The song is reminiscent of Oh Susanna to me. It seems like the title is challenging the listener by saying that while the character of that song (Oh! Susanna) might be dead, Susannah herself is still very much alive and has to deal with the death or absence of her loved one. It doesn't matter that the man from Oh! Susanna is constantly telling her "Susanna don't you cry" or trying to console her, she's going to cry regardless. Because of the nature of "Oh! Susanna", in that her character is completely unresolved and that the story is static, she's stuck in limbo and knows "she can't ever win" and "she'll cry and never die" forever.
It sounds like poor Susannah has also developed a drinking problem to a certain extent. It's interesting though to see how many times the phrase "whiskey and gin" have been used together in music. I was just listening to some Elliott Smith (who was a fan of the Kinks and Ray Davies) and heard the combination come up in his song "We're All Friends Now". I'm guessing a subliminal influence of the Kinks :)
The song is reminiscent of Oh Susanna to me. It seems like the title is challenging the listener by saying that while the character of that song (Oh! Susanna) might be dead, Susannah herself is still very much alive and has to deal with the death or absence of her loved one. It doesn't matter that the man from Oh! Susanna is constantly telling her "Susanna don't you cry" or trying to console her, she's going to cry regardless. Because of the nature of "Oh! Susanna", in that her character is completely unresolved and that the story is static, she's stuck in limbo and knows "she can't ever win" and "she'll cry and never die" forever.
It sounds like poor Susannah has also developed a drinking problem to a certain extent. It's interesting though to see how many times the phrase "whiskey and gin" have been used together in music. I was just listening to some Elliott Smith (who was a fan of the Kinks and Ray Davies) and heard the combination come up in his song "We're All Friends Now". I'm guessing a subliminal influence of the Kinks :)