Song of the Week Mother Mary (yes, you read it right!)

[P3AC3MAK3R]

This song has been playing on our radio im like omg its The tubbies !!!!! everyone is like who are they ??? :o

[sharon mitchell]

I love this song so much - it brings back amazing memories.

I was in on the ground floor with FBHT - one of the first people outside the band to hear the music, and their friends on MySpace were still in single figures when I was added. The first three songs broke on the day that I was cooking a sit-down meal for 33 people at my house, and I'm surprised I could concentrate on the kitchen stuff! The few of us that were 'in the know' spammed this stuff across the internet, between three or four of us getting FBHT 43,000 hits in under a day. there are some great lines in this song, my favourite being 'oh well, too bad, who cares ..'

I never thought another band could better Green Day live, but the Foxies did it in spades last November. I want more.

PS - this song also has a great personal meaning behind it.

Last year I was 50, and I was given a present by someone close to the band - the alternative design for the cover of the vinyl single, an image that was rejected by the band in favour of the dancing girls. It is printed on canvas and hangs in pride of place in my study alongside the rest of my Green Day collection.

[Abbey.]

this sotw has taught me that i have to start living in this thread again. so many lovely things and interpretations you have all shared. absolutely inspiring. more more more!

[Metanoia]

whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.........................DEFINATELY ONE OF THE BEST FOXIES SONGS !!!!!!!!! i cant help myself everytime i hear it and just HAVE TO sing along and dance and be happy and omg i so wanna see fht live once !!!! <3

*Do you want to elope tonight*

Oh and the video is just FANTASTIC!!!

[Bastard of 1967]

Last year I was 50, and I was given a present by someone close to the band - the alternative design for the cover of the vinyl single, an image that was rejected by the band in favour of the dancing girls. It is printed on canvas and hangs in pride of place in my study alongside the rest of my Green Day collection.

Awesome! Oh, you so need to post a picture!

[sharon mitchell]

Awesome! Oh, you so need to post a picture!

I promised the giver that I wouldn't. Sorry.

Only my house guests (all fifty something of them last year!) have actually seen it on the wall in Longview. But yes, it is awesome - both as a work of art and as an act of supreme generosity. I was very honoured.

[*withoutadoubt*]

this sotw has taught me that i have to start living in this thread again. so many lovely things and interpretations you have all shared. absolutely inspiring. more more more!

I love this thread, too. It reminds me of a few years ago when there was nothing but Green Day talk here, and no one bitched at you for talking 'Green Day' on a GD forum, lol.

Sometimes I can articulate what a song means to me, and sometimes I just can't get it out in words. So it's great coming in here; I read more than post. There are so many wonderful interpretations, sometimes stuff about a song that's never crossed my mind before, and I love reading all of them.

I love Mother Mary. It sounds like such a simple, happy, upbeat song - I always thought of it as a sort of love song. But after reading some interpretations in here, the whole religion aspect makes so much sense. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on it - I love stuff that makes me think!!

[farley drexel hatcher]

I remember when I first heard this song! I didn't have internet so I missed out on all the drama. I was at a birthday dinner and went on the internet on my phone and found out all about the FHT a few days after it'd broke - but I couldn't listen to them for another week. I saved all the songs to my mp3 player in the library and played them on the bus home, and it was dark and the Christmas lights were all on in town. So to me i'll always have that memory of sitting on the bus, grinning away like a maniac at this catchy as hell song. This was the song I first listened to and I played it again and again till I got home, that day. XD

[Bastard of 1967]

I remember when I first heard this song! I didn't have internet so I missed out on all the drama. I was at a birthday dinner and went on the internet on my phone and found out all about the FHT a few days after it'd broke - but I couldn't listen to them for another week. I saved all the songs to my mp3 player in the library and played them on the bus home, and it was dark and the Christmas lights were all on in town. So to me i'll always have that memory of sitting on the bus, grinning away like a maniac at this catchy as hell song. This was the song I first listened to and I played it again and again till I got home, that day. XD

That's just perfect. First time I heard the song was just before the WashDC metro area's last experiment with a true alternative commercial radio format failed a little over two years ago (CBS radio did a stellar job taking an excellent "everything goes" format, fucking it up beyond all recognition, and then firing the entire programming staff and air talent crew when the ratings dove...but that's for another topic). Anyway, I remember one of the jocks saying during a station break something like "Remember Green Day? They're back, but they disguised themselves as the Foxboro Hot Tubs. It's available on iTunes so go take a listen, it's great stuff." Well, I did, and loved it. A month later the station was off the air so I have yet to hear any FBHT songs get commercial airplay. Oh well, too bad, who cares, that's alright.........

