| Suzanne Vega – The Queen And The Soldier Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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The word soldier appears in several songs troughout the album. It seems to be a symbol or allegory for three things; - Someone who is trying to achieve something and has to struggle (doesn't have to mean literally "fight"). - A man trying to gain a woman's love. In all cases that this symbolism is being used, the woman is Suzanne herself. - It seems to refer in a rather vulgar way to a phallus, a penis. For anybody, who hasn't yet noticed, an erect penis has got something that looks like a helmet on top. These three explanations could mean all three at once, when the word is being used. In that way she can refer to a man who tries to seduce her, being a cock !!! Quite subtle. In this song the queen is Suzanne herself. The soldier is just another guy, trying to be her lover or partner (I want to live as an honest man, to get all I deserve, and to give all I can). He wants an honest relationship. It seems to me that Suzanne gets mixed up in her own symbolism, and in some way the song loses coherency - at least so it seems to me (I hope this doesn't sound too arrogant). Thinking of the more vulgar part in the symbolism, the following lines are quite crude: "Down the long narrow hall he was led Into her room with her tapestries red." The penis was led down the long narrow hall, into her room ("room" resembles the sound of the word "whomb") With her tapestries red... Genitals can turn red (instead of pinkish) in state of arousement. Red is the color of certain districts. There are a lot of associations to "red tapestries". When you get the symbolism, it isn't quite such a sweet, innocent song... it's quite rude, almost exhibitionistic. In the song she is constantly trying to get men into her life, and is constantly rejecting them - will leave them trying to fight for her. One of the "soldiers" is tired of fighting for her (love) and asks her bluntly wether she can be truthful. She now knows her cover is blown (the crown, it has fallen..), and she can choose for the person to be a real partner, or she can reject him and stay single but will be losing herself in brief "affairs". She chooses to reject him (the soldier was killed..) and stay single (strangling in the solitude she preferred...). And the battle continued on... Quite a rude and exhibistionistic song. But on the other hand, amazingly brave,... There are not a lot of women who dare to show these feelings. Who dare to admit, they are playing games and suffer themselves, playing those games, but somehow can't change their ways. I love Suzanne for being so brave, and at the same time being dishonest. Despite the hidden rudeness within the the lyrics, the song still sounds charming, like a fairytale...to me at least. It's got such a genltle, charming feeling in it like most of the other songs on the same album... but Suzanne ain't no angel, on the other hand, who is...?? |
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| Suzanne Vega – The Queen And The Soldier Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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@[rosie989:18820] The soldier is a guy who wants her affection. The queen, being Suzanne herself rejects him... she does not literarry kill him. Suzanne is telling people with this story, she has got too many lovers. The one person who really tries to reach out to her and start a proper relantionship gets rejected... That's what the song is about. |
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| Bob Dylan – All Along the Watchtower Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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This may sound funny but to my opinion this famous song is about doubt and being trapped in a kind of role. Dylan seems to doubt his own integrity in songwriting. He just wonders if he really means what he is reciting on the stage. He feels trapped in the role of protestsinger and a kind of activist. Both because the audience expects him to act and write so and so, but probably more important; his managers, recordcompanies expect him to act like the idealist he always was. Who's the joker and who's the thief? Dylan is both of them, acting the way he does, he gets his money, but he doubts his integrity to the songs. In that way he is a kind of thief. The joker is of course an entertainer. Dylan feels that way, acting like he is expected to do. The joker in older times was the personal entertainer of the king. But the joker had a special role; he was the only person who could express critisism to the king - if he did that with caution of course. Dylan had some harsh lyrics about government and politics. So the joker would be just an entertainer, just making some kind of theatre and on the other hand he is the one who is privileged to have critisism to authorities. Other issues in the song; Businessmen....just means businessmen (managers). Plowmen...might be fellowmusicians, interpreting his songs. Barefoot servants...barefoot might mean "bound to die", servants would mean, admierers, fans. The watchtower might be a stage. (Think of Neil Youngs album cover on "Time Fades Away" it isn't that far-fetched) If this is true then the wildcat might be an electric guitar, yelling. The two riders approaching... that will be the joker and the thief, So it's Dylan himself and talking to himself: "There must be some way out of here" while his car moves on to the site where he will be performing. The howling of the wind will be the howling of the audience, that is already there. Wind also is related to public opinion (remember the howling of the crowd when Dylan was called Judas, when he was performing). The song might be much more down-to-earth as one might expect. |
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