this song is clearly about dick turpin and black bess, but i think (as in so much of her other work) that joanna is relating this story to the narrator's own in a way. she (the narrator) feels as if she has lost herself, that a part of her has died with the previous tragic events. given her penchant for dreaming, i think that perhaps this song could actually be about a dream that our narrator has in which she is turpin. i'm sure everyone knows how dreams can sometimes feel more vivid and real than waking life, and also, how in dreams, a person can experience being someone else entirely. that could be what's going on here, but again, that's just my two cents.
to me, this is by far one of the most poignant songs on the album. the imagery is so strong: one can completely picture the pair standing on a lonesome beach, looking out at a looming, unfriendly sea in which the waves "[drag] out of [their] reach, tangling tails, like a sodden sheet, dangling entrails from the gut of the sea." the line, "my heart made the sound of snow falling from eaves" strikes me as particularly sad. i feel like, once again, that's the sort of sentiment or occurrence that would make plenty of sense when one is dreaming, but seem sort of "off" when that person is awake.
the thought of turpin being in prison and in such a fragile mental state that he can't remember exactly why is very hard-hitting. i picture him there, with a vague memory of a friend with whom he was as "thick as thieves," unable to recall details or remember anything more. then, when bess intuitively shows up for his hanging, he recognizes her, but can't remember her name. he realizes, in the last moment of his life, that her name doesn't matter: what matters is the strong feelings of warmth and kindness that her presence evokes in him. the song is truly touching.
this song is clearly about dick turpin and black bess, but i think (as in so much of her other work) that joanna is relating this story to the narrator's own in a way. she (the narrator) feels as if she has lost herself, that a part of her has died with the previous tragic events. given her penchant for dreaming, i think that perhaps this song could actually be about a dream that our narrator has in which she is turpin. i'm sure everyone knows how dreams can sometimes feel more vivid and real than waking life, and also, how in dreams, a person can experience being someone else entirely. that could be what's going on here, but again, that's just my two cents.
to me, this is by far one of the most poignant songs on the album. the imagery is so strong: one can completely picture the pair standing on a lonesome beach, looking out at a looming, unfriendly sea in which the waves "[drag] out of [their] reach, tangling tails, like a sodden sheet, dangling entrails from the gut of the sea." the line, "my heart made the sound of snow falling from eaves" strikes me as particularly sad. i feel like, once again, that's the sort of sentiment or occurrence that would make plenty of sense when one is dreaming, but seem sort of "off" when that person is awake.
the thought of turpin being in prison and in such a fragile mental state that he can't remember exactly why is very hard-hitting. i picture him there, with a vague memory of a friend with whom he was as "thick as thieves," unable to recall details or remember anything more. then, when bess intuitively shows up for his hanging, he recognizes her, but can't remember her name. he realizes, in the last moment of his life, that her name doesn't matter: what matters is the strong feelings of warmth and kindness that her presence evokes in him. the song is truly touching.