[Joy of suburbia.]

That's just perfect. First time I heard the song was just before the WashDC metro area's last experiment with a true alternative commercial radio format failed a little over two years ago (CBS radio did a stellar job taking an excellent "everything goes" format, fucking it up beyond all recognition, and then firing the entire programming staff and air talent crew when the ratings dove...but that's for another topic). Anyway, I remember one of the jocks saying during a station break something like "Remember Green Day? They're back, but they disguised themselves as the Foxboro Hot Tubs. It's available on iTunes so go take a listen, it's great stuff." Well, I did, and loved it. A month later the station was off the air so I have yet to hear any FBHT songs get commercial airplay. Oh well, too bad, who cares, that's alright.........

I have yet to hear the Foxies on the radio, either.

The first time I heard this song, I was in Virginia and I was trying desperately to find some Foxobro Hot Tubs. So my nice and awesome sister let me use her credit card and I brought it off of iTunes. After I got it, I went out outside and laid under a tree and was looking at the clouds cause it was really hot that day and it was uber shady under the tree and I had some lemonade and I hooked my iPod to my speakers and the first song that came on was Mother Mary and I remember how amazing it sounded and I put it on repeat and blasted it. So everytime I hear this song, I think of me laying under a tree...watching the clouds rolling by...drinking lemonade and smiling my ass off. And plus, the next day I went to go see Green Day so that was another reason to be happy.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

I loved all the posts regarding the deeper, religious meaning. Too much of 'em too quote, but I never saw that in the lyrics (granted, I never looked very deep into them either).

I really liked this song already, it's catchy as hell and even on a fairly shallow level I really like the lyrics already - after reading this thread (finally) I like it even more.

Billie/the Rev's voice also fits this song so well (well, all the songs on STR actually. and all the Green Day songs too but y'know), it really adds something to it.

this song makes me feel all fuzzy inside. <3

I LOVE the French intro in the beginning...it's just pure

French intro?

I think it's just awesome that even in a half-bombed-off-his-ass state, Billie managed to whip together those lyrics seemingly out of nowhere.....I think either Mike or Tre was quoted once as saying that Billie has like 50 different radios all tuned to a different station going off in his head all the same time -- but when one of them locks onto something and starts blaring it above the rest of the noise, look out -- MM is the kind of explosive writing that his ADHD-like inspiration can lead to. (Sidenote: Adie is one hell of an amazing woman to have been able to live with and, hell, TAME that for the past 15+ years!) ....and now we have MM -- it makes all the good little Catholic boys and girls want to spring up and dance to a peppy little song that's all about how their corrupt religion has betrayed them and is destroying their world. How punk is that!!

I know what interview you mean =D

[*withoutadoubt*]

French intro?

When the first 6 songs (I think) were first released, there were little bits of movie clips attached to the beginning of them. (The Elizabeth Taylor one in the beg of "She's a Saint..." is my fave!!) MM had a woman saying something in French.

[Moz]

OH it's 'elope' tonight?! i always heard 'do you want to make love tonight'...

ahhh i really love this song, twas the first tubbies song i ever heard <333

and, wow, i never considered that there could be all that clever religious symbolism.. it was really interesting to read the interpretations in this thread

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

When the first 6 songs (I think) were first released, there were little bits of movie clips attached to the beginning of them. (The Elizabeth Taylor one in the beg of "She's a Saint..." is my fave!!) MM had a woman saying something in French.

Ooh okay. I think I actually have that version, but I never listened to it....

[*withoutadoubt*]

Ooh okay. I think I actually have that version, but I never listened to it....

Oh listen to them!! They were a little annoying at first cause you just wanna get to the music, but now listening to them, they're pretty funny. At the time, someone translated what the French lady said, but I can't remember what it was.

Oooh, I found one...

[Bastard of 1967]

Oh listen to them!! They were a little annoying at first cause you just wanna get to the music, but now listening to them, they're pretty funny. At the time, someone translated what the French lady said, but I can't remember what it was.

Oooh, I found one...

The French is something like "Si tu n'etait pas mon ami, je serai fou de toi mon chere". Google translated it to English as: "[even?] if you [are/were] not my friend, I'm crazy for you my dear". Fits the religious undertone *perfectly*, methinks.

[Tripe]

I rarely comment on the Song of the Week - too hard to keep up with. But I am moved to comment on Mother Mary. It has a little special place in my heart.

It's a great tune, to start with. Catchy, fun, singalong. What's not to like?

I think I might have been one of the very first people who heard to this song outside of the Green Day inner circle. That's a story for another day! But I distinctly remember clicking the "Play" button for this song on the myspace profile and my mouth kind of dropping open like "whaaaa?"

