My favorite of Laura Nyro's
Uptown, going down, old life line, walking down faster, walking with the master of time.
My lady woke up, she broke down, she got up, she let go,
Take me Timer, shake me Timer, let it blow, let it blow.
My darling friends, oh, I belong to Timer, he changed my face.
You're a fine one Timer, you've got me walking through the gates of space.
I keep remembering indoors that I used to walk through,
baby, I'm not trying to talk you down.
But I could walk through them doors onto a pleasure ground.
It was sweet and funny, a pleasure ground.
Didn't know about money, did not know about Timer, did not know about Timer.
Holding to my cradle at the start but now my hand is open
and now my hand is ready for my heart.
So let the wind blow Timer, I like her song.
And if the song goes minor, I won't mind.
And Timer knows the lady's gonna love again.
Time says the lady rambles never more.
If you love me true, I'll spend my life with you and Timer.
You're a jigsaw Timer, God is a jigsaw souling with, souling.
You're a jigsaw Timer, God is a jigsaw souling with, souling with Timer, Timer…
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Timer is the Thirteenth confession of Eli!
Charlie Callelo claimed that every song “had some underlying meaning about her own life…Eli was one of her boyfriends” Michele Kort, Soul Picnic, p. 62.
The newspaper ads for the album Eli and the Thirteenth Confession stated “She doesn’t explain anything – She fills you with experience.” ibid p.62.
The lyrics “love my lovething, super ride inside my lovething,” were described by Kort as “a post-coital reverie” with a man. And the lyrics “oo who stole Mama’s heart and cuddled in her garden? darlin Emmie, la la la, oo la la la …” were part of “ Pop’s first lesbian love song.” (Alanna Nash) The release date being March 1968, you can see why, CBS would have been loathe to do any explaining.
The muse for Timer was Maria Desiderio, who was thirteen at the time. “So let the wind blow Timer …I like her song and if the song goes minor I won’t mind.” Haunting and prescient are the lines “And if you love me true, I’ll spend my life with you, you and Timer.” Laura and Maria shared an on and off relationship of 30 years, and an undisputed 17 year eventual life partnership. Laura, Maria, and their dog Ember were buried (ashes interred) under the Japanese Maple at their estate in Danbury CT.
Laura left us her keepsake of Maria on the back cover of the vinyl dust jacket of Eli. And also as a subterfuge and reminiscent of the flame, she kept for Maria, is the inside of the lyric flap. The outer flap, appearing as part of the cover, contains the title in script “Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.” Just below is the printed menu of the thirteen songs and a last line “Lyrics Within.” As you open the flap revealed on the other side are the lyrics of Eli’s Comin & Timer, hence Eli and the Thirteenth confession (Timer).
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