Mabel Normand

Written by S. Nicks

Another show...
She's natural in her beauty
I guess you could say she's unapproachable comedienne
Hadn't much faith in her talent
Still, she did her work - no comedienne lives life as a clown
She did her work, but her heart was quietly crying
I guess she even felt guilty about even dying
Poor Mabel Normand

So my friend is continuing on a destructive road
His life passes before him with unfortunate circumstances
He and his friend are at odds, and he is not winning
Why does something always have to win?
He says, "It matters"
And strange things do follow when you love someone
So you put them in exile
I thought I'd call you "Beloved Exile"

He called today
He says, "Don't give up"
I ask him, "What are you talking about?"
I said, "Things are not the same
Since you've been gone, Rome burned down"
And it's still all the same
So I moved away from the house that held
Nothing but waiting for messages
All through the day's seasons, runnin' with the sun
And I pray every day for the answers

In a still and almost silent night
He began to hide his beauty
And I learned to say the words
"Well, just whose side are you on anyway?"
And what does it matter if you change sides?
What does it matter - still you change sides
Every other day, you just change sides
Well, her life was a gas, simply everything that happened
Well, they say it was sad, they say it was sad

So continue on your destructive road
Your life passes before me like an unknown circumstance
You and your friend are at odds; you are not winning
Why does someone always have to win?
And all those races that are run, they cause patterns
Strange things do follow when you love someone
So you put that someone in exile
And you say, "I'll write a book about it
And call it Beloved Exile"

Well, her life was a gas, simply everything that happened
Well, the old lady said, "Yes, it was sad"
She fought a losing battle one day at a time
She might even make it through tomorrow
Maybe even another show - natural in her beauty
I guess you could say she was just unapproachable
Baby, so beautiful
Having frustration, and now, she can't see what it was....

---

WEBMISTRESS speculates:

Mabel Normand was a silent movie star, a comedienne. Perhaps Stevie read her book and shaped this song around it because she could relate to Mabel. That's what I'm assuming, at least!

Mabel was one of the first and most successful silent movie comediennes. She became romantically involved with the famous silent movie maker Mack Sennett, and helped encouraged him to stick with then-newcomer Charlie Chaplin, who she co-starred with in several films. When Sennett made Mabel Charlie's director, however, he was outraged because a woman would be his boss! Soon after, Chaplin left the studio. (In the movie Chaplin starring Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei portrays Mabel as a stupid, bossy shrew sleeping her way to the top, whom Sennett lets direct because she's his lover. Not accurate!)

Mabel didn't suffer for his loss; she made more successful movies with Fatty Arbuckle and then became so popular she actually was offered her own movie production company by Sennett! Unfortunately, by this time, she and Sennett were no longer involved. Sennett had an affair that so devastated Mabel she attempted suicide.

The attempt was unsuccessful, thankfully, and her star continued to rise. Then, she had the bad fortune to be indirectly involved in two different shootings - in one, a man she looked on as a father figure was killed shortly after she'd left his home. In another, a man who'd been hired to be her chauffeur shot a man who'd insulted her. Later, it was discovered that the chauffeur was an ex-convict who was obsessively infatuated with her.

Instead of hurting her, these scandals actually made her movies gross more, although some areas did temporarily ban her! Personally, however, she began to fell apart, becoming depressed and using drugs. Then silent movies started giving out and Mabel's career went on the downturn. What more she could have done remains unknown because she contracted tuburculosis and died before even reaching the age of 40.

OK! So it's pretty obvious that Mabel, while a comedienne, had a lot of inner tragedy. She just kept pressing on, though, kept at her craft, hid her unhappiness and went on with the show. I think Stevie can see herself in that - an entertainer who has to put on a brave face even when "inside she's quietly crying."

Now, who's this friend? Mabel's lover was Sennett. He betrayed her but they still worked together for years. Sennett also was a bit of a controlling, overbearing producer who drove away friends. Not it's just a teeny bit possible Stevie drew a parallel to Lindsey here, as she deliberately references Races Are Run.

However, when it comes to direct competition, I would say the relationship between Mabel and Chaplin would fit more readily, as they were both actors and Chaplin was a controlling producer as well who definitely chafed at allowing a woman like Mabel control. This could also work for "he began to hide his beauty" as Chaplin left the studio after feeling creatively, personally (and monetarily!) frustrated. Finally, Stevie's term "beloved exile" could refer to Chaplin's exile from American as a suspected Communist during the McCarthy era. This could also be paralleled with Lindsey's isolationism.

Frankly, this song seems kind of fragmentary and ill-connected. It's something that would be impossible to comprehend remotely unless you know who she is referencing, and even then you don't really understand! No wonder this never got out of the demo bin!