Julie Christie, the rumors are true
As the pages turn, my eyes are glued
To the movie star and his sordid life
Mr. X and his old-suffering wife
I spent so much time dreaming about Eleanor Bron
In my room with the curtains drawn
See her in the arms of Paul
Say it, I can say no more
As the music swells somehow stronger from adversity
Our hero finds his inner peace
So now I'm looking for a lucky charm
With a needle hanging out of its arm

As time goes by I know it's gonna happen
I know it's going away
Gonna take its toll, gonna take its toll
Gonna take my time
And I'm thinking about the way things are
And I'm thinking about the way things were
Thinking about Eleanor Bron
And I'm thinking about a lucky charm
And I'm thinking about the needle
Oh, I'm thinking about the needle
And I'm thinking about...


Lyrics submitted by caffienatidjazz

Tom Courtenay song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

11 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +6
    General Comment

    Back on 2001 I was at a Yo La Tengo's concert which was followed by a questions-and-answers session where the band sat at the stage and talked to those of us who stayed. I was quick to ask Ira Kaplan what was the meaning behind this song. He wasn't very specific saying that it wasn't about a particular event or person, but rather about all the things which allure you in cinema, literature and the media in general when you're young.

    I think Ira put a lot of moments of her childhood and adolescence into words and made a song with them.

    Alienoon September 19, 2011   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    the actor tom courtenay and the actress julie christie are both in the movie "dr. zhivago".

    luckymustardon February 28, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    sort of the same sentiment as comfortably numb, staying home and shooting up all the time

    RobotHouseon October 17, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I'm gonna take a wild stab, here...I think the song is mostly about "Billy Liar," which stars Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie. It's about being the kind of guy Tom Courtenay plays in the film: a dreamer and a fan, alone in your room, watching movies and reading magazines, imagining a glamorous, exciting world where you're a hero, but not really doing anything. When Billy finally gets a chance to break away from his boring job and his boring life in his boring town and head off to adventures in London with a gorgeous, exciting woman (Julie Christie), he's too timid to go for it. Gonna take it slow...it's all about regret, missed opportunities, and the accompanying self-loathing that you'll do anything to numb.

    I'm not sure why the object of fandom here is "Help!," but it certainly fits with the whole U.K. early-'60s thing.

    kagion May 04, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    The line following "See her in the arms of Paul" should actually read "Saying, "I can say no more"". It's a reference to the movie "Help!".

    marwood9651on November 01, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Thanks for taking a wild stab, kaqi. That makes a fair amount of sense. I'm not sure wht to make of the drug references, but somehow they fit. When I first heard the song I was reminded of the movie "McCabe and Mrs. Miller", wherein Julie Christie plays an opium addict. but nothing else really fit. Note- Eleanor Bron was in the movie "Help." Yes, as oxymoronic as it sounds, the acoustic version does rock. I would almost sayit is better, but Yo La Tengo does those popy background vocals like no one else can.

    MamboManon November 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is particular poignant for me, and sort of makes the hair on the back of my head stand up. My mother was a sort of local beauty and minor luminary in the 60's, before dying of a shot of heroin in 1969. I never knew her. "Looking for a lucky charm, with a needle hangin' out of its arm...." is a sort of devastating line to listen to.

    rself1on February 03, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Haunting, stark, beautiful.

    winkeron December 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Professional ponderings on the meaning of this song and who the narrator is: avclub.com/article/yo-la-tengos-tom-courtenay-pays-homage-60s-british-232340

    elwyn5150on August 04, 2017   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    And the acoustic version rocks too!

    HeiaVincenton February 08, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fortnight
Taylor Swift
The song 'Fortnight' by Taylor Swift and Post Malone tells a story about strong feelings, complicated relationships, and secret wishes. It talks about love, betrayal, and wanting someone who doesn't feel the same. The word 'fortnight' shows short-lived happiness and guilty pleasures, leading to sadness. It shows how messy relationships can be and the results of hiding emotions. “I was supposed to be sent away / But they forgot to come and get me,” she kickstarts the song in the first verse with lines suggesting an admission to a hospital for people with mental illnesses. She goes in the verse admitting her lover is the reason why she is like this. In the chorus, she sings about their time in love and reflects on how he has now settled with someone else. “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary / And I love you, it’s ruining my life,” on the second verse she details her struggles to forget about him and the negative effects of her failure. “Thought of callin’ ya, but you won’t pick up / ‘Nother fortnight lost in America,” Post Malone sings in the outro.
Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,