| Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| I think TheToner's interpretation is great! Great poets like Lightfoot unconsciously imbed several layers of meaning in their work. While he was writing something deeply personal (of which the narrative in Sundown is) the universality of the allure and awful consequences of alcohol abuse emerged as well. Where have all the good song writers gone? | |
| Gordon Lightfoot – Summer Side Of Life Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I think this is definitely a sad homage to a soldier's innocence vs.experience in the Vietnam war. He came down through fields of green On the summer side of life His love was ripe ---the "field" is a battlefield --"green" is a word used to describe someone who lacks experience --"summer" represents youth -- the "love" that was "ripe" the patriotism and loyalty toward his country and his eagerness to contribute in an important way; the "love" could be toward the enemy whom the U.S. had hoped to win the hearts and minds of There was no illusions --the soldier felt the war was noble and righteous perhaps There was young girls everywhere On the summer side of life They talked all night --"young girls" who are equally inexperienced who wait at home --"talk" about the sadness and pride of his endeavor and plans for the future He came down through fields of green On the summer side of life He prayed all night --once faced with the realities and brutality of war, the young man just "prays" to finish his tour of duty with his life Then he walked into a house Where love had been misplaced His chance to waste --the "house" could be a village hut occupied by Viet Cong--or even civilians--or the dwelling place of the enemy who hates "love...misplaced" the soldier --to "waste" is to kill, perhaps for his own survival, perhaps for revenge, perhaps because the mission (seek and destroy) calls for it (he cleaned "house") And if you saw him now You'd wonder why he would cry The whole day long --he cries "the whole day long" not literally but the experience has definitely changed him; perhaps he mourns for his innocence lost from taking human life, perhaps he participated in a massacre, perhaps he mourns for the 52,000 + soldiers who died in Vietnam, perhaps feels betrayed by some of our nations elders who created the "illusion" that the war was noble and necessary. The crying could be PTSD he suffers from since his return home because of the horrors experienced in war. And if you saw him now You'd wonder why --no one really understands him, they "wonder why" he cries |
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