When the Commodores said she was three times a lady - General Discussion Discussion

[–] capuchin (3366) 5 months ago

Not sure. I can think of a few options:

1. Lionel Richie assessed the lady's value to him as that of three other ladies. He'll only trade her in for four women. Or maybe three women and a bottle of wine.

2. She suffers from dissociative personality disorder.

3. She's very large.

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

These are exactly the kinds of thoughts I was looking for and all are equally valid. I seem to remember though, lead singer Lionel wearing some unusually large glasses around the time this song was sung. Do you think he could have had a vision disorder that caused him to see in triplicate?

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[–] capuchin (3366) 5 months ago

Entirely plausible.

'You're once, twice, threeeeee times a ladyyyy
and you're sitting on three chairs'

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

It's also possible that he briefly suffered from a form of short-term amnesia and kept thinking he was meeting her for the first time, when in fact he met her thrice.

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[–] capuchin (3366) 5 months ago

Conjoined triplets?

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

I'm so glad there's someone here whose brain works like mine. 😅

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[–] db20db (17754) 5 months ago

It's simply an embellished expression of his high regard for her, no different than if one man humbly said of another, "He's twice the man I am!"

Love The Commodores, btw, a favorite group from that era.

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

I love the Commodores, too, so much that I played their CD constantly in the car when my children were little. My 1-year-old son eventually started asking me to play this song, which he called "Tice" (twice).

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[–] db20db (17754) 5 months ago

In the same vein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8G4xrYfWmw

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

And both Lionel and Tom sing their songs in such a way you know that lady is pretty darn special, whether she's multiplied times one or three.

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[–] Moonglum9 (11340) 5 months ago

I suppose that the lady in question may have originally been a man, transitioned to being a woman, changed his mind and transitioned to being a man again, changed his mind again and underwent the surgery to become a woman again, and then repeated that cycle one more time. Maybe.

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

Well they say anything's possible.

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[–] SOteric (185) 5 months ago

Lionel Richie wrote the song for his dying mother. This is why he says, "Now that we've come to the end of our rainbow."

The phrase "three times a lady" was used by his father in a tribute speech at a "final family gathering" before his mother's death.

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[–] db20db (17754) 5 months ago

Great insight! Makes perfect sense.

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

Although this thread was in jest due to the uncommon phrase used in the title, as a long time Commodores fan it's interesting to learn the actual background story. Thank you.

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[–] nyctc7 (44107) 5 months ago

"At a party to celebrate his parents' 37th wedding anniversary, Richie's father toasted his mother, Alberta, saying 'She's a great lady, she's a great mother, and she's a great friend.' The toast inspired Richie to write a waltz, 'Three Times a Lady,' which he dedicated to his wife, Brenda."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Times_a_Lady

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[–] ShogunofYonkers (78598) 5 months ago

That’s very sweet.

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[–] db20db (17754) 5 months ago

That kicks it up a notch, makes even more sense.

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[–] AmeriGirl26 (15113) 5 months ago

There are many lyrics to old songs I don't understand either. Sometimes you can get cultural insights into some songs, but that one? Not sure.

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

I am a music lover and enjoy playing with lyrics. Warning: This may not be the last thread of this kind. 😁

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[–] nyctc7 (44107) 5 months ago

It's "Fee Tines a Mady"
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d01zo3-8fj8

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

I didn't even have to pull this one up to know what it was. 😂🤣

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[–] AmeriGirl26 (15113) 5 months ago

Me too!!!! I love "The Best of Eddie Murphy!" :D

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[–] Mrmojo4700 (21718) 5 months ago

Then “workin pa nub in all the wong places.”

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[–] jriley555 (8551) 5 months ago

'She' was one of those extremely rare cases of conjoined triplets.

Pronouns : they/their/they're/them

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

Or conjoined twins plus a visiting friend of the family, or conjoined quadruplets one of whom pretended not to be there.

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[–] mikethemartian (7000) 5 months ago

Her measurements were 108-72-108.

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[–] fourlemons (3625) 5 months ago

You my new friend win the gold star for Commodores knowledge! If I had been going for an absolute right answer this one would have been it.

Three times the measurements of the lady in the Commodores' Brick House. Brilliant! 🎉

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