Carly Simon
Lyric guide

Memorial Day

Read Memorial Day lyrics by Carly Simon on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Carly Simon visibility1 visits Video on page
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Carly Simon Canonical path: /carly-simon/memorial-day Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Memorial Day

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

It should have been so soft

This morning as we left

But the valley was infected

By a different kind of beauty

And the Indians they knew

It was a devil's sanctuary

Out of this unholy dawn

A car came stirring up the sand

And a woman from a passion play

Held up the limousine that brought me

All this way today

And I didn't need to turn around so strong

Was the message

And the man who planned her life

Commanded all that followed

Well they bellowed, and they hollered

And they threw each other down

Down in this valley

This cruel and lovely valley

Oh it should have been an alley

In some low down part of town

As the lights came up

There was no sun

And brandy splattered all over the ground

As this woman with her head held high

Yelled love and why oh why

You're killing me, oh follow me

As I watched safe and clean

From the frosted windows of my limousine

Well they bellowed and they hollered

And they threw each other down

Down in this valley

This cruel and lovely valley

Oh it should have been an alley

In some low down part of town

Before he'd been so funny

Imagining the best

That he'd escape recrimination

For abandoning the nest

He'd been joking and stoned

While he was entertaining me

But then turned and was stunned

By her panic and her misery

And I was in the get-away car

Giving him a chance, to get away

Get away, get away

And how the valley smoked

As he crossed Route 25

With his cymbals and his shattered crown

Leaving all alone

His eyes fixed on the ground

And he didn't need turn around so strong

Was the message

And he fell into the shallow sky

And was swallowed

Well they bellowed and they hollered

And they threw each other down

Down in this valley

This cruel and lovely valley

Well it should have been an alley

In some low down part of town

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Memorial Day"?

Carly Simon performs "Memorial Day", and this lyric page sits inside the Carly Simon catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Memorial Day"?

Yes. The related section below points to You're So Vain and The Right Thing To Do with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Carly Simon?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Carly Simon's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Memorial Day yet.