I think the reason the letters were never sent is actually because of the landlord she was having an affair with. It would seem that he was very controlling, and because he was the landlord, he probably had a good idea and a reasonable handle of what mail entered and exited the building. He obviously found out that she was planning on leaving at some point, and he couldn't stand the thought that he had competition, even if it was thousands of miles away. At this point, one of two things happened. Either Joan was killed, or she committed suicide because he simply would not let her leave. I lean toward the latter.
The beginning of the song makes one believe that Joan moved away, but the I feel irony is developed until later on in the song when Butch sings the lines, "With all kind of letters that never got sent /
to a guy in Colorado since 1994." This makes me believe that Joan never moved away.
Also, due to the fact that this song tells a story more than anything, I don't really think it should be analyzed for any other meaning past the tale itself, although a case may be made to argue that the song stands for the immorality and desperation elements of the human spirit.
I think the reason the letters were never sent is actually because of the landlord she was having an affair with. It would seem that he was very controlling, and because he was the landlord, he probably had a good idea and a reasonable handle of what mail entered and exited the building. He obviously found out that she was planning on leaving at some point, and he couldn't stand the thought that he had competition, even if it was thousands of miles away. At this point, one of two things happened. Either Joan was killed, or she committed suicide because he simply would not let her leave. I lean toward the latter.
The beginning of the song makes one believe that Joan moved away, but the I feel irony is developed until later on in the song when Butch sings the lines, "With all kind of letters that never got sent / to a guy in Colorado since 1994." This makes me believe that Joan never moved away.
Also, due to the fact that this song tells a story more than anything, I don't really think it should be analyzed for any other meaning past the tale itself, although a case may be made to argue that the song stands for the immorality and desperation elements of the human spirit.