This song fascinates me. I really like it, am drawn to it in a major way, but can't quite work it out either.
In terms It appears to have a biblical connection Goshen is the name of the region in which where the story of Joseph & his brothers/father is centred in Egypt and most of the lines allude to this; "It's time you rise or fade" "Defend your kind from shame", "Go inside they've paid" to name a few lines that have clear reference to Joseph's story. But these are intermingled with other lines that I can't quite work out.
The best I can come up with is that it appears to centre on the scenes when the brothers visit Joseph once he's risen to high rank in Egypt after they had abandoned him and left him for dead. He ponders going out and 'performing' in front of them ("you're on in five, it's time to rise or fall") and after their waiting "at the door" they come in and he (perhaps with a inner struggle) does the honourable thing and "defends his kind". After the encounter, the "lights are down" the 'show' is over and "they've paid" what was asked of them as the story goes.
Emotionally it seems to capture the mix of emotion of the ups and downs of going from abandonment, loneliness and then to 'success' while still being apart from one's origins. This all comes to a head when you're forced to encounter the ones you are intimately related to and find identity with yet are also the source of your feeling aloneness in the first place.
Probably more to it that I'm missing, but that's my take on it. Would love to hear other peoples comments on the meaning of this song
I do find your interpretatoin of the title interesting but Goshen is also a town in Westchester, New York and, seeing how the song before this is called "East Harlem," I wonder if that is what he means(or if he means both). Either way, this song gives me a very strong liking to Billy Joel, like I could sense this being a Billy Joel song if I hadn't known better. Definitely an interesting direction for Zach to take this album.
I do find your interpretatoin of the title interesting but Goshen is also a town in Westchester, New York and, seeing how the song before this is called "East Harlem," I wonder if that is what he means(or if he means both). Either way, this song gives me a very strong liking to Billy Joel, like I could sense this being a Billy Joel song if I hadn't known better. Definitely an interesting direction for Zach to take this album.
Didn't realise that Goshen was the name of a town near NY ... good to know. Still reckon it has something to do with the biblical imagery of Joseph's story. The references are there in pretty much every line. Having said that, you may well be right, probably has some sort of cross reference to both.
Didn't realise that Goshen was the name of a town near NY ... good to know. Still reckon it has something to do with the biblical imagery of Joseph's story. The references are there in pretty much every line. Having said that, you may well be right, probably has some sort of cross reference to both.
This song fascinates me. I really like it, am drawn to it in a major way, but can't quite work it out either.
In terms It appears to have a biblical connection Goshen is the name of the region in which where the story of Joseph & his brothers/father is centred in Egypt and most of the lines allude to this; "It's time you rise or fade" "Defend your kind from shame", "Go inside they've paid" to name a few lines that have clear reference to Joseph's story. But these are intermingled with other lines that I can't quite work out.
The best I can come up with is that it appears to centre on the scenes when the brothers visit Joseph once he's risen to high rank in Egypt after they had abandoned him and left him for dead. He ponders going out and 'performing' in front of them ("you're on in five, it's time to rise or fall") and after their waiting "at the door" they come in and he (perhaps with a inner struggle) does the honourable thing and "defends his kind". After the encounter, the "lights are down" the 'show' is over and "they've paid" what was asked of them as the story goes.
Emotionally it seems to capture the mix of emotion of the ups and downs of going from abandonment, loneliness and then to 'success' while still being apart from one's origins. This all comes to a head when you're forced to encounter the ones you are intimately related to and find identity with yet are also the source of your feeling aloneness in the first place.
Probably more to it that I'm missing, but that's my take on it. Would love to hear other peoples comments on the meaning of this song
I do find your interpretatoin of the title interesting but Goshen is also a town in Westchester, New York and, seeing how the song before this is called "East Harlem," I wonder if that is what he means(or if he means both). Either way, this song gives me a very strong liking to Billy Joel, like I could sense this being a Billy Joel song if I hadn't known better. Definitely an interesting direction for Zach to take this album.
I do find your interpretatoin of the title interesting but Goshen is also a town in Westchester, New York and, seeing how the song before this is called "East Harlem," I wonder if that is what he means(or if he means both). Either way, this song gives me a very strong liking to Billy Joel, like I could sense this being a Billy Joel song if I hadn't known better. Definitely an interesting direction for Zach to take this album.
Didn't realise that Goshen was the name of a town near NY ... good to know. Still reckon it has something to do with the biblical imagery of Joseph's story. The references are there in pretty much every line. Having said that, you may well be right, probably has some sort of cross reference to both.
Didn't realise that Goshen was the name of a town near NY ... good to know. Still reckon it has something to do with the biblical imagery of Joseph's story. The references are there in pretty much every line. Having said that, you may well be right, probably has some sort of cross reference to both.