01. Angelene
Written by Polly Jean Harvey
Musicians: Polly Jean Harvey, Mick Harvey, John Parish, Rob Ellis, Eric Drew Feldman, Jeremy Hogg, and Joe Gore

Found on:
Is This Desire?
Angelene (Promo)
This Is Love 7"
Playing by Heart (Soundtrack)

Inspired by "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" (JD Salinger). The story is as follows: an old man and a lady are in bed when the old man's friend, Arthur, calls. His wife has yet to come home from a party, and Arthur suspects her of infidelity. So the old man gives Arthur this really long pep talk and assures him his wife will return. Sure enough, she does. The woman Polly talks of in the line "Any man calls, I'll let him in" may be Arthur's wife. Arthur says whenever he thinks of leaving her, he remembers a poem he wrote to her: "Rose my color is and white/Pretty mouth and green my eyes".

Another thing to note is that in the same book of JD Salinger short stories (Nine Stories) the story "For Esme, With Love and Squaler" has the line "Dear God, life is hell" which can be compared to the similar line from this song.

My first name Angelene
Prettiest mess you've ever seen
Love for money is my sin
Any man calls, I'll let him in

Rose is my colour, and white
Pretty mouth, and green my eyes
I see men come and go
But there'll be one who will collect
my soul and come to me

Two thousand miles away
He walks upon the coast
Two thousand miles away
It lays open like a road

Dear God, life ain't kind
People getting born and dying
But I've heard there's joy untold
Lays open like a road in front of me

My first name Angelene