I've always thought of this song as Lewis Carroll thinking about Alice Liddel. It's part of a musical Tom Waits wrote about Alice in Wonderland, I think, and it makes some sense. The "arithmetic" part could be a reference to Dogdson's career as a mathematician. Later on the CD, Alice replies in "I'm Still Here." A lot of the images are the same. The frozen pond and the broken watch, for example.
I remember reading somewhere that Alice Liddell gave a speech on Lewis Carroll and in it she mentioned that he would go ice skating with her and one time he fell and broke his watch. Makes sense when you look at the pair of songs, and the "arithmetok" thing. There seems to be a fascination with time, maybe because of the age difference. And "Wait for me" sounds like something a lover would say. As in "Wait until you're old enough."
I don't know if this makes sense or not. But the song really feels a lot like Charles' Dogdson's obsession with Alice. It's a wonderful song.
"And by tracing it twice / I fell through the ice / of Alice..."
I have to stop whatever I'm doing whenever this song comes on. Waits' imagery is haunting yet magical here. It took a while for me to really get into Waits, but I'm a true fan now. This song I think displays a high point in his song-writing abilities.
Its dreamy song were on. So beautiful. One of his best songs imo. Its so good it sounds like it could be an old classic from the 40's. Comparable to Louis Armstrong.
"How did the razor find my throat?" - At first I assumed that this meant a razor cutting a throat, but I've been thinking it could be referring to shaving; as in somehow finding motivation to continuine performing mundane tasks like shaving even though he's going through a deep state of depression.
Any thoughts?
This song is about obsession/paedophilia and yes the Dodgson (aka Lewis Carrol) / Alice Liddell affair is the vehicle we travel in. ' To go skating on your name And by tracing it twice' is an obvious metaphor for writing the 2 books Alice (in wonderland) and Alice (through the looking glass). 'The only strings that hold me here Are tangled up around the pier' tell us his obsession is unconsumated because of taboo. 'A murder of silhouette, crows I saw' Waits brilliantly paints the landscape parralleling his own demise with the totally correct collective noun for the carion bird . Is this also a metaphor for Dodgson the photographer (all black and white in those days) or maybe Dodgson the deacon. The crows being the black garb of his associates, priests carrion to his soul perhaps? So where does Waits go to when he falls through the ice in Al ICE's name. Well Alice goes to Wonderland when she falls down the rabbit hole but I think Waits here goes to Dreamland. You know the place in Coney Island where TableTop Joe hangs out. It is after all dreamy weather we are on.
...riiight. :|
Anyway, this is a really amazing song of lost love. Great lyrics.
oh the mood I get in listening to this song,,,,!
The album of ALice is was actually written (the musci was) for a German play about Charles Dogdson aka Lewis Caroll, and his pedapheliac lust for Alice Liddell. This song in perticular is startsthe theatricle play with Dodgsen recalling and longing for Liddell.
People who focus on the inspiration of Lewis Carroll/Alice Liddell as a primary narrative objective for this album completely miss the point. This album is not about paedophilia; Alice is representative of any person who will not or cannot requite the love of the narrator (who is presumably as ambiguous as he is as to allow transference for the listener). Alice is whatever the listener dearly yearns for but cannot attain--not merely that kid that Lewis Carroll liked.
People who focus on the inspiration of Lewis Carroll/Alice Liddell as a primary narrative objective for this album completely miss the point. This album is not about paedophilia; Alice is representative of any person who will not or cannot requite the love of the narrator (who is presumably as ambiguous as he is as to allow transference for the listener). Alice is whatever the listener dearly yearns for but cannot attain--not merely that kid that Lewis Carroll liked.
well, at least, i'd hate to think he did. it would be like finding out that someone you've always considered flawless is only human...euch. none of that. anyway, i'm ranting. i'll stop now haha
I really have nothing relevant to add except in my own opinion this is Waits' best song. The atmosphere is haunting and majestic. Also Tom's lyrics are entrancing.