79 replies to this topic

[Heroxmasox]

Ok, anyone with an ear and some musical timing could tell that the verse lyrics on the Lioness sleeve notes are all over the place - she may have written them as a version, or, as I think, Salaam Remi rushed them. Anyway, here's my version, which tells a story of two hustlers, two gamblers... two cheats...

Between the Cheats

I would die before divorce ya
I’d take a thousand thumps for my love
Cause ya kissed a lucky horseshoe
Stuck it in my boxin’ glove

Cause anyone who’s seen us
Through our victory and dumb defeats
Knows that I’ll take you to the cleaners
If you come between the cheats

My husband is the finest, handsomest lover
And he still make this housewife blush
So, I’ll go with him, my hand lowers
I’m sitting on the royal flush

Women drink him in
Swim in him with green eyes
Then go home and cash the chips you’ve got
And say you’re ready to, oh two bottles
The jack of hearts is my jackpot

Cause we all have to lock eyes
And I know there’s my heart beat
There’s a winning secret to pour
And it’s sworn between the cheats

[xoxohazelxoxo]

I think you nearly have it, a few things i hear differently are:

My husband is the finest, handsomest Hustler
and he still makes this housewife blush,
So, I’ll go with him, my hand in his,
Im sitting on the royal flush.

Cause we all have to lock eyes
And I know there’s my heart beat
There’s a winning secretive war
And it’s sworn between the cheats

could be wrong but thats what I hear...I love guessing though and making your own conclusions to what Amy could mean, very mysterious

[Uno]

I'm glad that you started this, I was trying to figure this out too. So, here's what I was coming up with...

I would die before I divorce you
I'd take a thousand thumps for my love
'Cause you kiss a lucky horseshoe >>>>> ('Cause if you kiss a lucky horseshoe)
Stuck it in my boxing glove
'Cause anyone who will see us
Through our victory and done defeat
Knows that I'll take you to the cleaners
If you come between the cheats

Between the cheats, ooh oh oh ooh oh oh
Between the cheats, ooh oh oh ooh oh oh

My husband is the finest handsome hustler
And he still make this housewife blush
So I'm holding my hand in his >>>> (So I'm holding my hand to his)
I'm sitting on the royal flush

Women drink him in, swimming in his green eyes
Then go home and catch the chips you got >>>> (Then go home and cash the chips you got)

Bottle line...?? I think it might be play a lady too, like lady meaning play a Queen of hearts or something like that
(And play a lady too, oh to ?) OR (And take a lady too, oh to ?)
and then something like bardot, bardough, barter???

The jack of hearts is my jackpot

Between the cheats, ooh oh oh ooh oh oh
Between the cheats, ooh oh oh ooh oh oh

Cause we all have to lock eyes
And I know as my heart beats
There's a winning secret to both
And it's sworn between the cheats

Between the cheats, ooh oh oh ooh oh oh
Between the cheats, ooh oh oh ooh oh oh
Between the cheats, ooh oh oh ooh oh oh

Here's a really slowed down version of the song, if it helps ...
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p4ak95

You might have to copy/paste the link to your browser address bar

Edited by Uno, 02 April 2012 - 10:05 PM.

[Heroxmasox]

I love this!!

I'm not beyond convincing here - but I've spent time listening *and* considering the lyrics. Amy's lyrics could often be cryptic, but they always have a sense to them and her use of vocabulary set her apart from her contemporaries.

So with that in mind lets look at the structuring and alliteration alongside the meaning and imagery (and I have a change for verse one)

I would die before divorce you (pronounced - yaou)
I’d take a thousand thumps for my love
Cause ya kissed a lucky horseshoe
Stuck it in my boxin’ glove rhyming of glove and love - you and horse shoe

Clearly the imagery is that despite suggestions of divorce (from others) and being subjected to violence she will protect her love and the horshoe that he kissed is a symbol of that.

Cause anyone who’s seen us
Through our victory and dumb defeats
Knows that I’ll take you to the cleaners
If you come between the cheats

This is a pretty straightforward stanza, furthers the subject of the first - again she will defend it at any cost - she refers to herself as a cheat and sugests that as they are both cheats anyone that suggests he is a cheat must know that she is too.

My husband is the finest, handsomest lover
And he still make this housewife blush
So, I’ll go with him, my hand lowers
I’m sitting on the royal flush

"lover" is important over "hustler"... and I have slowed this right down. "Lover" and "lower" is clear alliteration and allows the rhyming of "blush" and "flush" to flourish. "Lower" is very important in relation to the upcoming imagery of jealous "green eyed" women trying to lure him away and a card game. A game of skill and no chance. She has a "royal flush" but her hand lowers and she sits on it. She will hide what she knows and sees and go along with him.

