ottoman couch, how handsome your furniture
love you now but dressed for a funeral
begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall
to hang in the dark of some parliamentary hall
elegant clothes, you want to be seen with her
under your tweeds you sweat like a teenager
begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall
to hang in the dark of some parliamentary hall
today's for you
they laid it out for you
there will be six bells a-ringing and white women singing for you,
but this feels so unnatural to peter gabriel too
all of the cards and all of the time it took
soon it's all lines of red in a leather book
begging you to wait for a minute by the door
your creeping feet where they've never been before
today's for you
they laid it out for you
there will be six bells a-ringing and white women singing for you
but this feels so unnatural to peter gabriel too
how great is that line, 'you sweat like a teenager' !!??
i think this is about the same thing as c.c.k.k. she's rich and he's not and he feels intimidated by this fact, and it dooms their relationship.
My interpretation seems that this is about death. A funeral, which they stated. The portrait in the hall... That would be the deceased person. Today is for the person who died. "The laid it out for you" being laid out is being killed, but in this sense it means death. The women and bells ringing, could be the choir or it could be angels. The cards and the time it took... Hallmark makes grief cards. I think sweating like a teenager is because this is the song writers first experience with death, someone he was close to is gone,...
My interpretation seems that this is about death. A funeral, which they stated. The portrait in the hall... That would be the deceased person. Today is for the person who died. "The laid it out for you" being laid out is being killed, but in this sense it means death. The women and bells ringing, could be the choir or it could be angels. The cards and the time it took... Hallmark makes grief cards. I think sweating like a teenager is because this is the song writers first experience with death, someone he was close to is gone, so unnatural etc. the connection to cape cod kwassa kwassa just was a perfect line to this song, but it means something totally different
"a portrait on the wall" reflects that the pending marriage will affix their lives permanently (i.e. paintings don’t change their depictions)
"a portrait on the wall" reflects that the pending marriage will affix their lives permanently (i.e. paintings don’t change their depictions)
In the phrase "they laid it out for you", the key word is "they". This marriage is arranged or heavily promoted. The union is not the choice of those to be married.
In the phrase "they laid it out for you", the key word is "they". This marriage is arranged or heavily promoted. The union is not the choice of those to be married.
The "soon it's all lines of red in a leather book" phrase implies when the event is over. All the family that pushed the marriage are gone, attentions turned elsewhere, these kids are on their own, left only with...
The "soon it's all lines of red in a leather book" phrase implies when the event is over. All the family that pushed the marriage are gone, attentions turned elsewhere, these kids are on their own, left only with the registry of guest - which is conveniently in red like blood from a crime. This hints at the criminality of pushing one's children to make life decisions based on parental desires.
"how handsome your furniture" and "portrait on the wall" both imply that these kids are being treated like objects - not people. There is an obvious motif of objectification. The freaking name of the song is an object that can be "arranged" — come on man, who names a song after furniture? The meaning is obvious from the name alone.
This song is chuck-full of sarcastic praise "white women singing". Funny stuff.
Also, the funeral is not literal. the lyric is simply implying that the pending marraige is bound for failure. They feel like it is the end of thier life-options. Ironically everyone at the wedding event is dresssed up - much like a funeral event.
Also, the funeral is not literal. the lyric is simply implying that the pending marraige is bound for failure. They feel like it is the end of thier life-options. Ironically everyone at the wedding event is dresssed up - much like a funeral event.
how is this not obvious?
how is this not obvious?
is anyone divorced here? Perhaps it is a life-experience issue.
is anyone divorced here? Perhaps it is a life-experience issue.
However, I have to give some credit. "They laid it out" Does also imply death. As does "lines of red."
However, I have to give some credit. "They laid it out" Does also imply death. As does "lines of red."
Good catch.
Good catch.
This implies they killed the children's futures. (i.e. the family's "furniture arrangement"/"marital arrangement" is "killing" the futures of the couple being pressured into this marriage)
This implies they killed the children's futures. (i.e. the family's "furniture arrangement"/"marital arrangement" is "killing" the futures of the couple being pressured into this marriage)
Every word in this song has been selected for a duality of meanings. This is real challenging song writing - as opposed to "like a lollypop".
