Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand
Encyclopedia
"Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" is a song written by Pete Townshend
and first released on The Who
's 1967 album The Who Sell Out
, and subsequently on several Who compilation albums. The song has a Latin-influenced melody and ambiguous lyrics that have been subject to a variety of interpretations. The song has been released in several different versions, sometimes under the title "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hands." It has also been covered by a number of other artists, including The Nils
, Petra Haden
, Opal Butterfly
and Chris Richards.
convention of praising a pretty girl. However, although the song states that Mary Anne is pretty, indeed "the prettiest in the land," the song does not provide any description of her appearance. Rather, the song focuses on Mary Anne's hand tremor. The reason Mary Anne's hands are always moving is not explicitly stated. One possibility is that Mary Anne has some affliction. Alternatively, the song has been interpreted as a song about masturbation
, which author Chris Charlesworth would describe as The Who's "second great song about masturbation" after the band's 1967 single "Pictures of Lily
." Rock authors Steve Grantley and Alan Parker suggested that the reason for the shaky hands can be inferred from the lines "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hands / What they've done to a man, those shaky hands." Rolling Stone Magazine praised the "barely-beneath-the-surface humor of the lyric."
"Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" has an attractive flamenco
-influenced melody, described by Allmusic's Mark Deming as "charming" and "a tune you couldn't forget even if you tried." Author John Atkins describes the song as being a "delightful pop song in the Everly Brothers mold." Charlesworth suggested that regardless of the lyrics, the song "would have been a winner on melody alone." Instrumentation on the version of the song on The Who Sell Out includes Latin-style acoustic guitar
playing from Townshend and drum breaks by Keith Moon
. Grantley and Parker describe the vocals as a cross between The Mamas and the Papas and Simon and Garfunkel
. This version was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios
in London in late October 1967.
An alternative version was recorded at Mirasound Studios in New York using electric guitar
rather than acoustic guitar. This version also features an organ
solo from Al Kooper
. Grantley and Parker describe this version as having a "gentle atmosphere." On this version, lead vocalist Roger Daltry employs a tremolo
effect on the word "shaky," giving that word a "shaky" feel. A mono
mix of the electric version of the song was used as the B-side of the "I Can See for Miles
" single in the US. A stereo mix of this version was also included on the 1998 remastered version of the Odds and Sods
album.
" single in Norway. It has also been included on several compilation albums. The acoustic version was included on the 1968 compilation album Direct Hits
. The electric version was included on the 1985 compilation album Who's Missing
. It was also included on the 1994 compilation album Rarities Volume I & Volume II
. The acoustic version was also included on the box set Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
. A live version, recorded on November 27, 2000 was released on the 2003 live album Live at the Royal Albert Hall
.
covered "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" on their 1996 album Green Fields in Daylight. Petra Haden
covered the song on her 2005 album Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
. Opal Butterfly
covered the song on the multi-artist compilation album What's the Rush, Time Machine Man? Psychedelic Jumble, Vol. 1 Chris Richards covered the song on the Who tribute album Who's Not Forgotten: FDR's Tribute to the Who.
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and first released on The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's 1967 album The Who Sell Out
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
, and subsequently on several Who compilation albums. The song has a Latin-influenced melody and ambiguous lyrics that have been subject to a variety of interpretations. The song has been released in several different versions, sometimes under the title "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hands." It has also been covered by a number of other artists, including The Nils
The Nils
The Nils was a Canadian power pop and punk rock band originating in Montreal, Quebec which produced several releases between 1978 and 1994.The band was founded in 1978 by then 12-year old Alex Soria with his brother Carlos Soria. The band never achieved widespread fame despite critical success and...
, Petra Haden
Petra Haden
Petra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,...
, Opal Butterfly
Opal Butterfly
Opal Butterfly were an English, late 1960s band, from London. The band featured Simon King and, for a short time, Lemmy, who met again in Hawkwind. Further members were Robert C...
and Chris Richards.
Lyrics and music
Unlike many Who songs from the 1960s, "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" is a song that up to a point fits the typical pop songPop Song
Pop Song is the first single by the Drugs. It was released in 2000 and earned the Drugs some positive press. It has been described as "addictive". A live version was released on The Only Way Is Up...
convention of praising a pretty girl. However, although the song states that Mary Anne is pretty, indeed "the prettiest in the land," the song does not provide any description of her appearance. Rather, the song focuses on Mary Anne's hand tremor. The reason Mary Anne's hands are always moving is not explicitly stated. One possibility is that Mary Anne has some affliction. Alternatively, the song has been interpreted as a song about masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
, which author Chris Charlesworth would describe as The Who's "second great song about masturbation" after the band's 1967 single "Pictures of Lily
Pictures of Lily
"Pictures of Lily" is a single by the British rock band The Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. It was released in 1967 as a single, and made the top five in the UK, but failed to break into the top 50 in the United States....
