Strange Things to Follow When You Love Someone/ the significance of Mabel Normand

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

I can't express how much I love this song - her vocals, the intensity, the realism - it's all there. Stevie really channeled her 1985 self when she laid this track out.

My favorite verse has got to be the one about her 'friend". You know how poeple will ask for advice about a problem, and pretend it's for "a friend"? Well, that's how I interpret this verse:

So my friend is continuing on a destructive road
His life passes before him like an unfortunate circumstance
He and his 'friend' are at odds - and he is not winning

Which I interpret as:

So I am continuing down a destructive road
My life passes before me like an unfortunate circumstance
Me and my addiction are at odds, and I am not winning.

Why does someone always have to win?

I love the why does someone always have to win line. In fact I'm so in love with this song. It quickly became my favorite.

[Christopher]

I'm addicted to this song!
Between Stevies fiery rhythmic and razor sharp cadence unfurling her allegorical prose, building to a cacophony of guitars buzzing. This song is a winner. A BIG winner!
I find it interesting how certain lines speak to you, depending on your mood, or what's going on in your day, or life at the moment. "Mabel" just may be my favorite song, along with the deadly sensual thriller that is All The Beautiful Worlds.

Glory is 24K Gold. This record sits among Stevies' best records ever overall, I think.

[HoursAndHours]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I love the why does someone always have to win line. In fact I'm so in love with this song. It quickly became my favorite.

I love that line too, but I will confess that I think she delivers it with far more emotion (frustration) in the demo.

[MariaA37]

Originally Posted by HoursAndHours

I love that line too, but I will confess that I think she delivers it with far more emotion (frustration) in the demo.

I agree. I've always loved the demo, but I LOVE the music on the 24K version. Wish I could get her demo vocal with the 24K music.

~Maria

[pryderi]

Stephen Normand, great nephew of Mabel, posted a long comment 4 days ago about the song on youtube wanting her to contribute some of the proceeds to a tuberculosis charity.

http://youtu.be/it4WhQTojIk

[MarkMc1990]

Originally Posted by pryderi

Stephen Normand, great nephew of Mabel, posted a long comment 4 days ago about the song on youtube wanting her to contribute some of the proceeds to a tuberculosis charity.

http://youtu.be/it4WhQTojIk

What's that guy who replied to him talking about with the Frank Sinatra Jr. version? Surely he's mistaken?

[BlueDenimLamp]

Originally Posted by pryderi

Stephen Normand, great nephew of Mabel, posted a long comment 4 days ago about the song on youtube wanting her to contribute some of the proceeds to a tuberculosis charity.

http://youtu.be/it4WhQTojIk

Don't remember anyone from the Poe estate complaining about "Annabel Lee" or suggesting Stevie donate money. The Normand people need to find something better to do with their time.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by BlueDenimLamp

Don't remember anyone from the Poe estate complaining about "Annabel Lee" or suggesting Stevie donate money. The Normand people need to find something better to do with their time.

Well Poe died 165 years ago so his estate might have run out of defense energy. Plus, Stevie hasn't written about Poe's opium addiction yet.

Michele

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by BlueDenimLamp

Don't remember anyone from the Poe estate complaining about "Annabel Lee" or suggesting Stevie donate money. The Normand people need to find something better to do with their time.

It appears that the reemergence of Mabel Normand, due to Stevie's song, has opened up some old wounds for the family maintaining Mabel's legacy.

The underlying reason has less to do with Stevie's song, but more with a longstanding and inaccurate characterization of Mabel's life. She was apparently unfairly associated with the rampant use of cocaine in her era. By all personal accounts, she was not caught up in that scene. She was incredibly successful and wealthy, but she wasn't a drug addict. She died of tuberculous. Unfortunately tabloid journalism had cast a different, more salacious story that became self perpetuating.

Stevie shouldn't be faulted by feeling that Mabel's predicament was similar to hers. When she talked about the song, she castes Mabel as a coke addict who's life spiraled out of control and led to her destruction. She related to Mabel based on established misinformation. The song itself has no blatant reference to cocaine. In typical Stevie-style, the subject matter is addressed in a scatter shot and opaque manner. Mabel Normand is her metaphor for aspects of her own life.

Family descendants should appreciate the positive aspects resulting from Stevie's song. It's provided them with a platform to set the record straight about Mabel's life and death, and it has likely stimulated interest and informed her legacy, reminding us that she was a pioneering participant in the birth of the movie industry.

