I agree with jjlikehoneyy. This is an antiwar song (it was recorded during the height of the Vietnam war, 1968). Like most of this album ("Bull of the Woods"), the last recorded by the band, this song sounds little like the 13th FEs' earlier output. There is less focus on the carefree joys of eating 'shrooms or dropping acid and a darker, often more wistful tone. The "electric jug" played by Tommy Hall on earlier 13th FEs recordings is largely absent from the whole album. This is no accident, because most of the album was recorded without either Hall or the 13th FEs' legendary frontman/rhythm guitarist/resident genius/madman, Roky Erickson. By '68 both Hall and Erickson were participating only sporadically, having Syd Barretted-themselves with too much Icarus-like flying toward the sun or its psychedelic equivalent. Erickson was also battling the Texas authorities' efforts to imprison him for marijuana possession (he and his lawyers would eventually settle for an extended term in a state mental institution, from which Roky was not released until 1972, effectively ending the 13th FEs as a band).
As a result of all this tumult, the band for the recording of this album was primarily Stacy Sutherland, the fine (and still underrated) lead guitarist, who wrote most of the songs and did the lead vocals on most as well, including "Scarlet and Gold," and a rhythm section consisting of drummer Danny Thomas and bassist Duke Davis (replaced on later sessions by previous 13 FEs bassist Ronnie Leatherman). Unfortunately, Sutherland was killed in a domestic dispute in 1978, so any definitive statement about the meaning of this song is speculative.
I agree with jjlikehoneyy. This is an antiwar song (it was recorded during the height of the Vietnam war, 1968). Like most of this album ("Bull of the Woods"), the last recorded by the band, this song sounds little like the 13th FEs' earlier output. There is less focus on the carefree joys of eating 'shrooms or dropping acid and a darker, often more wistful tone. The "electric jug" played by Tommy Hall on earlier 13th FEs recordings is largely absent from the whole album. This is no accident, because most of the album was recorded without either Hall or the 13th FEs' legendary frontman/rhythm guitarist/resident genius/madman, Roky Erickson. By '68 both Hall and Erickson were participating only sporadically, having Syd Barretted-themselves with too much Icarus-like flying toward the sun or its psychedelic equivalent. Erickson was also battling the Texas authorities' efforts to imprison him for marijuana possession (he and his lawyers would eventually settle for an extended term in a state mental institution, from which Roky was not released until 1972, effectively ending the 13th FEs as a band).
As a result of all this tumult, the band for the recording of this album was primarily Stacy Sutherland, the fine (and still underrated) lead guitarist, who wrote most of the songs and did the lead vocals on most as well, including "Scarlet and Gold," and a rhythm section consisting of drummer Danny Thomas and bassist Duke Davis (replaced on later sessions by previous 13 FEs bassist Ronnie Leatherman). Unfortunately, Sutherland was killed in a domestic dispute in 1978, so any definitive statement about the meaning of this song is speculative.