Jalal is a name that seems somewhat common to people of Persian descent. Three million plus hits on google for Jalal alone. Which Jalal are we looking at here? Obstetricians as the Babydoctor? Geriatrics for the walker? Is it related to the dentistry equipment? Or something else?
Unless the liner notes write the lyrics out, 'halal' is something else entirely, meaning 'lawful' but most often pertaining to the proper slaying and preparation of meat in accordance with Sharia. The closest thing we might find to tie in with other imagery, say, that of Pelton & Crane, is that the company seems to be most notable for its production of a sterilizer that went on to be stocked as military medical hardware.
This is a loose association of course, but perhaps most helpful is to bear in mind related acts to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The Book Of Knots is...
Unless the liner notes write the lyrics out, 'halal' is something else entirely, meaning 'lawful' but most often pertaining to the proper slaying and preparation of meat in accordance with Sharia. The closest thing we might find to tie in with other imagery, say, that of Pelton & Crane, is that the company seems to be most notable for its production of a sterilizer that went on to be stocked as military medical hardware.
This is a loose association of course, but perhaps most helpful is to bear in mind related acts to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The Book Of Knots is the widest-reaching project amongst SGM and friends, and this pays particular attention to the mechanization of labor, the tapering of industrial progress, and the horror which results from the obsolescence of the working class, which is easily read into this song and perhaps the entire album Of Natural History. The Book Of Knots has a habit of invoking companies and products often seemingly for their own sake, perhaps to inspire research (a bent of historical materialism?) and perhaps also to demonstrate the transience and seeming inanity of life via the uselessness of old company names in our minds. Pelton & Crane were people once; now they're a company.
Pelton & Crane are not a just dental, but a general medial equipment and pharmaceuticals company.
Pelton & Crane are not a just dental, but a general medial equipment and pharmaceuticals company.
Jalal I believe is actually be referring to the name. It is pronounced "Halal" with a throaty H-sound originally, but preference swings towards spelling it with a J in English to distinguish it from the food preparation.
Jalal I believe is actually be referring to the name. It is pronounced "Halal" with a throaty H-sound originally, but preference swings towards spelling it with a J in English to distinguish it from the food preparation.
It may also be that he is known to themselves (SGM) personally, or that they have had some kind of personal contact, however brief. My clue for this lies in the lyric:
"Staggering walker it takes you two lights to cross the street
Traffic is backed-up here...
It may also be that he is known to themselves (SGM) personally, or that they have had some kind of personal contact, however brief. My clue for this lies in the lyric:
"Staggering walker it takes you two lights to cross the street
Traffic is backed-up here at the place where the cars and people meet"
Something one would probably need to witness to write, rather than stipulate from an account of someone's condition. That, plus I couldn't find anything from an extensive search.
One could further presume from these lyrics in combination with these:
"And you count out the years you've been deprived of your hand
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Thirteen years. Stroke"
that this doctor has, one year since immigration, had a stroke and is not only unable to work, but also now like a child himself and the tables are turned - ie: he is receiving the treatment under the blazing lights in a doctors chair. A truly ironic tragedy, in the spirit of SGM lyrics.
I had figured either the above, or (sharing Laudanom's idea regarding the machine age) his obsolescence has metaphorically been a stroke to him, causing him to lose his job, family, wealth etc. and turn into a babbling, homeless mess like so many others.
Jalal is a name that seems somewhat common to people of Persian descent. Three million plus hits on google for Jalal alone. Which Jalal are we looking at here? Obstetricians as the Babydoctor? Geriatrics for the walker? Is it related to the dentistry equipment? Or something else?
Unless the liner notes write the lyrics out, 'halal' is something else entirely, meaning 'lawful' but most often pertaining to the proper slaying and preparation of meat in accordance with Sharia. The closest thing we might find to tie in with other imagery, say, that of Pelton & Crane, is that the company seems to be most notable for its production of a sterilizer that went on to be stocked as military medical hardware. This is a loose association of course, but perhaps most helpful is to bear in mind related acts to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The Book Of Knots is...
Unless the liner notes write the lyrics out, 'halal' is something else entirely, meaning 'lawful' but most often pertaining to the proper slaying and preparation of meat in accordance with Sharia. The closest thing we might find to tie in with other imagery, say, that of Pelton & Crane, is that the company seems to be most notable for its production of a sterilizer that went on to be stocked as military medical hardware. This is a loose association of course, but perhaps most helpful is to bear in mind related acts to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The Book Of Knots is the widest-reaching project amongst SGM and friends, and this pays particular attention to the mechanization of labor, the tapering of industrial progress, and the horror which results from the obsolescence of the working class, which is easily read into this song and perhaps the entire album Of Natural History. The Book Of Knots has a habit of invoking companies and products often seemingly for their own sake, perhaps to inspire research (a bent of historical materialism?) and perhaps also to demonstrate the transience and seeming inanity of life via the uselessness of old company names in our minds. Pelton & Crane were people once; now they're a company.
Pelton & Crane are not a just dental, but a general medial equipment and pharmaceuticals company.
Pelton & Crane are not a just dental, but a general medial equipment and pharmaceuticals company.
Jalal I believe is actually be referring to the name. It is pronounced "Halal" with a throaty H-sound originally, but preference swings towards spelling it with a J in English to distinguish it from the food preparation.
Jalal I believe is actually be referring to the name. It is pronounced "Halal" with a throaty H-sound originally, but preference swings towards spelling it with a J in English to distinguish it from the food preparation.
It may also be that he is known to themselves (SGM) personally, or that they have had some kind of personal contact, however brief. My clue for this lies in the lyric: "Staggering walker it takes you two lights to cross the street Traffic is backed-up here...
It may also be that he is known to themselves (SGM) personally, or that they have had some kind of personal contact, however brief. My clue for this lies in the lyric: "Staggering walker it takes you two lights to cross the street Traffic is backed-up here at the place where the cars and people meet" Something one would probably need to witness to write, rather than stipulate from an account of someone's condition. That, plus I couldn't find anything from an extensive search.
One could further presume from these lyrics in combination with these: "And you count out the years you've been deprived of your hand 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Thirteen years. Stroke" that this doctor has, one year since immigration, had a stroke and is not only unable to work, but also now like a child himself and the tables are turned - ie: he is receiving the treatment under the blazing lights in a doctors chair. A truly ironic tragedy, in the spirit of SGM lyrics.
I had figured either the above, or (sharing Laudanom's idea regarding the machine age) his obsolescence has metaphorically been a stroke to him, causing him to lose his job, family, wealth etc. and turn into a babbling, homeless mess like so many others.