A lot of people view this song as being very hopeful, because in th dialog on th Cast recording, Ilse comes off as bubbly and fun, and she sings Purple Summer, which is the hopeful ending message in the musical. However, like Bwayfan said, it's not actually a cheerful or inspiring song. The recording leaves out a lot of dialog, during which it is revealed how sad, lonely and desperate Ilse is.
Examples- Ilse tells Moritz stories of her crazy and fun life in Priapia, the artist colony where she movs from painters bed to painters bed, being dressed up and drinking, laughing. But At the end of every story, no matter how fun or adventurous she makes it sound, she gets sad, something bad happens. With the first story about Fehrenforf, she talks of how he chases her and stabs her with his paint brush, ending with "Thats men, if they can't stick you with one thing, they'll try another" which is a funny line until you put with it the physical and violent nature of their relationship, and Ilse's father's abuse.
She also speak of "we all got so drunk and I just passed out in the snow. I just lay there unconscious all night" which says her "friends" left her drunk in the snow, alone. And finally she talks about staying with Gustav Baum, and how it was so wonderful until he wakes her with a gun and threatens to kill her. While she makes them out to be funny anecdotes it always comes down to "I just lay there.." "it really gave me the goosbumps" etc.
And after her first solo part of Blue Wind, she begs Moritz to come home with her, telling about the things they did when they were children and how they can do those things again together. When he says she can't, Ilse is visibly upset about being turned down. And after their duet, Moritz finally refuses no matter her begging. Her final line before running off (usually in tears) is "By the time you finally wake up, I'll be lying on some trash heap"
Ilse was sexual and physically abused before finally being thrown from her house because she fought back. Her life consists of wandering from man to abusive man to abusive man, never having an stability, seeking comfort in what was once her torment. While she eventually is the voice of reason, at this point she is a deeply morose character. The song says it to, the wind is sad and pained and lost. She is haunted and won't be let go by her past.
A lot of people view this song as being very hopeful, because in th dialog on th Cast recording, Ilse comes off as bubbly and fun, and she sings Purple Summer, which is the hopeful ending message in the musical. However, like Bwayfan said, it's not actually a cheerful or inspiring song. The recording leaves out a lot of dialog, during which it is revealed how sad, lonely and desperate Ilse is.
Examples- Ilse tells Moritz stories of her crazy and fun life in Priapia, the artist colony where she movs from painters bed to painters bed, being dressed up and drinking, laughing. But At the end of every story, no matter how fun or adventurous she makes it sound, she gets sad, something bad happens. With the first story about Fehrenforf, she talks of how he chases her and stabs her with his paint brush, ending with "Thats men, if they can't stick you with one thing, they'll try another" which is a funny line until you put with it the physical and violent nature of their relationship, and Ilse's father's abuse. She also speak of "we all got so drunk and I just passed out in the snow. I just lay there unconscious all night" which says her "friends" left her drunk in the snow, alone. And finally she talks about staying with Gustav Baum, and how it was so wonderful until he wakes her with a gun and threatens to kill her. While she makes them out to be funny anecdotes it always comes down to "I just lay there.." "it really gave me the goosbumps" etc. And after her first solo part of Blue Wind, she begs Moritz to come home with her, telling about the things they did when they were children and how they can do those things again together. When he says she can't, Ilse is visibly upset about being turned down. And after their duet, Moritz finally refuses no matter her begging. Her final line before running off (usually in tears) is "By the time you finally wake up, I'll be lying on some trash heap"
Ilse was sexual and physically abused before finally being thrown from her house because she fought back. Her life consists of wandering from man to abusive man to abusive man, never having an stability, seeking comfort in what was once her torment. While she eventually is the voice of reason, at this point she is a deeply morose character. The song says it to, the wind is sad and pained and lost. She is haunted and won't be let go by her past.