| Neil Young – For The Turnstiles Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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nobody has attempted to figure out the first bit so ill take a stab at it and i also tried to figure out the rest of the song sailors with seasick mama's the line sailors with seasick mama's makes me think he's talking about rebellion or revolution i.e. mother's who can't sail with children whose profession it is to sail (revolution blues is another track on this record). Sirens in greek mythology would sing to lure and seduce sailors to them but would actually make them crash on rocks. so maybe he's saying that those who rebel are driven by some sort of glory or payment of some kind, only to be disappointed in the end. also the sirens are singing to pimps with tailors who charge 10 dollars at the door. i take this line to have some political connotations. only the people with power will stay in power and you can't really get anywhere by being a rebel because you still gotta pay your dues to "the man". i think the chorus is about the futility of even trying, maybe neil is coming to the realization that he can't really change anything by making music or commenting on politics or society. after years and years of trying to rebel and raise political and social consciousness he's only learned that none of his attempts matter. i agree with both interpretations of "granite laid"... it doesn't matter if they are statues or if they are under headstones...it doesn't even matter if the parades that are being thrown are for the great explorers because they still aren't around to celebrate. most great revolutionaries or innovators don't live long enough to really understand their full impact or be fully appreciated for what they have done for society. again, after this verse the chorus asks why even try? you aren't going to be around to see the influence of your own work so it doesn't really matter. i don't know about the bushleague batters dying on the diamond that line confounds me. the best i can think of is lying cheating people in any situation, whether they are politicians or plagiarists or whatever, if they have a following of people who buy into what they are doing then when they ultimately and inevitably get exposed for phonies they will be abandoned by those who supported them the most. or alternatively he could be saying that genuinely good talented people who have some type of notoriety can be portrayed very negatively in a public forum and when this happens all their support will flee. the baseball reference in my mind conjures up ideas of a sport that is loved universally in this country but a sport in which a lot of people cheat at (i know absolutely nothing about the dignity of the sport when this song was written). and in that respect he could be saying that the game is rigged from the start. either way this is a very thought provoking song on a very thought provoking album...high five neil |
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