| Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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I think sidebeard's done an unquestionably indepth job of the analysis. In short i feel this song talks about the nature of sexual possession. The jealousy, passion, impulse, anger, resentment, gratitude and love that surround physical relationships.I think Cohen looks at this (i seem to think autobiographical) episode in a rather liberated manner. He speaks in favour of liberating the mind...and not trying to possess everything you love. This view is probably a result of his reflections on the jane incident. inspite of this bohemian outlook...i sense a pain, and forced acceptance in the tome of the song. This is what Cohen had to say about the song when it was still new: Frankfurt, May 6, 1970 ---------------------- [After the second verse, Cohen plays a bad chord.] I wrote this in New York, you know. And I really mean this one because this is... [another bad chord] Where IS that on the guitar? [audience laughs and applauds] Sometimes the guitar mutinies, you know. The rebelling of the guitar... [plays the chord correctly]. Yeah, that's right. No, this is a song that I really wrote recently. You've heard two-thirds of it. And it really is not merciful to a song to interrupt it with a discourse on its creation, but this is one of those songs that I really mean. And it's against the greatest tyranny that I myself experience. I feel many kinds of tyrannies from every... Almost every time men group themselves together, I flash [?] on their tyranny. But this is not a government, this is a tyranny I feel myself which is the possession of women, and woman's possession of man. And I know those chains have to be broken before anything happens. All the manifestos and all the demonstrations will change nothing until we stop enslaving each other, especially within the sexual embrace. [sings third verse] (this transcript was taken from http://alaska.magpage.com/~gm/LC-ng-90-95/1011.htm, from a post by rmura@world.std.com (Ron Mura) 25 Mar 1991) |
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| Emmylou Harris – To Daddy (Dolly Parton cover) Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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This song speaks very simply and beautifully, about a woman flight to freedom, breaking through chains, and giving up her past for her future.But the way the story is told is marvellously indirect. The characters in the story never express their emotions directly to you. It is always through someone else's point of view that you imagine the story. It is obviously narrated by the daughter of son of the main character. the woman's actual emotions are never revealed from her point of view. In terms of language and words used there is no overdose of emotion or melodrama, but a quiet understated gently poignant tone tells the story. The use of this sort of third person narrative is wonderfully effective in making the listener think about what the protagonist must actually be going through. It doesn't forcefeed the story to the listener, but encourages the listener to find thier own ways to the meaning, eventually making the song a more personal experience for each on of us. The restrained tone of the language, is complemented beautifully by emmylou's voice, which provides the soulfulness, brings out the nuances and leaves me always, with a lump in my throat. Mama, of course manages to say goodbye...what leaves me pondering the most is the voice of the child. Is the child glad for mama...or is the child grieving the loss of her mama? It sort of mixed, the way I see it. That is why, though i'm cheering Mama's departure and women lib all the way...this nostalgic song leaves me a touch sad for the kids...who describe these events with naivete. The children's emotions are never expressed throughout the song. and it leaves you wondering. now...for an interesting comparison...check out shawn colvin's Sunny Came Home link on this site.Its another song about a woman liberating herself...self discovery plays an important role there too. But she's had a harder/ more traumatic past...and the resolution is violent. |
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| Emmylou Harris – To Daddy (Dolly Parton cover) Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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This song speaks very simply and beautifully, about a woman flight to freedom, breaking through chains, and giving up her past for her future.But the way the story is told is marvellously indirect. The characters in the story never express their emotions directly to you. It is always through someone else's point of view that you imagine the story. It is obviously narrated by the daughter of son of the main character. the woman's actual emotions are never revealed from her point of view. In terms of language and words used there is no overdose of emotion or melodrama, but a quiet understated gently poignant tone tells the story. The use of this sort of third person narrative is wonderfully effective in making the listener think about what the protagonist must actually be going through. It doesn't forcefeed the story to the listener, but encourages the listener to find thier own ways to the meaning, eventually making the song a more personal experience for each on of us. The restrained tone of the language, is complemented beautifully by emmylou's voice, which provides the soulfulness, brings out the nuances and leaves me always, with a lump in my throat. Mama, of course manages to say goodbye...what leaves me pondering the most is the voice of the child. Is the child glad for mama...or is the child grieving the loss of her mama? It sort of mixed, the way I see it. That is why, though i'm cheering Mama's departure and women lib all the way...this nostalgic song leaves me a touch sad for the kids...who describe these events with naivete. The children's emotions are never expressed throughout the song. and it leaves you wondering. now...for an interesting comparison...check out shawn colvin's Sunny Came Home link on this site.Its another song about a woman liberating herself...self discovery plays an important role there too. But she's had a harder/ more traumatic past...and the resolution is violent. |
