This song is about "Thursday's Child". Thursday's Child, in the nursery rhyme, is described as having "far to go". This description could mean that she is a sort of lost soul and has much to encounter before "getting there", or being happy.
Thursday's Child is also rather mournful. She can't enjoy herself at the parties; this is because she does not know how she is supposed to be.
"And what costume shall the poor girl wear / to all tomorrow's parties." The poor girl is, of course, Thursday's Child. The fact that she is searching for a costume means that she is desiring to cover her identity up. "All tomorrow's parties" is really just the future, as tomorrow technically never comes. The parties are probably really parties, like in the previous factory ideas. At a party, many people drink or take drugs to alter their personality. This girl may do this often because she doesn't know how to act without these substances.
"A hand-me-down dress from who knows where..." We know the dress, the costume, is coming from someone else, but not even the girl knows who it is from. She is clothing herself in costumes that don't even have any meaning to her, just as long as they are something, or rather someone else's.
"And where will she go and what shall she do / when midnight comes around. / She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown / and cry behind the door."
Midnight is the doorway between today and tomorrow. Tomorrow, the future, is what she's always worried about (remember, she has far to go). As midnight and tomorrow approaches, she gets panicked. She realizes she still cannot go anywhere acting how she might act, and decides to turn to God. I believe "Sunday's clown" is Jesus. Not that Jesus is a clown, but that the way his image is produced can easily be a costume and any costume can be described as clown-like. She turns to a "savior" and mourns her behavior, hiding from everyone and crying. Even now though, she is hiding when is crying. Her mourning is the only thing that is nature to herself--everything else she picks up from others--and even that, she hides.
"Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns.../ ... and what will she do with Thursday's rags / when Monday comes around."
I believe "silks and linens" mean that the costumes when she gets a hold of them are pure, rich. However, after she is done with them they are soiled, have become rags. This is a representation of her sinful nature. She takes the beautiful lives that others have produces, put them on herself trying to absorb the goodness, but alters herself so deeply that there is nothing good left, because there is none of her.
"For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown / for whom none will go mourning."
I believe this means that even the repentful Thursday's Child is in costume. Others can see this and do not feel remorse for her.
"A blackened shroud, a hand-me-down gown / of rags and silks, a costume / fit for one who sits and cries / for all tomorrow's parties."
In conclusion, Thursday's Child takes beautiful clothing, beautiful lives and plasters them on herself. She goes to parties and alters her mindset so that she hardly exists. She soils the clothing (both physically and metaphorically) and people watch her without sorrow because she is doing this to herself. Each week she attempts to repent, but even that is an act. In the end, the only thing that is truly a representation of who she is are the dirty clothes.
This song is about "Thursday's Child". Thursday's Child, in the nursery rhyme, is described as having "far to go". This description could mean that she is a sort of lost soul and has much to encounter before "getting there", or being happy.
Thursday's Child is also rather mournful. She can't enjoy herself at the parties; this is because she does not know how she is supposed to be.
"And what costume shall the poor girl wear / to all tomorrow's parties." The poor girl is, of course, Thursday's Child. The fact that she is searching for a costume means that she is desiring to cover her identity up. "All tomorrow's parties" is really just the future, as tomorrow technically never comes. The parties are probably really parties, like in the previous factory ideas. At a party, many people drink or take drugs to alter their personality. This girl may do this often because she doesn't know how to act without these substances.
"A hand-me-down dress from who knows where..." We know the dress, the costume, is coming from someone else, but not even the girl knows who it is from. She is clothing herself in costumes that don't even have any meaning to her, just as long as they are something, or rather someone else's.
"And where will she go and what shall she do / when midnight comes around. / She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown / and cry behind the door."
Midnight is the doorway between today and tomorrow. Tomorrow, the future, is what she's always worried about (remember, she has far to go). As midnight and tomorrow approaches, she gets panicked. She realizes she still cannot go anywhere acting how she might act, and decides to turn to God. I believe "Sunday's clown" is Jesus. Not that Jesus is a clown, but that the way his image is produced can easily be a costume and any costume can be described as clown-like. She turns to a "savior" and mourns her behavior, hiding from everyone and crying. Even now though, she is hiding when is crying. Her mourning is the only thing that is nature to herself--everything else she picks up from others--and even that, she hides.
"Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns.../ ... and what will she do with Thursday's rags / when Monday comes around."
I believe "silks and linens" mean that the costumes when she gets a hold of them are pure, rich. However, after she is done with them they are soiled, have become rags. This is a representation of her sinful nature. She takes the beautiful lives that others have produces, put them on herself trying to absorb the goodness, but alters herself so deeply that there is nothing good left, because there is none of her.
"For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown / for whom none will go mourning."
I believe this means that even the repentful Thursday's Child is in costume. Others can see this and do not feel remorse for her.
"A blackened shroud, a hand-me-down gown / of rags and silks, a costume / fit for one who sits and cries / for all tomorrow's parties."
In conclusion, Thursday's Child takes beautiful clothing, beautiful lives and plasters them on herself. She goes to parties and alters her mindset so that she hardly exists. She soils the clothing (both physically and metaphorically) and people watch her without sorrow because she is doing this to herself. Each week she attempts to repent, but even that is an act. In the end, the only thing that is truly a representation of who she is are the dirty clothes.
Thursday's Child has far to go.
@pricillacox Great interpretation. I especially love the notion of "Sunday's clown" being Jesus/God.
@pricillacox Great interpretation. I especially love the notion of "Sunday's clown" being Jesus/God.
@pricillacox You don't begin to understand Lou Reed or his attitude toward women.
@pricillacox You don't begin to understand Lou Reed or his attitude toward women.