"ebony beauty, pass this shade"
-- commentary on how black women are not seen as beautiful culturally. when you see beauty magazines for women you often see black women who're trying to lighten themselves, lightening their hair, using make-up for a lighter tone, etc. the stereotype of a 'beautiful woman' in America is a white blonde.
However, and I like all of the previous comments here, but couldn't the song also be about career, and about job loss/layoffs? "you have climbed China's wall" -- double meaning referring to the themes from her old song -- but also saying hey, look at all you've achieved, you've done so much, and now you've gotten older and what do you have to show for it, what are you being recognized for, nothing, you've been fired, you're being shown the door, time to bow out, time for your curtain call. "this is just circumstance -- this is not personal" -- do you know how many bosses have told their employees that? Far too many. "right on cue just act surprised" -- you know it's coming, you know your career is about to end, but you have to act like you have no idea, you have to put a happy face on your miserable corporate life.
I'm not exactly saying she intended this, but I think this is a beautiful and brilliant song, with double and triple meanings there for the taking in the complex yet accessible lyrics. "the looking glass reflects" -- I have to think about the relation of this song to "Ruby Through The Looking-Glass" -- but emphasizing that line "reflects" can mean both that you're looking at what your life has amounted to after being stepped on by 'The Man' and that it will come back to haunt him... almost a warning, the looking glass reflects... you get away with how you've treated people, but someone knows, and it will eventually reflect back onto you.
"ebony beauty, pass this shade" -- commentary on how black women are not seen as beautiful culturally. when you see beauty magazines for women you often see black women who're trying to lighten themselves, lightening their hair, using make-up for a lighter tone, etc. the stereotype of a 'beautiful woman' in America is a white blonde.
However, and I like all of the previous comments here, but couldn't the song also be about career, and about job loss/layoffs? "you have climbed China's wall" -- double meaning referring to the themes from her old song -- but also saying hey, look at all you've achieved, you've done so much, and now you've gotten older and what do you have to show for it, what are you being recognized for, nothing, you've been fired, you're being shown the door, time to bow out, time for your curtain call. "this is just circumstance -- this is not personal" -- do you know how many bosses have told their employees that? Far too many. "right on cue just act surprised" -- you know it's coming, you know your career is about to end, but you have to act like you have no idea, you have to put a happy face on your miserable corporate life.
I'm not exactly saying she intended this, but I think this is a beautiful and brilliant song, with double and triple meanings there for the taking in the complex yet accessible lyrics. "the looking glass reflects" -- I have to think about the relation of this song to "Ruby Through The Looking-Glass" -- but emphasizing that line "reflects" can mean both that you're looking at what your life has amounted to after being stepped on by 'The Man' and that it will come back to haunt him... almost a warning, the looking glass reflects... you get away with how you've treated people, but someone knows, and it will eventually reflect back onto you.
Brilliant song.