." Rock authors Steve Grantley and Alan Parker suggested that the reason for the shaky hands can be inferred from the lines "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hands / What they've done to a man, those shaky hands." Rolling Stone Magazine praised the "barely-beneath-the-surface humor of the lyric."
"Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" has an attractive flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
-influenced melody, described by Allmusic's Mark Deming as "charming" and "a tune you couldn't forget even if you tried." Author John Atkins describes the song as being a "delightful pop song in the Everly Brothers mold." Charlesworth suggested that regardless of the lyrics, the song "would have been a winner on melody alone." Instrumentation on the version of the song on The Who Sell Out includes Latin-style acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
playing from Townshend and drum breaks by Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
. Grantley and Parker describe the vocals as a cross between The Mamas and the Papas and Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
. This version was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios
De Lane Lea Studios
De Lane Lea Studios is a recording studio, currently based in Dean Street, Soho, London, England, UK. Although the studios have mainly been used for dubbing feature films and television programmes, major artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink...
in London in late October 1967.
An alternative version was recorded at Mirasound Studios in New York using electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
rather than acoustic guitar. This version also features an organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
solo from Al Kooper
Al Kooper
Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...
. Grantley and Parker describe this version as having a "gentle atmosphere." On this version, lead vocalist Roger Daltry employs a tremolo
Tremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
effect on the word "shaky," giving that word a "shaky" feel. A mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
mix of the electric version of the song was used as the B-side of the "I Can See for Miles
I Can See For Miles
"I Can See for Miles" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album, The Who Sell Out. It was the only song from the album to be released as a single, on 14 October 1967...
" single in the US. A stereo mix of this version was also included on the 1998 remastered version of the Odds and Sods
Odds and Sods
Odds & Sods is an album that consists of studio outtakes and rarities by British rock band The Who released by Track Records in the UK and Track/MCA in the US in 1974....
album.
Other appearances
"Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" was also used as the b-side of the "Magic BusMagic Bus (song)
"Magic Bus" is a song written by Pete Townshend at the time of My Generation in 1965, but not recorded by The Who until 1968. It is one of the band's most popular songs and has been a concert staple. The record reached #26 in the United Kingdom and #25 in the United States.The song's arrangement...
" single in Norway. It has also been included on several compilation albums. The acoustic version was included on the 1968 compilation album Direct Hits
Direct Hits
Direct Hits is the first U.K. compilation album released by The Who. It collects singles, B-sides, and album tracks originally recorded for Reaction Records and Track Records between 1966 and 1968. Original U.K. issues of this album were released in both stereo and mono versions. The album was...
. The electric version was included on the 1985 compilation album Who's Missing
Who's Missing (album)
Who's Missing is a compilation of rare and previously unreleased songs by The Who. Its second part Two's Missing was released on 11 April 1987.-Track listing:Side one#"Shout and Shimmy" – 3:18...
. It was also included on the 1994 compilation album Rarities Volume I & Volume II
Rarities Volume I & Volume II
Rarities Volume I & Volume II is a two-album series collecting songs by The Who, released in 1983 on Polydor in the UK.The very first release in this series was a single LP titled "Join Together" issued by Polydor in Australia and New Zealand in the late 1970s...
. The acoustic version was also included on the box set Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B is a box set by British rock band, The Who released by Polydor Records internationally and by MCA Records in the US; since 2003, it has been issued in America by Geffen Records...
. A live version, recorded on November 27, 2000 was released on the 2003 live album Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Live at the Royal Albert Hall (The Who album)
Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a three-CD live album set by The Who, released in 2003.Discs one and two were recorded on 27 November 2000 and consist of John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Zak Starkey, and John "Rabbit" Bundrick performing a concert at the Royal Albert Hall for the...
.
Cover versions
The NilsThe Nils
The Nils was a Canadian power pop and punk rock band originating in Montreal, Quebec which produced several releases between 1978 and 1994.The band was founded in 1978 by then 12-year old Alex Soria with his brother Carlos Soria. The band never achieved widespread fame despite critical success and...
covered "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" on their 1996 album Green Fields in Daylight. Petra Haden
Petra Haden
Petra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,...
covered the song on her 2005 album Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out is an album by Petra Haden, an entirely a cappella interpretation of The Who's classic album The Who Sell Out. Haden supplies all of the vocals. Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out was released in 2005 on Bar None Records...
. Opal Butterfly
Opal Butterfly
Opal Butterfly were an English, late 1960s band, from London. The band featured Simon King and, for a short time, Lemmy, who met again in Hawkwind. Further members were Robert C...
covered the song on the multi-artist compilation album What's the Rush, Time Machine Man? Psychedelic Jumble, Vol. 1 Chris Richards covered the song on the Who tribute album Who's Not Forgotten: FDR's Tribute to the Who.