Given the comments below and my feelings--this song haunts me beautifully--this song sure touches lots of us. It's meaning? First, from Jungian psychology: Like lots of great songs, such as Dylan's, the meaning is enigmatic, yet it somehow makes sense to a deep part of the psyche. Though I, too, read in an interview with Gabriel that this song is based on a dream he had--he just put his dream into music--that does not contradict what it means to each of us. We project the unconscious parts of our psyches onto it, as with Dylan songs--and, many of us share similar unconscious minds. There is, in addition to a great collective unconscious mind, there are many, many lesser collective unconscious minds where it resonates. That's the Jungian trip.
And who knows? Gabriel may be giving us just a piece by saying that it's from a dream of his. Like Dylan, he may conceal the truth. He's a guy that dressed up like a flower in Genesis some, and he's very, very bright. I wish I knew THE meaning; all we know is it touches us deeply enough to be on this site. Really something, ain't it? cheers
Given the comments below and my feelings--this song haunts me beautifully--this song sure touches lots of us. It's meaning? First, from Jungian psychology: Like lots of great songs, such as Dylan's, the meaning is enigmatic, yet it somehow makes sense to a deep part of the psyche. Though I, too, read in an interview with Gabriel that this song is based on a dream he had--he just put his dream into music--that does not contradict what it means to each of us. We project the unconscious parts of our psyches onto it, as with Dylan songs--and, many of us share similar unconscious minds. There is, in addition to a great collective unconscious mind, there are many, many lesser collective unconscious minds where it resonates. That's the Jungian trip. And who knows? Gabriel may be giving us just a piece by saying that it's from a dream of his. Like Dylan, he may conceal the truth. He's a guy that dressed up like a flower in Genesis some, and he's very, very bright. I wish I knew THE meaning; all we know is it touches us deeply enough to be on this site. Really something, ain't it? cheers