Saw the B52s show at Wolf Trap the other night. Cindy sang the iconic tune “Give me back my Man.”
2 things about this verse. We all know Korvettes was a cool East Coast department store with its roots in NY.
Walking out of Korvettes
Package in her hand
Motions to all the seabirds
Throws divinity on the sand
But the divinity reference is probably about candy. Which is what she had in her package when she motioned to the seabirds.
Divinity is a nougat-like confection made with egg white, corn syrup, and sugar. Optional ingredients such as flavors, chopped dried fruit and chopped nuts are frequently added.
di·vin·i·ty
dəˈvinədē/Submit
noun
1.
the state or quality of being divine.
"Christ's divinity"
synonyms: divine nature, godliness, deity, godhead, holiness
"the divinity of Christ"
2.
a fluffy, creamy candy made with stiffly beaten egg whites.
@ParksRec Just heard this on the local alt radio station, and got me thinking about it again, for the first time in a long time. Old favorite tune, but was always puzzled by ‘divinity’ – than you for clearing that up, it makes total sense now.
@ParksRec Just heard this on the local alt radio station, and got me thinking about it again, for the first time in a long time. Old favorite tune, but was always puzzled by ‘divinity’ – than you for clearing that up, it makes total sense now.
It is funny to me though, to read through many of the interpretations, as from day one I thought I understood the song completely, and never realized there was such quandary over it. I had to particularly chuckle when I read the Wiki article, and saw “The song's subject matter purportedly deals with a woman...
It is funny to me though, to read through many of the interpretations, as from day one I thought I understood the song completely, and never realized there was such quandary over it. I had to particularly chuckle when I read the Wiki article, and saw “The song's subject matter purportedly deals with a woman whose sweetheart has been attacked by a shark.”
Yeah… no. Unless that was snarky euphemism for the other woman who stole her boyfriend, which I suspect. I consider myself a big fan, but had never heard that one before – I guess not fanatic enough, although it doesn’t alter my opinion about the song at all – it may even strengthen it.
I always thought the song was about a woman so distraught over the loss of her lover to another, that she was contemplating suicide. Yes, I know the bad, especially on that album, was perceived as dealing in absurdities – but I also thought that was just a thin veneer; there’s always something there, there, under the protective façade of surrealism.
I don’t think this song even hides the underlying thought process very much – I found it powerful the first time I heard it, and I still do. I’ve always argued art elicits emotion, and good art elicits the emotion the artist intended. From my first listen on, I feel the raw pain of betrayal, and the helplessness which can accompany it.
A woman loses her boyfriend – not to a shark, although that may be how the protagonist sees the other woman who stole him from her. She is distraught, and in a somewhat stereotypical gesture, cuts her hair off and blows what little money she has left before resolving to kill herself. She goes to the shore, where she plans to do it – to drown herself. The exact method is not clear, but does it really matter? She bought some stupid crap from the discount store on the way, perhaps as an excuse to take her there… I’m just going to feed the birds, some sardines, and maybe some candy (maybe all that was handy in the store). Do seagulls eat candy? Probably, but it doesn’t even need to make sense.
This is where it actually is absurd, but maybe not as much as it may seem – people do irrational things in the throngs of depression, especially the final stages. None of it has to make any sense – she is driven to suicide, and doing weird things along the way which are nonsensical, because it just doesn’t matter anymore. See these acts as perhaps the last desperate cries for help, for the desire to live battling the darkness.
I had also thought, from day one, that ‘fish’ was a reference to her being under water, drowned – she didn’t even need to buy any sardines from the store, perhaps just the candy. The fish in her hand, is a reference to her having done it, and being under the waves, among the fish.
Did she go through with it, or is this just reflection of what may have been? I have often wondered if this was autobiographical for Cindy; obviously, she didn’t do it… but maybe she thought about it, a lot.
The song breaks my heart. I don’t see it as nonsense, but perhaps I just see and hear what I want to, or what resonates with me. Then again, I go back to my definition of good art, and I think this is outstanding art. It elicits a specific thought and emotion, and I have always thought it was the one she wanted to convey.
