Benzodiazepine Dave is right - every one of the Scarlet Walk tunes has duel meanings, they can be songs to individual people (a porn star, prostitute) however, you must remember the overall theme of this album. There is a common thread of America having to come to terms with who she has become, and whether or not she has fallen into the right hands of the right people.
This song places America as the prostitute, or porn star. Pretend she's alive. Because she is! And the Northern star to her, is like a sign of hope. It could be sort of a nice man that America is in love with. America is looking up at the Northing Lights every night, telling Scarlet, "Those northern lights are like a healing machine that glows in the dark..they have a sign of hope" then America says, "Listen, Scarlet (tori) there's not much more of me left, though, so forget it. I've been tailored to become what everyone wants. No one cares about me anymore. However....if you DO ever have the time, and you DO bump into the Northern Lights...please tell them to keep shining for me. Because lately, I don't see any sign of hope"
Amber waves is both the name of Julianne Moore's character in Boogie Nights (porn star)and a nickname for America. (Amber Waves of Grain)
In her early years, America used to be something pure, and full of hope until the "white man" came in and their goverment and people manipulated it so much to tailor it to "Every boy's sweet dream".
"He fixed you up real good till I don't know you anymore". Laws are changed every day so that everyone in this country can get what THEY want - more cars, more technolgy, more laws on this and that. Instead of taking care of the land itself more. Instead of nurturing America, we're taking from America and changing her. She can't believe what's happening to her, it seems like it's completely out of her control. She's watching it happening and wonders how she got here when she started off so pure. She feels as though she was tricked by men who sort of changed her, much like a porn star or prostitute may feel they were destroyed by all men. "He cold light you up and summon every swan or the Lakesie"
So this song is a conversation between America (amber waves) who is losing hope, and Scarlet who is trying to protect her friend. This also seems to be a reference to the "Not Waving But Drowning" Poem about losing hope by Stevie Smith.
At the end of the song the Scarlet character goes to Amber Waves (America) this shell of a being who has been so changed, and tries to give her hope for the future by saying, "Yeah, I made time for you because I care. I went by because I made the time. And the Northern Lights wanted me to tell you that they are there for you more than you will ever know...they're actually waving to you....not drowning at all!"
So now knowing all this, the term "Amber Waves" in terms of the album as a whole takes on a whole nuther meaning....that Amber is now Waving in the present tense. Maybe waving to us?
...Amber waves to us to let us all know she still has hope in her future.
Benzodiazepine Dave is right - every one of the Scarlet Walk tunes has duel meanings, they can be songs to individual people (a porn star, prostitute) however, you must remember the overall theme of this album. There is a common thread of America having to come to terms with who she has become, and whether or not she has fallen into the right hands of the right people.
This song places America as the prostitute, or porn star. Pretend she's alive. Because she is! And the Northern star to her, is like a sign of hope. It could be sort of a nice man that America is in love with. America is looking up at the Northing Lights every night, telling Scarlet, "Those northern lights are like a healing machine that glows in the dark..they have a sign of hope" then America says, "Listen, Scarlet (tori) there's not much more of me left, though, so forget it. I've been tailored to become what everyone wants. No one cares about me anymore. However....if you DO ever have the time, and you DO bump into the Northern Lights...please tell them to keep shining for me. Because lately, I don't see any sign of hope"
Amber waves is both the name of Julianne Moore's character in Boogie Nights (porn star)and a nickname for America. (Amber Waves of Grain)
In her early years, America used to be something pure, and full of hope until the "white man" came in and their goverment and people manipulated it so much to tailor it to "Every boy's sweet dream".
"He fixed you up real good till I don't know you anymore". Laws are changed every day so that everyone in this country can get what THEY want - more cars, more technolgy, more laws on this and that. Instead of taking care of the land itself more. Instead of nurturing America, we're taking from America and changing her. She can't believe what's happening to her, it seems like it's completely out of her control. She's watching it happening and wonders how she got here when she started off so pure. She feels as though she was tricked by men who sort of changed her, much like a porn star or prostitute may feel they were destroyed by all men. "He cold light you up and summon every swan or the Lakesie"
So this song is a conversation between America (amber waves) who is losing hope, and Scarlet who is trying to protect her friend. This also seems to be a reference to the "Not Waving But Drowning" Poem about losing hope by Stevie Smith.
At the end of the song the Scarlet character goes to Amber Waves (America) this shell of a being who has been so changed, and tries to give her hope for the future by saying, "Yeah, I made time for you because I care. I went by because I made the time. And the Northern Lights wanted me to tell you that they are there for you more than you will ever know...they're actually waving to you....not drowning at all!"
So now knowing all this, the term "Amber Waves" in terms of the album as a whole takes on a whole nuther meaning....that Amber is now Waving in the present tense. Maybe waving to us?
...Amber waves to us to let us all know she still has hope in her future.
And that's a GREAT album opener!!