I'm going to try and write about as many of Joni's songs as I possibly can, and I encourage others to get writing and give their opinions. It's a travesty to see so few attempts at interpretation of a lot of songs form her 'golden period', as they deserve to be understood, or at least attempted!
Three waitresses all wearing
Black diamond earrings
The song starts with her observation of the waitresses, she immediately notes they are all wearing the same kind of earrings, a sign of uniformity. 'Black diamond' can also refer to old printed $10 bills, as they had a bull named Black diamond on them. It could be a reference to the earrings being cheap.
Talking about zombies
They're not discussing anything 'important', nothing enlightening, they are simply discussing "Zombies' (this is probably a reference to popular movies, void of depth,easy to watch and something that many people who work in a place like this might be talking about, just shooting the breeze and killing time. Although it could also refer to the people in their lives, the customers, brain-dead like zombies).
And Singapore slings
Singapore slings are a type of cocktail; Once again what they're discussing has no depth.
No trouble in their faces
Not one anxious voice
They are not concerned with the same things as the narrator, the deeper meanings, and as a result they look younger and sound less anxious, less affected by seeing things with the jaded experience of the narrator.
None of the crazy you get
From too much choice
Simple people, living simple lives, and seemingly happier because of it.
The thumb and the satchel
Or the rented Rolls-Royce
This is a reiteration of the last line, the thumb and the satchel is a reference to academia and schooling, and the rented Rolls-Royce a reference to personal wealth. (Who RENTS a Rolls-Royce? Children with money going to their prom.)
And you think she knows something
By the second refill
You think she's enlightened
As she totals your bill
You say "Show me the way
To Barangrill"
The narrator is convinced - take me out of my life, your problems seem much simpler than mine, this must be the way I should be living, not with all my worry and the burden of my art and my love.
Well some say it's in service
"It" is Barangrill.
They say "Humble Makes Pure"
The reason the waitresses still have the purity that Joni feels she lacks is that they are humbled by serving people, instead of spoiled for choice
You're hoping it's near folly
'Cause you're headed that way for sure
She's talking to herself - She feels she's headed for eventual foolishness, and is hoping that 'Barangrill' is on the way, hoping her enlightenment can be found before she becomes the fool, before she becomes crazy which is what she feels she's becoming with all the clutter of her life.
And you just have to laugh
'Cause it's all so crazy
She's laughing at herself and changing her mind again, telling herself she's crazy and that it can't be that simple, it can't be the way it seems to be.
Ah, her mind's on her boyfriend
And eggs over easy
This is like saying to herself "Come on, don't be so stupid, there's nothing going on in her head but what you'd expect" . No deeper enlightenment, no hidden conspiracy, just what you'd expect - her job and her boyfriend.
It's just a trick on you
She's seeing things that aren't there.
Her mirrors and your will
If someone has mirrors on them and you're looking at them, then you're looking at your own reflection. She's seeing what she wants to see.
So you ask the truck driver
On the way to the till
But he's just a slave
To Barangrill
The truck driver has no answers for you, he's a simple man who doesn't know much outside of Barangrill.
The guy at the gas pumps
He's got a lot of soul
He sings Merry Christmas for you
Just like Nat King Cole
And he makes up his own tune
Right on the spot
About whitewalls and windshields
And this job he's got
This is literal - She has come across someone outside of Barangrill, and he is funny (Impersonating Nat King Cole) and creative (Making up his own tune), and she is distracted from her paranoid thoughts by someone who seems more similar to her own view of herself rather than the waitresses, despite their professions being world apart.
And you want to get moving
And you want to stay still
You're being pulled in different directions - you want to get out of there and forget all about Barangrill and the things you were thinking about, but you're also suddenly content with where you are, for the first time in a while.
But lost in the moment
Some longing gets filled
She realizes that the only time she is happy in her life is when she's actually LIVING it, and not worrying about what other people might be thinking, and thinking her dark thoughts.
And you even forget to ask
"Hey, Where's Barangrill?"
You stop looking for things to worry about when you are distracted. Her preoccupation is not what's driving her mad - it's the very thing that is keeping her sane.
She's happiest in life when she's not thinking about whether she's happy in her life.
Joni is a genius! Give me your thoughts if you make it though this short essay, I'd love to hear other fan's interpretations, and read any revisions/improvements on what I've written.
Interesting ideas. Just for your benefit however, a "zombie" was a popular drink of the period, as was the "singapore sling. When you look at it that way, it makes more sense!
Interesting ideas. Just for your benefit however, a "zombie" was a popular drink of the period, as was the "singapore sling. When you look at it that way, it makes more sense!
@ihearechoes- yes, that's how I see the song as well! As sort of a zen lesson that when you stop worrying and over analyzing the "meaning" of life, and just llive fully in the present moment, and appreciate and enjoy the moment for it's own sake, THAT is what life is ideally about...
@ihearechoes- yes, that's how I see the song as well! As sort of a zen lesson that when you stop worrying and over analyzing the "meaning" of life, and just llive fully in the present moment, and appreciate and enjoy the moment for it's own sake, THAT is what life is ideally about...
I'm going to try and write about as many of Joni's songs as I possibly can, and I encourage others to get writing and give their opinions. It's a travesty to see so few attempts at interpretation of a lot of songs form her 'golden period', as they deserve to be understood, or at least attempted!
