WOW! Boone, I bow to you, the semen thing was just an idea, but your analysis is much more lucid. I obviously think that the smell represents something major about the meaning of this song.
However, I am willing to admit that it could either be representative of 1) Jolene's father, or 2) a waitressing job or something... which opens me up to additional interpretations. Stale tobacco is a sickly kind of smell... BUT that scent is always ALWAYS THERE!!! YEAH YEAAAAAAAH!
Consider this... "I want to cast your face in lead" - you are so beautiful that I would make a statue out of you... BUT! "I want to throw you down into bed" - this should be obvious to adults! BUT! BUT! What would keep a man from loving a lovely, sexy woman? Her situation? This makes me favor the 'father' interpretation rather than the 'bar waitress' one. (Or my own, of course)
Whatever it is, I am not willing to budge from my point that the smell is the key to the meaning, no matter what it is. Once again, BIG props to boone for an EXCELLENT interpretation. I don't care how much John claims his lyrics are simple, to many (including me) they are modern poetry and thus subject to traditional analysis. Perhaps his forebrain was just thinking about a girl, but the result was art, rife with meaning. In the same way that "Never There" is appliccable both to women and to God/prayer, (for me) this song may have valid, multiple interpretations.
Trying not to be too verbose!!! But I have to add, that, like Skaman, this song has one of the COOLEST guitar riffs EVER!!! The only other band I like that is so country is Lynyrd Skynyrd... and perhaps Meat Puppets (who managed to combine country with punk) (guess that comes from living in Nashville!)
WOW! Boone, I bow to you, the semen thing was just an idea, but your analysis is much more lucid. I obviously think that the smell represents something major about the meaning of this song.
However, I am willing to admit that it could either be representative of 1) Jolene's father, or 2) a waitressing job or something... which opens me up to additional interpretations. Stale tobacco is a sickly kind of smell... BUT that scent is always ALWAYS THERE!!! YEAH YEAAAAAAAH!
Consider this... "I want to cast your face in lead" - you are so beautiful that I would make a statue out of you... BUT! "I want to throw you down into bed" - this should be obvious to adults! BUT! BUT! What would keep a man from loving a lovely, sexy woman? Her situation? This makes me favor the 'father' interpretation rather than the 'bar waitress' one. (Or my own, of course)
Whatever it is, I am not willing to budge from my point that the smell is the key to the meaning, no matter what it is. Once again, BIG props to boone for an EXCELLENT interpretation. I don't care how much John claims his lyrics are simple, to many (including me) they are modern poetry and thus subject to traditional analysis. Perhaps his forebrain was just thinking about a girl, but the result was art, rife with meaning. In the same way that "Never There" is appliccable both to women and to God/prayer, (for me) this song may have valid, multiple interpretations.
Trying not to be too verbose!!! But I have to add, that, like Skaman, this song has one of the COOLEST guitar riffs EVER!!! The only other band I like that is so country is Lynyrd Skynyrd... and perhaps Meat Puppets (who managed to combine country with punk) (guess that comes from living in Nashville!)
Props to all, and keep thinking!