| Jethro Tull – For Michael Collins, Jeffrey, And Me Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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Michael Collins was the NASA astronaut, not the Irish revolutionary! The song is essentially about going to great effort, but failing to achive fulfillment, or about being forced to merely observe important events (personal, historical, whatever), without being able to act. Michael Collins was the third member of the Apollo 11 crew; whilst Armstrong and Aldrin went down to the moon's surface for the first moon landing in 1969, Collins remained in the orbiting command module - all that way, but not quite.... Quite sad, in a way. I think that was the aspect Ian was drawing upon in writing a song of wider significances to his own experiences, Jeffrey's, indeed, anyone's. 'L.E.M' refers to the lunar lander, the 'Lunar Excursion Module'. |
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| Jethro Tull – Cheap Day Return Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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Ian had been visiting his father, seriously ill in hospital in Blackpool. Whilst waiting for a connecting train to London, at Preston station (Lancashire), he sketched this song, about the experience of visiting. He may have been joking, but Ian claimed the song would have been longer, but the train arrived! |
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| Jethro Tull – Aqualung Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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A little more clarification: * Jennie, not Jeannie * There's some doubt about whether she wrote the lyrics, though she does indeed get the credit on the album. She certainly provided the inspiration (she was doing a photographic project about down-and-outs in London), and possibly the character's name, but it's likely Ian wrote the precise lyrics, giving Jennie the credit because of her inspiration, plus as a gesture to his new wife! Returning to the lyrics, I've never thought that Aqualung dies - I think 'rattling last breaths' refers to his laboured breathing, each such a struggle as to be *likened* to a terminal gasp, but not literally. |
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| Jethro Tull – Cross-Eyed Mary Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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GAnthony has it about right; Mary is a 'child prostitute' (to quote Anderson), who is sensible with 'her favours' - a rich man would pay a lot, but a poor man less. No paedophile, though - I see Mary as technically underage, but not actually a child. |
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