Sorry guys. This song is NOT about drugs, drug addiction, Satanic ideology...or anything of the like.
Patty Smith actually wrote for and collaborated with BOC on more songs than you probably know. She wrote this song in it's entirety for the band.
This is a powerfully moving piece about a desperate man who is unable to permanently leave a relationship with a woman that has gone on WAY TOO LONG and his inability to cut the ties (he makes 3 weak attempts to do so and each fails utterly) is now making him PHYSICALLY SICK.
The character cries out to the Magic Man, "I AM SICK!"
The "Magic Man" he seeks out initially, who is a kind of PSYCHIC who ..."lays a spread of Jacks and Queens; and bade me take my pick...but every face it had your face I cried out, I AM SICK..." is an intentional stab at the...especially back then...sorry and ineffective general practice of psychology/psychiatry to actually help with ANYTHING (one's chances of getting meaningful help from a "clinician" was NO better than paying money and seeing a Tarot Card reader...I know this!).
So after his initial visit with the psychic, he tells us what his experience of staying in the relationship is like and what it's doing to him and how badly he wants out:
"...Sick of hauling your love around;
Wanna run my train (my life) alone...just loving you takes everything out of me (my breath away).
"But the engine tracks straight through your heart and weighs me like a stone."
(keeps getting redirected back to her). "Oh it's a hard load to love you...it takes up all my time." (Ever date someone who is really NEEDY? Smothering? He's talking about this).
Attempt 1 to leave her:
"So I gave away the picture...
And your golden ring
And the phone calls you sent me
And the silver birds that sing."
(Common for people to try "leaving" someone by tossing out the stuff given to us by them FIRST. Typically doesn't work.)
But then the psychic leaves a message that depresses him badly:
"Then the man he left a message that really brought me down:
"Your things were thrown away it's true... but YOU WERE STILL IN TOWN." (Didn't really change anything) Still getting sicker "hauling her love around" Killing him...can't do it much longer.
Attempt 2 to leave her:
The psychic leaves another ominous message for him:
He said
"Accept the chains of loving...
Accept or else remove yourself from her side." (Cheesy advice...no brainer right? Get out or this will just continue).
So he gets more dime store psychology advice
"Live without her love."
WELL IF HE COULD HAVE DONE THAT HE WOULD HAVE ALREADY!!
Attempt 3 to leave her:
"I lay back with the steel chain (last memento he has left from her); I keep it by my side." (Means he still can't let go yet).
"I could mail a letter to you...
But I still have my pride." (getting sicker from hauling her love around... and how draining this is...he wants out but can't do it).
(How many of you...those who have sought psychiatric/psychological help have been given the absolutely worthless assignment of "writing a letter" to _____ who hurt you, died, left you, abandoned you, molested you...whatever? I have never seen this help ANYONE over the long term in 22 years of practice!). No wonder he rejected it as something that might help him extricate himself from the dysfunctional relationship!)
(Still sick of hauling her love around & wanting his life back...because this is smothering him completely)
RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT:
He reviews for us what's happened so far
"3 times I've sent you back from me...
3 times my bones gone dry!"
(great symbolism for what it feels like when we can't let go of something bad for us but serves some dysfunctional need we probably don't understand; people report feeling like they are dying on the inside).
SO...
"3 times I've seen the shooting shark lightning up the sky.
(by the way no one really knows what the shooting shark actually represents...save Patti Smith?)
Repeat of the heavy load it is loving her, etc.
BUT:
"The 4th time around is the LAST time around...there's nothing else to say..."
He finally walks away from her. After a long battle resulting in the realization that it is hopeless and killing him.
Great song! Awesome symbolism and metaphors!
Sorry guys: Not about drugs or anything else but a sick relationship.
I like your analysis but I don't see it as him walking away finally. He is going back to her for the fourth time and telling himself it will be the last time one way or another. Though we know it probably won't be the last time. .
I like your analysis but I don't see it as him walking away finally. He is going back to her for the fourth time and telling himself it will be the last time one way or another. Though we know it probably won't be the last time. .
@Blake 40 year Rush fan How depressing and sad that is. reminds me of something similar with my sister and her bf. And well, he got "sick" and drank himself to death.
So F'ing sad!!
@Blake 40 year Rush fan How depressing and sad that is. reminds me of something similar with my sister and her bf. And well, he got "sick" and drank himself to death.
So F'ing sad!!
Sorry guys. This song is NOT about drugs, drug addiction, Satanic ideology...or anything of the like.
