I'm with the 'survivor of nazi oppression' theory camp here: the 'repair (the officer's watch) or die', "no gates or barbed wire", the general timing of the song {an old man in a period where MK might be a young man and not yet a professional musician, like the 60's...where a holocaust survivor might just be an 'old man' running a quiet little shop}.
And one little point to remember: 'uncle shops' (aka pawn brokers) of the time were frequently run by jewish people...
But yes, a rich and poignant song, filled with emotion and imagery...the choice of using a banjo for the intro (and quite beautifully, too), and actual orchestral composition at points make this piece of music transcend beyond the shallow label of 'rock song' and into an amazing and nearly indescribable work of art.
@jadedcynic One quick thing, and I thought it was a banjo at the beginning of the song as well but I am watching his version of this song played in Roma in July, 2019 and he used his famous National Steel guitar (pictured on the cover of BIA).
@jadedcynic One quick thing, and I thought it was a banjo at the beginning of the song as well but I am watching his version of this song played in Roma in July, 2019 and he used his famous National Steel guitar (pictured on the cover of BIA).
Great discussion of this great song. I've been able to learn a few things behind the lyrics. One thing I'd add to the mix is that it may be loosely based on the movie, "The Pawnbroker". If someone has added that, apologies. I plan to watch it soon and see if it clears...
Great discussion of this great song. I've been able to learn a few things behind the lyrics. One thing I'd add to the mix is that it may be loosely based on the movie, "The Pawnbroker". If someone has added that, apologies. I plan to watch it soon and see if it clears anything else up that hasn't been mentioned that I'm still curious about.
I'm with the 'survivor of nazi oppression' theory camp here: the 'repair (the officer's watch) or die', "no gates or barbed wire", the general timing of the song {an old man in a period where MK might be a young man and not yet a professional musician, like the 60's...where a holocaust survivor might just be an 'old man' running a quiet little shop}.
And one little point to remember: 'uncle shops' (aka pawn brokers) of the time were frequently run by jewish people...
But yes, a rich and poignant song, filled with emotion and imagery...the choice of using a banjo for the intro (and quite beautifully, too), and actual orchestral composition at points make this piece of music transcend beyond the shallow label of 'rock song' and into an amazing and nearly indescribable work of art.
@jadedcynic
@jadedcynic
@jadedcynic One quick thing, and I thought it was a banjo at the beginning of the song as well but I am watching his version of this song played in Roma in July, 2019 and he used his famous National Steel guitar (pictured on the cover of BIA).
@jadedcynic One quick thing, and I thought it was a banjo at the beginning of the song as well but I am watching his version of this song played in Roma in July, 2019 and he used his famous National Steel guitar (pictured on the cover of BIA).
Great discussion of this great song. I've been able to learn a few things behind the lyrics. One thing I'd add to the mix is that it may be loosely based on the movie, "The Pawnbroker". If someone has added that, apologies. I plan to watch it soon and see if it clears...
Great discussion of this great song. I've been able to learn a few things behind the lyrics. One thing I'd add to the mix is that it may be loosely based on the movie, "The Pawnbroker". If someone has added that, apologies. I plan to watch it soon and see if it clears anything else up that hasn't been mentioned that I'm still curious about.