I think this song is a relatively straightforward account of things Ian Anderson actually encountered while on a walk. While it is "encoded" a bit, it has no particularly deep meaning. Nor is it pure nonsense, as Ian might have suggested in an interview at some point. As promised in the earlier song "Nothing to Say," Ian is really airtight about explaining his lyrics: "So don't ask me will I explain; I won't even begin to tell you why." Indeed he loves to toss out red herrings in interviews to throw us off track.
Mother Goose may have been a goose that was somehow trapped and Ian rescued. I myself, as an American, have been a bit confused about exactly what "Picadilly Circus" is; possibly folks from non-English-speaking countries might be even more confused. The hundred schoolgirls were probably crying about the breakup of the Beatles, which became official about the same time this song was recorded... shortly after December 1970. Ian calling himself a schoolboy could have several meanings, including that he was still seeking some wisdom such as the meaning of life or the existence of God, or perhaps he was just sexually attracted to the teenage schoolgirls. The chicken-fancier is a homosexual man. The fact that his sister drives a truck, a traditional man's job, seems to indicate some confusion of sexual or gender roles in that family... hence the verbal raised eyebrow we hear in the song as originally recorded. The laborers are knocking themselves out digging a trench or whatever, to get their "gold" paychecks to live off of. Ian is Long John Silver because his recent musical success has given him a huge treasure of money, yet he would not yet be likely to be recognized on sight by the average person. Johnny Scarecrow is a local bum or other poor character who saw a nice mac dressing a snowman and took it for himself since it was better than what he had.
@Fuzzbean. Most insightful comment here. Especially regarding the character of Hampstead Heath as a Gay cruising ground and the "chicken-fancier," although that seems pretty obvious to me, a Gay man.
@Fuzzbean. Most insightful comment here. Especially regarding the character of Hampstead Heath as a Gay cruising ground and the "chicken-fancier," although that seems pretty obvious to me, a Gay man.
@Fuzzbean Very interesting observations . I can put you right about Piccadilly Circus and the Hundred Schoolgirls at least. The word Piccadilly comes from Spanish and Portuguese, and means pecadillos or "little sins" which would no doubt have been committed in an area full of brothels and coffee houses which gave rise to the seedy reputation Soho enjoyed until very recently. The word "Circus" has nothing to do with clowns and a big top, that came much later. It was just another word for an intersection of different roads that wasn't on a square.
The schoolgirls came from the St.Joseph of...
@Fuzzbean Very interesting observations . I can put you right about Piccadilly Circus and the Hundred Schoolgirls at least. The word Piccadilly comes from Spanish and Portuguese, and means pecadillos or "little sins" which would no doubt have been committed in an area full of brothels and coffee houses which gave rise to the seedy reputation Soho enjoyed until very recently. The word "Circus" has nothing to do with clowns and a big top, that came much later. It was just another word for an intersection of different roads that wasn't on a square.
The schoolgirls came from the St.Joseph of Cluny Catholic Girls school which borders Hampstead Heath on the Highgate side, near the bathing ponds where Aqualung went to try and get some sun. I once taught History there and told a risqué joke about Michael Jackson that may or may not have cost me my job because my contract was not renewed.
"Mother Goose" may well have been a demented old lady who used to talk to herself, occasionally shout at passers-by and beg around the station in Hampstead Village but I have only the vaguest recollection of this person. There were other strange people squatting in the deconsecrated church at the top of the hill above the Royal Free Hospital. I parked my car in the entrance one night and was amazed to see this hippy character emerge from the church and ask me what I was doing.
So, yes, Hampstead Village is / was a strange place full of strange characters.
I think this song is a relatively straightforward account of things Ian Anderson actually encountered while on a walk. While it is "encoded" a bit, it has no particularly deep meaning. Nor is it pure nonsense, as Ian might have suggested in an interview at some point. As promised in the earlier song "Nothing to Say," Ian is really airtight about explaining his lyrics: "So don't ask me will I explain; I won't even begin to tell you why." Indeed he loves to toss out red herrings in interviews to throw us off track.
Mother Goose may have been a goose that was somehow trapped and Ian rescued. I myself, as an American, have been a bit confused about exactly what "Picadilly Circus" is; possibly folks from non-English-speaking countries might be even more confused. The hundred schoolgirls were probably crying about the breakup of the Beatles, which became official about the same time this song was recorded... shortly after December 1970. Ian calling himself a schoolboy could have several meanings, including that he was still seeking some wisdom such as the meaning of life or the existence of God, or perhaps he was just sexually attracted to the teenage schoolgirls. The chicken-fancier is a homosexual man. The fact that his sister drives a truck, a traditional man's job, seems to indicate some confusion of sexual or gender roles in that family... hence the verbal raised eyebrow we hear in the song as originally recorded. The laborers are knocking themselves out digging a trench or whatever, to get their "gold" paychecks to live off of. Ian is Long John Silver because his recent musical success has given him a huge treasure of money, yet he would not yet be likely to be recognized on sight by the average person. Johnny Scarecrow is a local bum or other poor character who saw a nice mac dressing a snowman and took it for himself since it was better than what he had.
@Fuzzbean. Most insightful comment here. Especially regarding the character of Hampstead Heath as a Gay cruising ground and the "chicken-fancier," although that seems pretty obvious to me, a Gay man.
@Fuzzbean. Most insightful comment here. Especially regarding the character of Hampstead Heath as a Gay cruising ground and the "chicken-fancier," although that seems pretty obvious to me, a Gay man.
@Fuzzbean Very interesting observations . I can put you right about Piccadilly Circus and the Hundred Schoolgirls at least. The word Piccadilly comes from Spanish and Portuguese, and means pecadillos or "little sins" which would no doubt have been committed in an area full of brothels and coffee houses which gave rise to the seedy reputation Soho enjoyed until very recently. The word "Circus" has nothing to do with clowns and a big top, that came much later. It was just another word for an intersection of different roads that wasn't on a square. The schoolgirls came from the St.Joseph of...
@Fuzzbean Very interesting observations . I can put you right about Piccadilly Circus and the Hundred Schoolgirls at least. The word Piccadilly comes from Spanish and Portuguese, and means pecadillos or "little sins" which would no doubt have been committed in an area full of brothels and coffee houses which gave rise to the seedy reputation Soho enjoyed until very recently. The word "Circus" has nothing to do with clowns and a big top, that came much later. It was just another word for an intersection of different roads that wasn't on a square.
The schoolgirls came from the St.Joseph of Cluny Catholic Girls school which borders Hampstead Heath on the Highgate side, near the bathing ponds where Aqualung went to try and get some sun. I once taught History there and told a risqué joke about Michael Jackson that may or may not have cost me my job because my contract was not renewed. "Mother Goose" may well have been a demented old lady who used to talk to herself, occasionally shout at passers-by and beg around the station in Hampstead Village but I have only the vaguest recollection of this person. There were other strange people squatting in the deconsecrated church at the top of the hill above the Royal Free Hospital. I parked my car in the entrance one night and was amazed to see this hippy character emerge from the church and ask me what I was doing. So, yes, Hampstead Village is / was a strange place full of strange characters.