| Dar Williams – When Sal's Burned Down Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think this song is a real hidden gem of Dar's (and one of my favorites)! Okay, this song is not only great at the surface (both lyrically and melodically) but it has a transcending value that goes way beyond the surface of her words. On the surface; Dar sings of a real bar where, years ago, she and her friends would spend many nights having fun. The bar was eventually burned to the ground by its owner, Sal, for the insurance money (perhaps to pay back a loan to the ‘Mob’). Although she is angry “…and Sal, you slime ball sell-out”, she forgives this act “…how can we blame you? We all want something to put our fingers on.” But Dar stays focused on the loss of the bar and ends the song with a statement that she’d trade her fame and fortune to have it all the way it once was. This song is a memory and (like most memories) the snapshot Dar describes is of an innocent time, where nothing bad happened and young people were trying to find their own identities “There wasn’t anyone trying to sell their souls they were only trying to buy them back.” Dar also illustrates a very intelligent use of word-play. “… and you never know the true throne that you’ve lost ‘til the vinyl barstools are gone.” I love the clicky way that this string of words sounds “the-true-throne-that-you’ve-lost”! Dar uses “vinyl barstools” instead of “final barstools” – I think she is describing how something so simple (vinyl barstools) have become a real symbol of lost innocence. In the final verse she also sings the same clicky word-play with “…once you dip your tin-cup down in the muse’s watering hole” (growing older and more experienced). She uses “expansive terrain” instead of “expensive” which takes the focus from money to the intangible loss of innocence. |
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| Dar Williams – When Sal's Burned Down Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think this song is a real hidden gem of Dar's (and one of my favorites)! Okay, this song is not only great at the surface (both lyrically and melodically) but it has a transcending value that goes way beyond the surface of her words. On the surface; Dar sings of a real bar where, years ago, she and her friends would spend many nights having fun. The bar was eventually burned to the ground by its owner, Sal, for the insurance money (perhaps to pay back a loan to the ‘Mob’). Although she is angry “…and Sal, you slime ball sell-out”, she forgives this act “…how can we blame you? We all want something to put our fingers on.” But Dar stays focused on the loss of the bar and ends the song with a statement that she’d trade her fame and fortune to have it all the way it once was. This song is a memory and (like most memories) the snapshot Dar describes is of an innocent time, where nothing bad happened and young people were trying to find their own identities “There wasn’t anyone trying to sell their souls they were only trying to buy them back.” Dar also illustrates a very intelligent use of word-play. “… and you never know the true throne that you’ve lost ‘til the vinyl barstools are gone.” I love the clicky way that this string of words sounds “the-true-throne-that-you’ve-lost”! Dar uses “vinyl barstools” instead of “final barstools” – I think she is describing how something so simple (vinyl barstools) have become a real symbol of lost innocence. In the final verse she also sings the same clicky word-play with “…once you dip your tin-cup down in the muse’s watering hole” (growing older and more experienced). She uses “expansive terrain” instead of “expensive” which takes the focus from money to the intangible loss of innocence. |
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| David Bowie – The Man Who Sold the World Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I wish I could find the posting of the interpretation I feel best describes what is happening in the song, but I’ll paraphrase from memory. This is what someone wrote a few years ago: It is a song about someone who has committed suicide but doesn’t remember doing it. He is now is a (sort of a) purgatory. While there he meets an old friend who has also taken his own life earlier. We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend Near the eternal stairway to heaven or hell he meets a firend The protagonist was not there during his friends time of need (when he took his life) Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes I thought you died alone, a long long time ago the man still says the protagonist is a friend Finally the protagonist tells his ‘friend’ that he committed suicide long ago Oh no, not me I never lost control You're face to face With The Man Who Sold The World The friend denies the suicide (suicide = loss of control) But knows that he has sold the ‘eternal’ world away I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home I searched a form and land, for years and years I roamed Still not remembering his own suicide he laughs at his ‘friend’s’ incredible naiveté But realizes that something is wrong as he losses all shapes and forms. He realizes he is in an eternal place I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here We must have died alone, a long long time ago He now sees the millions of lost souls who also committed suicide and are still unaware And he fully realizes what has happened Who knows? not me We never lost control You're face to face With the man who sold the world At the end of the Bowie version, the song fades away with what sounds like millions of tortured souls screaming and drifting for eternity never realizing that the sold the world. |
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