This song is about Joni searching for 'Barangrill', which seems to represent pleasure in the simple things in life rather than looking for the deeper meaning. The word 'Barangrill' when broken down to 'Bar and Grill' represents drink and food, two of the simplest necessities of life. The song has an air of paranoia, as if there's something the narrator doesn't know that everyone around her does. There is also a strong sense of irony throughout the track, as the deep thinking narrator searches for answers from the simpler folk in her surroundings of a 'Barangrill', what appears to be a trucker's café. At times she seems to be searching for answers from them, and at times looking down on them, as if she can't quite decide what's real.
Three waitresses all wearing Black diamond earrings
The song starts with her observation of the waitresses, she immediately notes they are all wearing the same kind of earrings, a sign of uniformity. 'Black diamond' can also refer to old printed $10 bills, as they had a bull named Black diamond on them. It could be a reference to the earrings being cheap.
Talking about zombies
They're not discussing anything 'important', nothing enlightening, they are simply discussing "Zombies' (this is probably a reference to popular movies, void of depth,easy to watch and something that many people who work in a place like this might be talking about, just shooting the breeze and killing time. Although it could also refer to the people in their lives, the customers, brain-dead like zombies).
And Singapore slings
Singapore slings are a type of cocktail; Once again what they're discussing has no depth.
No trouble in their faces Not one anxious voice
They are not concerned with the same things as the narrator, the deeper meanings, and as a result they look younger and sound less anxious, less affected by seeing things with the jaded experience of the narrator.
None of the crazy you get From too much choice
Simple people, living simple lives, and seemingly happier because of it.
The thumb and the satchel Or the rented Rolls-Royce
This is a reiteration of the last line, the thumb and the satchel is a reference to academia and schooling, and the rented Rolls-Royce a reference to personal wealth. (Who RENTS a Rolls-Royce? Children with money going to their prom.)
And you think she knows something By the second refill You think she's enlightened As she totals your bill You say "Show me the way To Barangrill"
The narrator is convinced - take me out of my life, your problems seem much simpler than mine, this must be the way I should be living, not with all my worry and the burden of my art and my love.
Well some say it's in service
"It" is Barangrill.
They say "Humble Makes Pure"
The reason the waitresses still have the purity that Joni feels she lacks is that they are humbled by serving people, instead of spoiled for choice
You're hoping it's near folly 'Cause you're headed that way for sure
She's talking to herself - She feels she's headed for eventual foolishness, and is hoping that 'Barangrill' is on the way, hoping her enlightenment can be found before she becomes the fool, before she becomes crazy which is what she feels she's becoming with all the clutter of her life.
And you just have to laugh 'Cause it's all so crazy
She's laughing at herself and changing her mind again, telling herself she's crazy and that it can't be that simple, it can't be the way it seems to be.
Ah, her mind's on her boyfriend And eggs over easy
This is like saying to herself "Come on, don't be so stupid, there's nothing going on in her head but what you'd expect" . No deeper enlightenment, no hidden conspiracy, just what you'd expect - her job and her boyfriend.
It's just a trick on you
She's seeing things that aren't there.
Her mirrors and your will
If someone has mirrors on them and you're looking at them, then you're looking at your own reflection. She's seeing what she wants to see.
So you ask the truck driver On the way to the till But he's just a slave To Barangrill
The truck driver has no answers for you, he's a simple man who doesn't know much outside of Barangrill.
The guy at the gas pumps He's got a lot of soul He sings Merry Christmas for you Just like Nat King Cole And he makes up his own tune Right on the spot About whitewalls and windshields And this job he's got
This is literal - She has come across someone outside of Barangrill, and he is funny (Impersonating Nat King Cole) and creative (Making up his own tune), and she is distracted from her paranoid thoughts by someone who seems more similar to her own view of herself rather than the waitresses, despite their professions being world apart.
And you want to get moving And you want to stay still
You're being pulled in different directions - you want to get out of there and forget all about Barangrill and the things you were thinking about, but you're also suddenly content with where you are, for the first time in a while.
But lost in the moment Some longing gets filled
She realizes that the only time she is happy in her life is when she's actually LIVING it, and not worrying about what other people might be thinking, and thinking her dark thoughts.
And you even forget to ask "Hey, Where's Barangrill?"
You stop looking for things to worry about when you are distracted. Her preoccupation is not what's driving her mad - it's the very thing that is keeping her sane. She's happiest in life when she's not thinking about whether she's happy in her life.
Joni is a genius! Give me your thoughts if you make it though this short essay, I'd love to hear other fan's interpretations, and read any revisions/improvements on what I've written.
Interesting ideas. Just for your benefit however, a "zombie" was a popular drink of the period, as was the "singapore sling. When you look at it that way, it makes more sense!
Interesting ideas. Just for your benefit however, a "zombie" was a popular drink of the period, as was the "singapore sling. When you look at it that way, it makes more sense!
@ihearechoes- yes, that's how I see the song as well! As sort of a zen lesson that when you stop worrying and over analyzing the "meaning" of life, and just llive fully in the present moment, and appreciate and enjoy the moment for it's own sake, THAT is what life is ideally about...
@ihearechoes- yes, that's how I see the song as well! As sort of a zen lesson that when you stop worrying and over analyzing the "meaning" of life, and just llive fully in the present moment, and appreciate and enjoy the moment for it's own sake, THAT is what life is ideally about...