Patty Smith actually wrote for and collaborated with BOC on more songs than you probably know. She wrote this song in it's entirety for the band.
This is a powerfully moving piece about a desperate man who is unable to permanently leave a relationship with a woman that has gone on WAY TOO LONG and his inability to cut the ties (he makes 3 weak attempts to do so and each fails utterly) is now making him PHYSICALLY SICK.
The character cries out to the Magic Man, "I AM SICK!"
The "Magic Man" he seeks out initially, who is a kind of PSYCHIC who ..."lays a spread of Jacks and Queens; and bade me take my pick...but every face it had your face I cried out, I AM SICK..." is an intentional stab at the...especially back then...sorry and ineffective general practice of psychology/psychiatry to actually help with ANYTHING (one's chances of getting meaningful help from a "clinician" was NO better than paying money and seeing a Tarot Card reader...I know this!).
So after his initial visit with the psychic, he tells us what his experience of staying in the relationship is like and what it's doing to him and how badly he wants out:
"...Sick of hauling your love around; Wanna run my train (my life) alone...just loving you takes everything out of me (my breath away).
"But the engine tracks straight through your heart and weighs me like a stone."
(keeps getting redirected back to her). "Oh it's a hard load to love you...it takes up all my time." (Ever date someone who is really NEEDY? Smothering? He's talking about this).
Attempt 1 to leave her:
"So I gave away the picture... And your golden ring And the phone calls you sent me And the silver birds that sing."
(Common for people to try "leaving" someone by tossing out the stuff given to us by them FIRST. Typically doesn't work.)
But then the psychic leaves a message that depresses him badly:
"Then the man he left a message that really brought me down:
"Your things were thrown away it's true... but YOU WERE STILL IN TOWN." (Didn't really change anything) Still getting sicker "hauling her love around" Killing him...can't do it much longer.
Attempt 2 to leave her:
The psychic leaves another ominous message for him:
He said
"Accept the chains of loving... Accept or else remove yourself from her side." (Cheesy advice...no brainer right? Get out or this will just continue).
So he gets more dime store psychology advice
"Live without her love."
WELL IF HE COULD HAVE DONE THAT HE WOULD HAVE ALREADY!!
Attempt 3 to leave her:
"I lay back with the steel chain (last memento he has left from her); I keep it by my side." (Means he still can't let go yet).
"I could mail a letter to you... But I still have my pride." (getting sicker from hauling her love around... and how draining this is...he wants out but can't do it).
(How many of you...those who have sought psychiatric/psychological help have been given the absolutely worthless assignment of "writing a letter" to _____ who hurt you, died, left you, abandoned you, molested you...whatever? I have never seen this help ANYONE over the long term in 22 years of practice!). No wonder he rejected it as something that might help him extricate himself from the dysfunctional relationship!)
(Still sick of hauling her love around & wanting his life back...because this is smothering him completely)
RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT:
He reviews for us what's happened so far
"3 times I've sent you back from me... 3 times my bones gone dry!"
(great symbolism for what it feels like when we can't let go of something bad for us but serves some dysfunctional need we probably don't understand; people report feeling like they are dying on the inside).
SO...
"3 times I've seen the shooting shark lightning up the sky.
(by the way no one really knows what the shooting shark actually represents...save Patti Smith?)
Repeat of the heavy load it is loving her, etc.
BUT:
"The 4th time around is the LAST time around...there's nothing else to say..."
He finally walks away from her. After a long battle resulting in the realization that it is hopeless and killing him.
Great song! Awesome symbolism and metaphors!
Sorry guys: Not about drugs or anything else but a sick relationship.
Blake
@Blake 40 year Rush fan patti wrote it with Buck
@Blake 40 year Rush fan patti wrote it with Buck
@Blake 40 year Rush fan
@Blake 40 year Rush fan
I like your analysis but I don't see it as him walking away finally. He is going back to her for the fourth time and telling himself it will be the last time one way or another. Though we know it probably won't be the last time. .
I like your analysis but I don't see it as him walking away finally. He is going back to her for the fourth time and telling himself it will be the last time one way or another. Though we know it probably won't be the last time. .
@Blake 40 year Rush fan How depressing and sad that is. reminds me of something similar with my sister and her bf. And well, he got "sick" and drank himself to death. So F'ing sad!!
@Blake 40 year Rush fan How depressing and sad that is. reminds me of something similar with my sister and her bf. And well, he got "sick" and drank himself to death. So F'ing sad!!