I can't see any references in this song to the life and work of Stephan Gaskan. If the references are there, I would be interested in reading an elaboration on those references.
Perhaps I am stating the obvious here, but I do see references to St. Stephen, who is celebrated as the first martyr of Christian Church, and whose life and death are briefly recounted in the Book of Acts, Chapters 6 and 7.
"St. Stephen with a rose . . ." -- the red rose is a symbol of martyrdom in Christian iconography.
". . . in and out of the garden he goes." -- St. Stephen's Green is a beautiful garden park in the center of Dublin.
"Wherever he goes the people all complain" -- St. Stephen, according to Acts, was a powerful, itinerant preacher who aroused the ire of the the local religious authorities wherever he went.
"Stephen would answer if he only knew how." -- When St. Stephen was seized by the authorities, he did not answer the questions asked by his inquisitors, but rather told them what he wanted them to hear; they condemned him to death by stoning.
"Lady finger. dipped in moonlight, writing "What for?" across the morning sky." -- The leaves of the Lady Finger, common across Northern Europe, are used of staunch the flow of blood; but this folk cure would have been no help against the blows that St. Stephen received.
"Darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye" -- Death overcomes St. Stephen.
"Speeding arrow, sharp and narrow" -- Although St. Stephen was stoned, the image of a man tied to the tree and shot with arrows is a well-known image of Christian martyrdom.
"Wrap the babe in scarlet colors, call it your own" -- Perhaps a reference to wrapping the dead St. Stephen in burial robes (traditionally white at the time but made red by his bloodied body) and laying him in his tomb; his purported tomb north of Jerusalem was a popular pilgrim destination during the early Christian era.
"Did he doubt or did he try? Answers aplenty in the bye and bye." -- Although Acts reports St. Stephen as remaining steadfast in his faith to the moment of death, the songwriters wonder if St. Stephen did experience a moment of doubt, and recognizes that we will not get the answer to that question in this world.
"St. Stephen will remain, all he's lost he shall regain." -- A final reference to St. Stephen's death and a reference to the resurrection in which St. Stephen believed.
I am not suggesting that this song simply tells the story of the biblical St. Stephen. I am suggesting that the songwriters employed a series of references to the biblical St. Stephen to evoke a certain type -- one of God's Fools -- a man, perhaps a hobo wandering in and out of country gardens, who is so absorbed in his experience of spiritual reality, that he cannot function in world; this Fool's disconnection from the day-to-day is so extreme that he unwittingly provokes his own death at the hands of fellow men. The songwriters see the Fool as heroic, which is evidenced by the reference to Calliope, the muse of heroic poetry.
I have made no attempt to connect every image in this song with St. Stephen's story. Ultimately, the beauty and power of the imagery, and the music to which it is set, transcend the story being told. I agree with those who consider this a great musical work.
". . . darkness shrugs and bids the day goodby" --
According to Acts, St. Stephen was a powerful p
The song imagines St. Stephen, who is described in Acts as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit", as a simple-minded hobo.
@PubliusNYC I agree. When I first heard the song I thought of the apostle Stephen from the Bible. Your interpretations are interesting. I would add that the lyrics "Wrap the babe in scarlet colors" could refer to Jesus who was wrapped in swaddling clothes since scarlet colors are the colors of royalty (King of Kings, Lord of Lords).
@PubliusNYC I agree. When I first heard the song I thought of the apostle Stephen from the Bible. Your interpretations are interesting. I would add that the lyrics "Wrap the babe in scarlet colors" could refer to Jesus who was wrapped in swaddling clothes since scarlet colors are the colors of royalty (King of Kings, Lord of Lords).
I can't see any references in this song to the life and work of Stephan Gaskan. If the references are there, I would be interested in reading an elaboration on those references.
Perhaps I am stating the obvious here, but I do see references to St. Stephen, who is celebrated as the first martyr of Christian Church, and whose life and death are briefly recounted in the Book of Acts, Chapters 6 and 7.
"St. Stephen with a rose . . ." -- the red rose is a symbol of martyrdom in Christian iconography.
". . . in and out of the garden he goes." -- St. Stephen's Green is a beautiful garden park in the center of Dublin.
"Wherever he goes the people all complain" -- St. Stephen, according to Acts, was a powerful, itinerant preacher who aroused the ire of the the local religious authorities wherever he went.
"Stephen would answer if he only knew how." -- When St. Stephen was seized by the authorities, he did not answer the questions asked by his inquisitors, but rather told them what he wanted them to hear; they condemned him to death by stoning.
"Lady finger. dipped in moonlight, writing "What for?" across the morning sky." -- The leaves of the Lady Finger, common across Northern Europe, are used of staunch the flow of blood; but this folk cure would have been no help against the blows that St. Stephen received.
"Darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye" -- Death overcomes St. Stephen.
"Speeding arrow, sharp and narrow" -- Although St. Stephen was stoned, the image of a man tied to the tree and shot with arrows is a well-known image of Christian martyrdom.
"Wrap the babe in scarlet colors, call it your own" -- Perhaps a reference to wrapping the dead St. Stephen in burial robes (traditionally white at the time but made red by his bloodied body) and laying him in his tomb; his purported tomb north of Jerusalem was a popular pilgrim destination during the early Christian era.
"Did he doubt or did he try? Answers aplenty in the bye and bye." -- Although Acts reports St. Stephen as remaining steadfast in his faith to the moment of death, the songwriters wonder if St. Stephen did experience a moment of doubt, and recognizes that we will not get the answer to that question in this world.
"St. Stephen will remain, all he's lost he shall regain." -- A final reference to St. Stephen's death and a reference to the resurrection in which St. Stephen believed.
I am not suggesting that this song simply tells the story of the biblical St. Stephen. I am suggesting that the songwriters employed a series of references to the biblical St. Stephen to evoke a certain type -- one of God's Fools -- a man, perhaps a hobo wandering in and out of country gardens, who is so absorbed in his experience of spiritual reality, that he cannot function in world; this Fool's disconnection from the day-to-day is so extreme that he unwittingly provokes his own death at the hands of fellow men. The songwriters see the Fool as heroic, which is evidenced by the reference to Calliope, the muse of heroic poetry.
I have made no attempt to connect every image in this song with St. Stephen's story. Ultimately, the beauty and power of the imagery, and the music to which it is set, transcend the story being told. I agree with those who consider this a great musical work.
". . . darkness shrugs and bids the day goodby" --
According to Acts, St. Stephen was a powerful p
The song imagines St. Stephen, who is described in Acts as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit", as a simple-minded hobo.
PubliusNYC, you have beautifully rendered such a vivid & divine interpretation of this amazing song!
PubliusNYC, you have beautifully rendered such a vivid & divine interpretation of this amazing song!
@PubliusNYC I agree. When I first heard the song I thought of the apostle Stephen from the Bible. Your interpretations are interesting. I would add that the lyrics "Wrap the babe in scarlet colors" could refer to Jesus who was wrapped in swaddling clothes since scarlet colors are the colors of royalty (King of Kings, Lord of Lords).
@PubliusNYC I agree. When I first heard the song I thought of the apostle Stephen from the Bible. Your interpretations are interesting. I would add that the lyrics "Wrap the babe in scarlet colors" could refer to Jesus who was wrapped in swaddling clothes since scarlet colors are the colors of royalty (King of Kings, Lord of Lords).