowe,” and got a pleasant reminder of the show, since many of the songs he performed there are included – not to mention the bonus DVD which includes a live performance in Belgium, and several of the original videos.


One of my favorites of Nick’s recent work is the song “I Trained Her to Love Me,” which was off the “At My Age” album. In the liner notes to Quiet Please, the song is introduced as follows:

“…Sure, it contains some seemingly effortless, highly coverable tunes, but it pivots on ‘I Trained Her to Love Me,’ a masterpiece with the power to shock the unsuspecting listener. Go to any Lowe concert and watch the uninitiated recoil in disbelief as its cutting lines are unleashed.”

Phew. Even the initiated can be startled by this one. So I did a little Google search and found a blog post (linked at the end of this one) where the writer transcribed the lyrics, they’re reposted below. Enjoy!



I Trained Her To Love Me

Do you see the way she lights up
When I walk in the room
That's good

And the skip in her step
When we're both out walking in the neighborhood
This one's almost done
Now to watch her fall apart

I trained her to love me
So I could go ahead and break her heart

If you think it's depraved
And I should be ashamed
So what

I'm only paying back womankind
For all the grief I got
I've got the latest believing
Forever I'll be true

I trained her to love
Now excuse me, I've got work to do

I trained her to love me
And I'm gonna start working on another after this
And when I get that one in a state of bliss
Betray her, with a kiss

Well one time, one cut-up rough
told me I only do this cause I can
And I'm bound to wind up one lonely twisted old man

But look out,
Here comes a prime contender
for my agenda
If ever there was one
And I'm gonna train her to love me
Until it's time to do what must be done
Train her to love me

And I'm gonna start working on another after this
And when I get that one in a state of bliss
Betray with her a kiss

And I'm gonna start working on another after this
And when I get that one in a state of bliss
Betray with her a kiss
I trained her to love me

To late to stop now

Lyrics transcription from http://immodestproposals.blogspot.com/2007/06/saturday-whatever-lyrics-nick-lowe-i.html.