# The term "hair like hollow gold" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510 "2008-10-05T01:42:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/1 "2008-10-05T01:42:57Z")
In various songs, I’ve hear the term “hollow gold” applied to hair. That, or a term very like it. What does this mean? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/2 "2008-10-05T01:47:48Z")
Hallowed gold. As in sacred, beautiful and revered. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/3 "2008-10-05T01:52:22Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/4 "2008-10-05T02:31:52Z")
Yeah, Jean Harlow. One of three actresses to get a mention in the song. > [@](#): > > Her hair is Harlow gold > Her lips sweet surprise > Her hands are never cold > She’s got Bette Davis eyes > […] > She got Greta Garbo stand off sighs > She’s got Bette Davis eyes ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/5 "2008-10-05T03:10:13Z")
[Jean Harlow](http://stealtheirstyle.co.uk/classic%20stars/Jean%20Harlow%20make-up.htm) Harlow gold, btw, isn’t actually gold, it’s platinum blond. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/6 "2008-10-05T05:21:41Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > [Jean Harlow](http://stealtheirstyle.co.uk/classic%20stars/Jean%20Harlow%20make-up.htm) > > Harlow gold, btw, isn’t actually gold, it’s platinum blond. That’s a great picture of the young Harlow, but [this](http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i91/clara8000/CELESTE/Annex-HarlowJeanDinneratEight_05.jpg) one might give a better idea of “Harlow gold”–i.e., platinum–really looks like. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/7 "2008-10-05T13:31:51Z")
Not 80’s Pop, Celtic music.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/8 "2008-10-05T13:40:19Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > 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? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/9 "2008-10-05T13:48:13Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/10 "2008-10-05T14:51:33Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Not 80’s Pop, Celtic music.:dubious: 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”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/11 "2008-10-05T15:05:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/12 "2008-10-06T02:01:33Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/13 "2008-10-06T02:29:53Z")
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”. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/14 "2008-10-06T21:27:30Z")
There’s the rub. 3 dozen CDs, no index. Ouchie. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/15 "2008-10-06T22:17:31Z")
I don’t suppose it’s possible you misheard “yellow gold”? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/16 "2008-10-06T22:36:12Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-term-hair-like-hollow-gold/466510/17 "2008-10-07T00:10:36Z")
She’s got Marty Feldman Eyes…