My interpretation of this song has evolved a bit over the 20 or so years that I've held it as a favorite. Heres my take:
First verse
I always thought the jacks were playing cards (maybe because of the mention of kings and queens later on). And the clowns are people who find happiness in a bottle and maybe sit around gambling and wasting time. Happiness has been personified and is drunkenly staggering off to find another party, leaving a trail of sex and violence, evoked by the color red. Imagine a smokey room full of drugs and booze and probably women and just being depressed because all you can think about are all of your ex girlfriends and bad breakups.
I think the wind is your subconscious mind, always sort of making sure you're thinking about what's important, even if its a painful memory, cause you know you have to deal with fears and doubts to really be happy. So his mind just whispers this girls name, could be any name, but Mary sounds nice and peaceful. She is a specific girl, maybe the one he still loves or the one who hurt him the most.
Second verse
Basically the depressing stage where you might have to literally clean up your house after a drunken rage fest. But then the first step to getting better when you come to the comforting realization that even kings and queens, who can represent any powerful or desireable or beautiful people, can be lonely and heartbroken and that what you feel is painful but it sort of connects you with humanity. But then that ONE girl keeps popping into your brain and now the wind seems to yell because all the other thoughts are gone so this one is louder.
Third verse
He's become withdrawn and the world is upside down and he doesn't know what to expect. Traffic lights would never turn blue, but he's at the point where he wouldn't even be surprised because all he can think about is that ONE girl whose memmories are now screaming in his head. And so he just slumps his shoulders and closes up and plods on, the island sagging in the stream of life.
Fourth verse
Its about realizing that you have to let go and move on. Realizing that all of the depression and the bad relationships and the loneliness are because you still feel brokenhearted about that one girl and that makes you feel like a victim sorta so thats a crutch and you'll never improve yourself. And now the wind is weeping catharticly because despite everyrhing, Mary made you realize it was time to let go, move on and be happy.
My interpretation of this song has evolved a bit over the 20 or so years that I've held it as a favorite. Heres my take:
First verse
I always thought the jacks were playing cards (maybe because of the mention of kings and queens later on). And the clowns are people who find happiness in a bottle and maybe sit around gambling and wasting time. Happiness has been personified and is drunkenly staggering off to find another party, leaving a trail of sex and violence, evoked by the color red. Imagine a smokey room full of drugs and booze and probably women and just being depressed because all you can think about are all of your ex girlfriends and bad breakups.
I think the wind is your subconscious mind, always sort of making sure you're thinking about what's important, even if its a painful memory, cause you know you have to deal with fears and doubts to really be happy. So his mind just whispers this girls name, could be any name, but Mary sounds nice and peaceful. She is a specific girl, maybe the one he still loves or the one who hurt him the most.
Second verse
Basically the depressing stage where you might have to literally clean up your house after a drunken rage fest. But then the first step to getting better when you come to the comforting realization that even kings and queens, who can represent any powerful or desireable or beautiful people, can be lonely and heartbroken and that what you feel is painful but it sort of connects you with humanity. But then that ONE girl keeps popping into your brain and now the wind seems to yell because all the other thoughts are gone so this one is louder.
Third verse
He's become withdrawn and the world is upside down and he doesn't know what to expect. Traffic lights would never turn blue, but he's at the point where he wouldn't even be surprised because all he can think about is that ONE girl whose memmories are now screaming in his head. And so he just slumps his shoulders and closes up and plods on, the island sagging in the stream of life.
Fourth verse
Its about realizing that you have to let go and move on. Realizing that all of the depression and the bad relationships and the loneliness are because you still feel brokenhearted about that one girl and that makes you feel like a victim sorta so thats a crutch and you'll never improve yourself. And now the wind is weeping catharticly because despite everyrhing, Mary made you realize it was time to let go, move on and be happy.
Jimi was the greatest!