Women drink him in
Swim in him with green eyes
Then go home and cash the chips you’ve got
And say you’re ready to, oh two bottles
The jack of hearts is my jackpot

And here is the jealousy. Women "drink him in" as they flirt and try to lure him through their jealousy. Literally the green eyed monster. Women trying to sabotage her through him. Then she goes home with him and has the prize (him) - thus cashing the chips she has... they share two bottles (a pair or couple). The jack of hearts is him a the "jack of hearts" aka "knave of hearts" (checked in dictionary) is an unhonest man (lover as it's hearts). He too is a cheat, but still her prize (ie not getting these jealous women back)

Cause we all have to lock eyes
And I know there’s my heart beat
There’s a winning secret to pour
And it’s sworn between the cheats

*This is the stanza I have most difficulty with and I could be convinced that "eyes" in the first line could be hearts"*
Basically the strength of their relation ship is that they recognise they are both "cheats".
The winning secret to pour and swear is vital to the final meaning. "pour" rhymes directly with "sworn" on the next line and not by accident. By pouring their secrets they are sharing them - but only on the proviso that it's a sworn secret... literally between the cheats.


I hope no one thinks I'm being hectoring on this, but I've put quite a bit of time into this since I saw the linear notes (so far off).
With some help from friends I think we have near cracked this - not just in recognising words, but deriving the real meaning.

Folks... this is a wonderful piece of work. Particularly considering where she was at when this was recorded. Listen to that vocal and remember the 007 debacle. For me this is one of her very best songs and should alone help make Lioness be considered as a relevant part of her work!

DO reply with your views!! Have I convinced anyone?

[what'sinsideher]

Very interesting. But she's definitely saying "My husband is the finest, handsome hustler".

---------- Post added at 11:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:13 PM ----------

And hustler definitely fits with the rest of the song. Kind of like he's a card hustler.

[October Song]

I love this!!

I'm not beyond convincing here - but I've spent time listening *and* considering the lyrics. Amy's lyrics could often be cryptic, but they always have a sense to them and her use of vocabulary set her apart from her contemporaries.

So with that in mind lets look at the structuring and alliteration alongside the meaning and imagery (and I have a change for verse one)

I would die before divorce you (pronounced - yaou)
I’d take a thousand thumps for my love
Cause ya kissed a lucky horseshoe
Stuck it in my boxin’ glove rhyming of glove and love - you and horse shoe

Clearly the imagery is that despite suggestions of divorce (from others) and being subjected to violence she will protect her love and the horshoe that he kissed is a symbol of that.

Cause anyone who’s seen us
Through our victory and dumb defeats
Knows that I’ll take you to the cleaners
If you come between the cheats

This is a pretty straightforward stanza, furthers the subject of the first - again she will defend it at any cost - she refers to herself as a cheat and sugests that as they are both cheats anyone that suggests he is a cheat must know that she is too.

My husband is the finest, handsomest lover
And he still make this housewife blush
So, I’ll go with him, my hand lowers
I’m sitting on the royal flush

"lover" is important over "hustler"... and I have slowed this right down. "Lover" and "lower" is clear alliteration and allows the rhyming of "blush" and "flush" to flourish. "Lower" is very important in relation to the upcoming imagery of jealous "green eyed" women trying to lure him away and a card game. A game of skill and no chance. She has a "royal flush" but her hand lowers and she sits on it. She will hide what she knows and sees and go along with him.

Women drink him in
Swim in him with green eyes
Then go home and cash the chips you’ve got
And say you’re ready to, oh two bottles
The jack of hearts is my jackpot

And here is the jealousy. Women "drink him in" as they flirt and try to lure him through their jealousy. Literally the green eyed monster. Women trying to sabotage her through him. Then she goes home with him and has the prize (him) - thus cashing the chips she has... they share two bottles (a pair or couple). The jack of hearts is him a the "jack of hearts" aka "knave of hearts" (checked in dictionary) is an unhonest man (lover as it's hearts). He too is a cheat, but still her prize (ie not getting these jealous women back)

Cause we all have to lock eyes
And I know there’s my heart beat
There’s a winning secret to pour
And it’s sworn between the cheats

*This is the stanza I have most difficulty with and I could be convinced that "eyes" in the first line could be hearts"*
Basically the strength of their relation ship is that they recognise they are both "cheats".
The winning secret to pour and swear is vital to the final meaning. "pour" rhymes directly with "sworn" on the next line and not by accident. By pouring their secrets they are sharing them - but only on the proviso that it's a sworn secret... literally between the cheats.