Of the few songs that were made available on myspace, that was the one I felt sure was Billie Joe's voice. The other ones sounded like him, but not as clearly as this one does. At that point I had no idea that Mike or Tre or anyone was involved as well. It's been a fun ride since then!

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

Oh listen to them!! They were a little annoying at first cause you just wanna get to the music, but now listening to them, they're pretty funny. At the time, someone translated what the French lady said, but I can't remember what it was.

Oooh, I found one...

Thanks!

The French is something like "Si tu n'etait pas mon ami, je serai fou de toi mon chere". Google translated it to English as: "[even?] if you [are/were] not my friend, I'm crazy for you my dear". Fits the religious undertone *perfectly*, methinks.

I think it says 'cherie' but it's the same so whatever. I'm not too sure of 'fou', it sounds more like 'fuh' (phonetically) but I have no idea what that would be (maybe 'feu' (fire), but that doesn't really make sense at all. My French vocab isn't good enough to make anything else out of it xD), and fou matches the translation and meaning. Google is fairly close, means "If you weren't my friend, I would be crazy of you my dear". But indeed it perfectly fits.

[*withoutadoubt*]

The French is something like "Si tu n'etait pas mon ami, je serai fou de toi mon chere". Google translated it to English as: "[even?] if you [are/were] not my friend, I'm crazy for you my dear". Fits the religious undertone *perfectly*, methinks.

Thank you, and yes, it does! I always wondered how they chose those little clips for each song. It puts an extra little spin on them.

Of the few songs that were made available on myspace, that was the one I felt sure was Billie Joe's voice. The other ones sounded like him, but not as clearly as this one does. At that point I had no idea that Mike or Tre or anyone was involved as well. It's been a fun ride since then!

I remember someone - I think it was Sharon or Jax - sent me the link. I woke up to find it on msn maybe or somewhere like that. I actually listened to it, and didn't catch on at first. I think I was busy with something and just dimissed it. And then after someone told me what it was, I kept going back and forth saying...'Well, maybe it's him?' to 'Oh no, that doesn't sound like him at all!'

What a gift that was, tho! It was really an exciting time.

[Conspiracy.]

I've never heard that French bit before or knew that it exists. Shame on me.

The French is something like "Si tu n'etait pas mon ami, je serai fou de toi mon chere". Google translated it to English as: "[even?] if you [are/were] not my friend, I'm crazy for you my dear". Fits the religious undertone *perfectly*, methinks.

I just read in the comments for the video that is says "Si tu n' étais pas mon mari, je serais folle de toi, mon cheri" which would then mean "If you were not my husband, I'd be crazy for you, my dear".

[Bastard of 1967]

I just read in the comment for the video that is says "Si tu n' étais pas mon mari, je serais folle de toi, mon cheri" which would then mean "If you were not my husband, I'd be crazy for you, my dear".

Thanks - missed that. Assuming the French words are correct now, Google translates it a little differently:

"If you weren't my husband, I'd be mad at you, my darling"

Still fits the religious theme, but more metaphorically and I think you have to take a bigger mental leap to get there -- you kindof have to proceed *backwards* through the phrase. "Normally I don't let just *anyone* treat me like shit, but I'm betrothed to you so in your case, I'll make an exception." Again metaphorically, substituting "the church" for "husband" completes the connection and underscores the subtle message in MM -- that the church is betraying its followers, who seem ready, willing, and eager to let it do so.

[Ryan GD]

suprisingly a good song. remember when i first heard i thought it was junk but it really grew on me

[Johnny Higher]

Hello I'm a french fan of Green Day and I'm here to help you to translate the sentence.

But some of you got the good translation:

In French "Si tu n' étais pas mon mari, je serais folle de toi, mon chérie"

In English "If you were not my husband, I'll be crazy for you, my dearly".

So, this is the good translation.

MERCI A VOUS !

[Shaekwon]

AND "Oh Mother Mary take my hand" could also mean trying desperately to hold on to those beliefs from your childhood, that idealism that we used to have before life happened. Before we realized all is not perfect and happy and other people's ideas/ the media started influencing you, whether negatively or positively.

Great interpretation.

I'll think of this whenever I hear the song.

[Joy of suburbia.]

Hello I'm a french fan of Green Day and I'm here to help you to translate the sentence.

But some of you got the good translation:

In French "Si tu n' étais pas mon mari, je serais folle de toi, mon chérie"

In English "If you were not my husband, I'll be crazy for you, my dearly".

So, this is the good translation.

MERCI A VOUS !

Oh, thank you so much!

I love this part and I was trying really hard to find the right translation in English.