submissions
| Nina Simone – Pirate Jenny Lyrics
| 16 years ago
|
|
Its comforting to imagine that this is only a song. For some people. However imagine for a moment putting yourself in in the position of being a slave or having descended from slaves- would you be able to forgive as the African American community has been asked to do? I think not some how. Nina struggled I think with being acutely aware of her peoples plight and expressing this in lyrics and music. And she had such access to emotion that one only has to listen to her music to realize how complicated and fraught it is to be human. |
submissions
| Nina Simone – Don't Smoke In Bed Lyrics
| 16 years ago
|
|
Nina is singing about knowing her husband is cheating on her. She knows he smokes in bed after sex and has found some evidence to confirm her suspicions. Or it involves a warning about leaving a trail of what you have been up to. To smoke in bed is to leave a butt lying around, to potentially set light the mattress- a metaphor for burning ( and destroying) the matrimonial vow. Her voice carries the tinge of disappointment and regret, bitterness and suppressed anger. But also the message that even if one gets deceived one can still move on and find safer waters- to love again or even marry again (I'll find a hand- in marriage). In some recordings towards the end her voice carries such pathos, such pain one wonders if she has experienced this greatest of betrayals- wonderful really cause otherwise how would she sing such beautiful music? Suffering ain't so bad when its changed into something so memorable. At least for those of us just listening... |
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.