I hope no one thinks I'm being hectoring on this, but I've put quite a bit of time into this since I saw the linear notes (so far off).
With some help from friends I think we have near cracked this - not just in recognising words, but deriving the real meaning.

Folks... this is a wonderful piece of work. Particularly considering where she was at when this was recorded. Listen to that vocal and remember the 007 debacle. For me this is one of her very best songs and should alone help make Lioness be considered as a relevant part of her work!

DO reply with your views!! Have I convinced anyone?

You've done a great job there though I agree with others on the 'hustler' over 'lover' point. Not only does it sound unmistakeably like she sings 'hustler' to me but 'hustler' also fits with the gambling theme running through the song. Blake also fancied himself a hustler, even if his somewhat confused idea of hustling involved wearing a felt hat whilst stealing a pensioner's car stereo.

I agree with you that Between The Cheats is a fabulous piece of work and one of her best. It is hugely underrated so far I think but will surely be heralded appropriately in time. The main problem with Lioness and its impact is that even the best critics failed to review it on fair terms. Every review I read failed really to get beyond the whole 'posthumous' issue. Two of the three original new songs on the album are stunning (Half Time being the other of course) but the reviewers never seemed to get far enough to actually listen to and consider them, which was a shame.

[Heroxmasox]

No she is definitely saying lover - listen again to the syllables - and the length of her delivery. Plus "lover" delivers the entire stanza.

However - it's a word, it doesn't change the meaning we are uncovering. Compare this to the sleeve notes!!

[MandyP]

I hear "lover". But I like hustler, too.

[what'sinsideher]

No she is definitely saying lover - listen again to the syllables - and the length of her delivery. Plus "lover" delivers the entire stanza.

However - it's a word, it doesn't change the meaning we are uncovering. Compare this to the sleeve notes!!

Yeah, I've listened to it many times. It's unmistakably "hustler". I don't see how "lover" makes it mean anything more than hustler in this context. But everyone takes something different from a song so whatever floats your boat!

[Heroxmasox]

Lol. Well obviously its not unmistakable!

Go back and listen again. Not just reciting what you think the words are. Listen to her phrasing and her delivery and the length of the word makes it clear its "lover".

While hustler works meaningwise it doesnt fit the rhyming scheme. This is a very structured song.

[JamaicaAndSpain]

She clearly sings "hustler". I imagined the word "lover" while listening to it, but it doesn't sound like it at all.

[Heroxmasox]

We need to agree to disagree on this one. I say its without doubt "lovers" because thats what i unmistakenly hear. It makes senae to the rhyming scheme, the timing and her phrasing.

Just like some people swore she was singing "catch the the chips..." or that she referred to Edgar Allan Poe in Back to black.

Her diction on Cheats is not very sharp and "lover" makes more sense. You are just used to hustler now

[Cecilia]

I don't think it's unmistakable or even clear at all because her enunciation is pretty wafty throughout the song, she's dropping letters all over the place. It could either be "finest, handsomest lover" or "finest handsome hustler". I assumed it was the former at first because like [MENTION=2685]Heroxmasox[/MENTION] said it sounds like it fits in with the structure and rhyming scheme of the song, but listening to it again I can see how it may well be the latter. Both make sense meaning wise. I guess we can only be 100% sure if an official book of lyrics is published...

[Heroxmasox]

But as you agree Lover fits the rhyming scheme. That would be a fairly massive coincidence especially considering the rhyming scheme fits. By using hustler it means that only that verse doesnt have a double rhyming scheme

[what'sinsideher]

Lol. Well obviously its not unmistakable!

Go back and listen again. Not just reciting what you think the words are. Listen to her phrasing and her delivery and the length of the word makes it clear its "lover".

While hustler works meaningwise it doesnt fit the rhyming scheme. This is a very structured song.

I did listen again because I listen to it quite often. I listened to it today, yesterday, and the day before and it's not possible to hear anything but "hustler". The word "lover" does not have a "ss" sound in it. She says "huss-ler".

It also sounds like one of next lines is "So, I'm throwing my hand in, I'm sitting on the royal flush". Not sure where "my hand lowers" comes in. Hustler obviously has a similar sound to lover so it fits just fine in the rhyming scheme. Had she rhymed it with "cover", I could understand. But anyhow, as you said before, one word doesn't change the whole song and if you want it to be lover, that's fine. I'm just surprised that there is any question about this except, perhaps, to people whose first language isn't English.