Saw the B52s show at Wolf Trap the other night. Cindy sang the iconic tune “Give me back my Man.” 2 things about this verse. We all know Korvettes was a cool East Coast department store with its roots in NY.
Walking out of Korvettes Package in her hand Motions to all the seabirds Throws divinity on the sand
But the divinity reference is probably about candy. Which is what she had in her package when she motioned to the seabirds.
Divinity is a nougat-like confection made with egg white, corn syrup, and sugar. Optional ingredients such as flavors, chopped dried fruit and chopped nuts are frequently added.
di·vin·i·ty dəˈvinədē/Submit noun 1. the state or quality of being divine. "Christ's divinity" synonyms: divine nature, godliness, deity, godhead, holiness "the divinity of Christ" 2. a fluffy, creamy candy made with stiffly beaten egg whites.
@ParksRec Just heard this on the local alt radio station, and got me thinking about it again, for the first time in a long time. Old favorite tune, but was always puzzled by ‘divinity’ – than you for clearing that up, it makes total sense now.
@ParksRec Just heard this on the local alt radio station, and got me thinking about it again, for the first time in a long time. Old favorite tune, but was always puzzled by ‘divinity’ – than you for clearing that up, it makes total sense now.
It is funny to me though, to read through many of the interpretations, as from day one I thought I understood the song completely, and never realized there was such quandary over it. I had to particularly chuckle when I read the Wiki article, and saw “The song's subject matter purportedly deals with a woman...
It is funny to me though, to read through many of the interpretations, as from day one I thought I understood the song completely, and never realized there was such quandary over it. I had to particularly chuckle when I read the Wiki article, and saw “The song's subject matter purportedly deals with a woman whose sweetheart has been attacked by a shark.”
Yeah… no. Unless that was snarky euphemism for the other woman who stole her boyfriend, which I suspect. I consider myself a big fan, but had never heard that one before – I guess not fanatic enough, although it doesn’t alter my opinion about the song at all – it may even strengthen it.
I always thought the song was about a woman so distraught over the loss of her lover to another, that she was contemplating suicide. Yes, I know the bad, especially on that album, was perceived as dealing in absurdities – but I also thought that was just a thin veneer; there’s always something there, there, under the protective façade of surrealism.
I don’t think this song even hides the underlying thought process very much – I found it powerful the first time I heard it, and I still do. I’ve always argued art elicits emotion, and good art elicits the emotion the artist intended. From my first listen on, I feel the raw pain of betrayal, and the helplessness which can accompany it.
A woman loses her boyfriend – not to a shark, although that may be how the protagonist sees the other woman who stole him from her. She is distraught, and in a somewhat stereotypical gesture, cuts her hair off and blows what little money she has left before resolving to kill herself. She goes to the shore, where she plans to do it – to drown herself. The exact method is not clear, but does it really matter? She bought some stupid crap from the discount store on the way, perhaps as an excuse to take her there… I’m just going to feed the birds, some sardines, and maybe some candy (maybe all that was handy in the store). Do seagulls eat candy? Probably, but it doesn’t even need to make sense.
This is where it actually is absurd, but maybe not as much as it may seem – people do irrational things in the throngs of depression, especially the final stages. None of it has to make any sense – she is driven to suicide, and doing weird things along the way which are nonsensical, because it just doesn’t matter anymore. See these acts as perhaps the last desperate cries for help, for the desire to live battling the darkness.
I had also thought, from day one, that ‘fish’ was a reference to her being under water, drowned – she didn’t even need to buy any sardines from the store, perhaps just the candy. The fish in her hand, is a reference to her having done it, and being under the waves, among the fish.
Did she go through with it, or is this just reflection of what may have been? I have often wondered if this was autobiographical for Cindy; obviously, she didn’t do it… but maybe she thought about it, a lot.
The song breaks my heart. I don’t see it as nonsense, but perhaps I just see and hear what I want to, or what resonates with me. Then again, I go back to my definition of good art, and I think this is outstanding art. It elicits a specific thought and emotion, and I have always thought it was the one she wanted to convey.