In various songs, I’ve hear the term “hollow gold” applied to hair.
That, or a term very like it.
What does this mean?
Hallowed gold. As in sacred, beautiful and revered.
If you’re referring to the song “Bette Davis Eyes,” it’s Harlow gold, not hollow gold. Meaning, I presume, hair the color of Jean Harlow’s.
Yeah, Jean Harlow. One of three actresses to get a mention in the song.
Harlow gold, btw, isn’t actually gold, it’s platinum blond.
That’s a great picture of the young Harlow, but this one might give a better idea of “Harlow gold”–i.e., platinum–really looks like.
Not 80’s Pop, Celtic music.:dubious:
Well, there was a certain lack of specificity in your OP. Can you give us a little context?
Typical songs, praising a lady’s beauty.
If you’ve got a particular song in mind, it would be helpful to say so. As best as I can tell from Google, the phrase “hollow gold” has only ever been used in one song, by a band I’ve never heard of called Katatonia: “I have sold my soul, I traded it for hollow gold.” Every other song lyric hit on the phrase is a mistranscription of the lyrics to “Bette Davis Eyes”.
I’ve never seen the phrase in pre-1960s folk songs.* I’ve never come across the equivalent of “hollow gold” in any Celtic-language material (and they talk a lot about gold in the medieval stuff). Or “hallowed gold,” for that matter.
*Or post-1960s, for that matter, but I meant pre-folk-revival / pre-singer/songwriter English-language “Celtic” music.
ETA: I’ve never heard of Katatonia either. Apparently they’re Swedish. Catatonia, now, they’re Celtic music.
I’ve got a couple of sites on Celtic songs up–can you tell me which songs, or give me a few lines of the lyrics?
I’m curious too. I play Irish music (flute and whistles) and iTunes says I have over 2000 various Irish, scottish, breton and other celtic songs but I have never heard the phrase “hollow gold”.
There’s the rub. 3 dozen CDs, no index.
Ouchie.
I don’t suppose it’s possible you misheard “yellow gold”?
Until today I had always thought the Kim Carnes song lyric was “hollow gold,” and I always assumed it meant “beautiful but empty,” that is to say, no brains.
She’s got Marty Feldman Eyes…