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| Emmylou Harris – To Daddy (Dolly Parton cover) Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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This song speaks very simply and beautifully, about a woman flight to freedom, breaking through chains, and giving up her past for her future.But the way the story is told is marvellously indirect. The characters in the story never express their emotions directly to you. It is always through someone else's point of view that you imagine the story. It is obviously narrated by the daughter of son of the main character. the woman's actual emotions are never revealed from her point of view. In terms of language and words used there is no overdose of emotion or melodrama, but a quiet understated gently poignant tone tells the story. The use of this sort of third person narrative is wonderfully effective in making the listener think about what the protagonist must actually be going through. It doesn't forcefeed the story to the listener, but encourages the listener to find thier own ways to the meaning, eventually making the song a more personal experience for each on of us. The restrained tone of the language, is complemented beautifully by emmylou's voice, which provides the soulfulness, brings out the nuances and leaves me always, with a lump in my throat. Mama, of course manages to say goodbye...what leaves me pondering the most is the voice of the child. Is the child glad for mama...or is the child grieving the loss of her mama? It sort of mixed, the way I see it. That is why, though i'm cheering Mama's departure and women lib all the way...this nostalgic song leaves me a touch sad for the kids...who describe these events with naivete. The children's emotions are never expressed throughout the song. and it leaves you wondering. now...for an interesting comparison...check out shawn colvin's Sunny Came Home link on this site.Its another song about a woman liberating herself...self discovery plays an important role there too. But she's had a harder/ more traumatic past...and the resolution is violent. |
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| Shawn Colvin – Sunny Came Home Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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My interpretation is based on the lyrics as well as the cd cover illustration. the picture on the cd cover, is very interesting, its surreal. there is a woman holding a lit match facing the eye of the artist/viewer and the background is a flaming horizon. the scene is an open countryside. the woman's face is strangely overtly distorted, it has three eyes. It suggests a grotesqueness, not ugly but disturbing...brought on by abuse, or suffering. I'm no raving feminist, but this song is an ageold woman's cry for justice and liberation. And the presence of a third eye suggests an unusual level of insight into a situation. Inspite of the fact that the words 'I don't know why' are of repeated...there seems to an inner clarity that has dawned on Sunny, which drives her to freedom. In this context, I'd like to add that there is another song by Emmylou Harris 'To Daddy' where the protagonist, seeks her liberation in a different way. According to me both Sunny and this protagonist of the song 'To Daddy', share a similar sort of country/small town life where they are victims of different degrees of sexism and bigotry. What I love about both is the optimism, and self discovery that lead both women to find their own kind of wings. enjoy the song, and strum along if you will. TO DADDY Emmy Lou Harris G MAMA NEVER SEEMED, TO MISS THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE D IF SHE DID, SHE NEVER DID SAY SO TO DADDY SHE NEVER WANTED TO BE MORE, THAN A MOTHER AND A WIFE G IF SHE DID, SHE NEVER DID SAY SO TO DADDY THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMED TO BE IMPORTANT IN HER LIFE G7 C WAS TO MAKE OUR HOUSE A HOME AND MAKE US HAPPY G MAMA NEVER WANTED, ANYMORE THAN WHAT SHE HAD D G IF SHE DID, SHE NEVER DID SAY SO TO DADDY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ G HE OFTEN LEFT HER ALL ALONE, SHE DIDN'T MIND THE STAYING HOME D IF SHE DID, SHE NEVER DID SAY SO TO DADDY AND SHE NEVER MISSED THE FLOWERS AND THE CARDS HE NEVER SENT HER G IF SHE DID, SHE NEVER DID SAY SO TO DADDY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ G BEING TOOK FOR GRANTED, WAS A THING THAT SHE ACCEPTED C AND SHE DIDN'T NEED THOSE THINGS TO MAKE HER HAPPY G AND SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO NOTICE, THAT HE DIDN'T KISS AND HOLD HER D G IF SHE DID, SHE NEVER DID SAY SO TO DADDY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ C ONE MORNING WE AWOKE, JUST TO FIND A NOTE D MAMA'D CAREFULLY WROTE AND LEFT TO DADDY C AND AS WE BEGAN TO READ IT, OUR EARS COULD NOT BELIEVE IT D THE WORDS SHE HAD WRITTEN THERE TO DADDY G SHE SAID THE KIDS ARE OLDER NOW THEY DON'T NEED ME VERY MUCH G7 C AND I'VE GONE IN SEARCH OF LOVE I NEED SO BADLY G I HAVE NEEDED YOU SO LONG, BUT I JUST CAN'T KEEP HOLDIN' ON SHE NEVER MEANT TO COME BACK HOME D C IF SHE DID, SHE NEVER DID SAY SO TO DADDY G GOODBYE TO DADDY |
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