This song is about two women who strive to reach paradise. The first is a mother who is also a suicide bomber - we know she's a mother becuase of the motherly reference to the school pack. A man wouldn't be referenced this way. She is from the middle east - as referenced by the black river, i.e. oil. Check out 'Seeds' and 'Goodeye' for a similar reference to oil (and therefore money/riches/dreams/reason for war etc)
The suicide bomber carries out her role thinking this will take her to paradise. she might be right - what do we know.
meanwhile, in Virginia, lives another woman who has lost her lover/partner/husband and longs to find them again in Paradise. Given this song is from 'The Rising' you could read that the second woman lost her soulmate to an act of terrorism which emphasises the parallel stories or draws out some irony perhaps? One's suicide is an act of terro the others' is because of an act of terror.
Anyhow, the second woman, whilst trying to drown herself realises that actually the paradise she seeks probably doesn't exist, so she doesn't actually carry out the act.
This is a big statement. On the one hand we have a woman placed in the middle east who is convinced that her act of terrosim will give her rites to paradise. She does this whilst knowing she will be leaving behind her child - that's how convinced she is that her Paradise awaits her. On the other hand we have a woman who is willing to end her life because she feels so cheated by life that she'd rather give hers up if there's a chance to be with her partner again.
The last two lines of the song, to come after the last chorus, leave a very poignant end to a very simple but incredibly deep meaning song. I play it a lot beacuse of the many levels the song reaches - it's an absolute fab song - my wife just thinks the song is slow, dull and crap.
I just consider myself lucky for feeling the same way about this incredible song. My sister is into pop (which I cant stand--I'm a die-hard Tramp) and she just doesn't get my kind of music, with songs like these. I'm not exactly sure I see two women in this story, but I get the same general message, and that's what Springsteen's all about: giving the general idea of a song. I recently just listened to "Nothing Man" about five or six times over and over again, and it's a great song. Maybe your wife and my sister will come through....
I just consider myself lucky for feeling the same way about this incredible song. My sister is into pop (which I cant stand--I'm a die-hard Tramp) and she just doesn't get my kind of music, with songs like these. I'm not exactly sure I see two women in this story, but I get the same general message, and that's what Springsteen's all about: giving the general idea of a song. I recently just listened to "Nothing Man" about five or six times over and over again, and it's a great song. Maybe your wife and my sister will come through.
This song is about two women who strive to reach paradise. The first is a mother who is also a suicide bomber - we know she's a mother becuase of the motherly reference to the school pack. A man wouldn't be referenced this way. She is from the middle east - as referenced by the black river, i.e. oil. Check out 'Seeds' and 'Goodeye' for a similar reference to oil (and therefore money/riches/dreams/reason for war etc)
The suicide bomber carries out her role thinking this will take her to paradise. she might be right - what do we know.
meanwhile, in Virginia, lives another woman who has lost her lover/partner/husband and longs to find them again in Paradise. Given this song is from 'The Rising' you could read that the second woman lost her soulmate to an act of terrorism which emphasises the parallel stories or draws out some irony perhaps? One's suicide is an act of terro the others' is because of an act of terror.
Anyhow, the second woman, whilst trying to drown herself realises that actually the paradise she seeks probably doesn't exist, so she doesn't actually carry out the act.
This is a big statement. On the one hand we have a woman placed in the middle east who is convinced that her act of terrosim will give her rites to paradise. She does this whilst knowing she will be leaving behind her child - that's how convinced she is that her Paradise awaits her. On the other hand we have a woman who is willing to end her life because she feels so cheated by life that she'd rather give hers up if there's a chance to be with her partner again.
The last two lines of the song, to come after the last chorus, leave a very poignant end to a very simple but incredibly deep meaning song. I play it a lot beacuse of the many levels the song reaches - it's an absolute fab song - my wife just thinks the song is slow, dull and crap.
what does she know eh!
Love your take on the "black river" - thank you for that. I wonder if the mother lost her child? "...eternity on your lips" makes me wonder.
Love your take on the "black river" - thank you for that. I wonder if the mother lost her child? "...eternity on your lips" makes me wonder.
I just consider myself lucky for feeling the same way about this incredible song. My sister is into pop (which I cant stand--I'm a die-hard Tramp) and she just doesn't get my kind of music, with songs like these. I'm not exactly sure I see two women in this story, but I get the same general message, and that's what Springsteen's all about: giving the general idea of a song. I recently just listened to "Nothing Man" about five or six times over and over again, and it's a great song. Maybe your wife and my sister will come through....
I just consider myself lucky for feeling the same way about this incredible song. My sister is into pop (which I cant stand--I'm a die-hard Tramp) and she just doesn't get my kind of music, with songs like these. I'm not exactly sure I see two women in this story, but I get the same general message, and that's what Springsteen's all about: giving the general idea of a song. I recently just listened to "Nothing Man" about five or six times over and over again, and it's a great song. Maybe your wife and my sister will come through.
@mcmucker fantastic analysis
@mcmucker fantastic analysis