[DauphineMarie]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

It appears that the reemergence of Mabel Normand, due to Stevie's song, has opened up some old wounds for the family maintaining Mabel's legacy.

The underlying reason has less to do with Stevie's song, but more with a longstanding and inaccurate characterization of Mabel's life. She was apparently unfairly associated with the rampant use of cocaine in her era. By all personal accounts, she was not caught up in that scene. She was incredibly successful and wealthy, but she wasn't a drug addict. She died of tuberculous. Unfortunately tabloid journalism had cast a different, more salacious story that became self perpetuating.

Stevie shouldn't be faulted by feeling that Mabel's predicament was similar to hers. When she talked about the song, she castes Mabel as a coke addict who's life spiraled out of control and led to her destruction. She related to Mabel based on established misinformation. The song itself has no blatant reference to cocaine. In typical Stevie-style, the subject matter is addressed in a scatter shot and opaque manner. Mabel Normand is her metaphor for aspects of her own life.

Family descendants should appreciate the positive aspects resulting from Stevie's song. It's provided them with a platform to set the record straight about Mabel's life and death, and it has likely stimulated interest and informed her legacy, reminding us that she was a pioneering participant in the birth of the movie industry.

THANK YOU.

[welcomechris]

Originally Posted by pryderi

Stephen Normand, great nephew of Mabel, posted a long comment 4 days ago about the song on youtube wanting her to contribute some of the proceeds to a tuberculosis charity.

http://youtu.be/it4WhQTojIk

Heyyyy thats my page

Here's what he said

This recording by Stevie Nicks using and referring to my great-aunt Mabel Normand by name and without fact,labels my aunt as a cocaine user/addict, attributing it to her cause of decline professionally and in her health is not to be taken seriously. Mabel Normand suffered with tuberculosis as a child (a brother,Ralph died of it as a teenager) and it recurred during her working career in the early 20's, overwhelming her finally in February 23,1930 where she lay suffering for 18 months at Pottenger Sanitarium Monrovia California for Tuberculosis. The accusation of drug addiction is unsubstainuated and there is no evidence medically to uphold the accusation of addiction. Further there was no proof nor was it ever claimed during Mabel's lifetime that she was addicted.Though Ms Nicks speaks positively of my aunt's work in her career during her interview she does not in her lyrics. Her effort to bring the attention to the harm of drug addiction is admirable but the song is really about Ms. Nicks experience not Mabel Normand. As I am openly available on the internet it continues to baffle me why researchers continue to ignore Mabel Normand's family as a source to be consulted. It is true that the dead cannot be slandered but it is also shameful to continue on with hearsay that can not be proven and used to mar the reputation of one of cinema's early women comediennes with such an albatros of untruth. Mabel's death certificate clearly states cause of death was Tuberculosis complicated in the end with pneumonia. Mabel Normand did not suffer with a hole in her septum/nose or head/brain as the unfortunate Ms Nicks has evidentally in her admission in her interview. It is my hope that Ms Nicks will make a substantial contribution of her royalties to a tuberculosis charity of her choice in my great aunt Mabel's name as she has used Mabel Normand's name and my family surname in a song to make a profit to her own name. With all best wishes for good health and happiness to continue to bless Ms Nick's reputation and her health in the future.

Respectfully,
Stephen Normand
Great Nephew of Mabel Normand
Archivist of the Mabel Normand Family Estate

[pryderi]

Originally Posted by MarkMc1990

What's that guy who replied to him talking about with the Frank Sinatra Jr. version? Surely he's mistaken?

Apparently he covered Twisted as well. lol He posted the following on the twisted youtube song:

God job by Stevie but has anybody heard the Frank Sinatra Jr. version of this song ? It's lights out and the definitive version for sure. Thanks for posting. 

[welcomechris]

Originally Posted by pryderi

Apparently he covered Twisted as well. lol He posted the following on the twisted youtube song:

God job by Stevie but has anybody heard the Frank Sinatra Jr. version of this song ? It's lights out and the definitive version for sure. Thanks for posting. 

You've heard it? If so, please share

[pryderi]

No Ive never heard it. I just posted someone's comment on youtube. http://youtu.be/xVhGtSNOM7s

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

The lyrics are still an indecipherable mess

I used to think that too, until I became more familiar with the words. and it started to make more sense. It's one of Stevie's most challenging, lyrically packed songs. Because it doesn't follow a traditional arrangement, it's easy to conclude it as a mess. Some of her lines are so memorable that they often pop up in my convoluted mind. It's a catchy song in the most twisted way.