| Richard Thompson – Gethsemane Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I did some research on the web and came across an interview that Richard Thompson did for the BBC. He was asked a number of questions by a group of people (maybe an audience). One of the questioners asked about the meaning of Gethsemane. Thompson replied that it could be any city, written about anyone. The remainder of his short answer made me think he was downplaying his reply and, in effect, saying "figure it out for yourself." In the song, Gethsemane is not a town, but is located some distance from a town center. The song lyrics carry the listener through the subject's brief life and the children and adults he deals with, hitting a few "high spots" that parallel the Biblical stories. | |
| Richard Thompson – Gethsemane Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Screed is right on the mark with his/her analysis. The name Gethsemane lets us know that this song is about Jesus growing up in a fierce environment, which we know only gets worse as the precious few years wear on. Richard Thompson puts the description of the land and people in modern British slang to throw the listener off the track and in effect create doubt that the song is really about Jesus. Thompson's phrasing turns the mirror on us, an interesting technique to produce the feelings of doubt expressed by Jesus only a short time later on Golgotha. The music driving Gethsemane 'home' is every bit as powerful as the lyrics. |
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