Every word in this song has been selected for a duality of meanings. This is real challenging song writing - as opposed to "like a lollypop".
here's what i get:
ottoman couch, how handsome your furniture love you now but dressed for a funeral begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall to hang in the dark of some parliamentary hall
elegant clothes, you want to be seen with her under your tweeds you sweat like a teenager begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall to hang in the dark of some parliamentary hall
today's for you they laid it out for you there will be six bells a-ringing and white women singing for you, but this feels so unnatural to peter gabriel too
all of the cards and all of the time it took soon it's all lines of red in a leather book begging you to wait for a minute by the door your creeping feet where they've never been before
today's for you they laid it out for you there will be six bells a-ringing and white women singing for you but this feels so unnatural to peter gabriel too
how great is that line, 'you sweat like a teenager' !!?? i think this is about the same thing as c.c.k.k. she's rich and he's not and he feels intimidated by this fact, and it dooms their relationship.
My interpretation seems that this is about death. A funeral, which they stated. The portrait in the hall... That would be the deceased person. Today is for the person who died. "The laid it out for you" being laid out is being killed, but in this sense it means death. The women and bells ringing, could be the choir or it could be angels. The cards and the time it took... Hallmark makes grief cards. I think sweating like a teenager is because this is the song writers first experience with death, someone he was close to is gone,...
My interpretation seems that this is about death. A funeral, which they stated. The portrait in the hall... That would be the deceased person. Today is for the person who died. "The laid it out for you" being laid out is being killed, but in this sense it means death. The women and bells ringing, could be the choir or it could be angels. The cards and the time it took... Hallmark makes grief cards. I think sweating like a teenager is because this is the song writers first experience with death, someone he was close to is gone, so unnatural etc. the connection to cape cod kwassa kwassa just was a perfect line to this song, but it means something totally different
"a portrait on the wall" reflects that the pending marriage will affix their lives permanently (i.e. paintings don’t change their depictions)
"a portrait on the wall" reflects that the pending marriage will affix their lives permanently (i.e. paintings don’t change their depictions)
In the phrase "they laid it out for you", the key word is "they". This marriage is arranged or heavily promoted. The union is not the choice of those to be married.
In the phrase "they laid it out for you", the key word is "they". This marriage is arranged or heavily promoted. The union is not the choice of those to be married.
The "soon it's all lines of red in a leather book" phrase implies when the event is over. All the family that pushed the marriage are gone, attentions turned elsewhere, these kids are on their own, left only with...
The "soon it's all lines of red in a leather book" phrase implies when the event is over. All the family that pushed the marriage are gone, attentions turned elsewhere, these kids are on their own, left only with the registry of guest - which is conveniently in red like blood from a crime. This hints at the criminality of pushing one's children to make life decisions based on parental desires.
"how handsome your furniture" and "portrait on the wall" both imply that these kids are being treated like objects - not people. There is an obvious motif of objectification. The freaking name of the song is an object that can be "arranged" — come on man, who names a song after furniture? The meaning is obvious from the name alone.
This song is chuck-full of sarcastic praise "white women singing". Funny stuff.
Also, the funeral is not literal. the lyric is simply implying that the pending marraige is bound for failure. They feel like it is the end of thier life-options. Ironically everyone at the wedding event is dresssed up - much like a funeral event.
Also, the funeral is not literal. the lyric is simply implying that the pending marraige is bound for failure. They feel like it is the end of thier life-options. Ironically everyone at the wedding event is dresssed up - much like a funeral event.
how is this not obvious?
how is this not obvious?
is anyone divorced here? Perhaps it is a life-experience issue.
is anyone divorced here? Perhaps it is a life-experience issue.
However, I have to give some credit. "They laid it out" Does also imply death. As does "lines of red."
However, I have to give some credit. "They laid it out" Does also imply death. As does "lines of red."
Good catch.
Good catch.
This implies they killed the children's futures. (i.e. the family's "furniture arrangement"/"marital arrangement" is "killing" the futures of the couple being pressured into this marriage)
This implies they killed the children's futures. (i.e. the family's "furniture arrangement"/"marital arrangement" is "killing" the futures of the couple being pressured into this marriage)
Every word in this song has been selected for a duality of meanings. This is real challenging song writing - as opposed to "like a lollypop".
Every word in this song has been selected for a duality of meanings. This is real challenging song writing - as opposed to "like a lollypop".