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General Discussion => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Crewe on March 07, 2018, 02:41:44 AM

Title: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on March 07, 2018, 02:41:44 AM
So, it's late and I'm on zero sleep for two days and was listening to a song that has been a favorite of mine since it was released.
We know songs are not always are purely literal translation. Example, Saturday Night Special. Not one word or instance in that story contains any ambiguity.
However, take just about any Jack White tune and you suddenly have vague interpretations and analogous lyrics.
I thought we could post lyrics that you would like another opinion on to get a fresh perspective or perhaps to solidify your own understanding.
I enjoy discussing things like this but we will see if it has legs.
I'll start with Della and the dealer by Hoyt Axton from 79 (3:18)
Seemingly light hearted and fun song...

I think the lyrics are pretty easy to understand but if not, here ya go.
I'll wait to see if anyone has input before throwing my opinion out there.

It was Della and the Dealer and a dog named Jake
And a cat named Kalamazoo.
Left the city in a pick up truck,
Gonna make some dreams come true.
Yea, they rolled out west where the wild sun sets
And the coyote bays at the moon.
Della and the Dealer and a dog named Jake
and a cat named Kalamazoo
If that cat could talk what tales he'd tell
About Della and the Dealer and the dog
as well
But the cat was cool, and he never said a mumblin word.
Down Tucson way there's a small cafe
Where they play a little cowboy tune.
And the guitar picker was a friend of mine
By the name of Randy Boone.
Yea, Randy played her a sweet love song
And Della got a fire in her eye
The Dealer had a knife and the dog had a gun
and the cat had a shot of Rye.
If that cat could talk what tales he'd tell
About Della and the Dealer and the dog
as well
But the cat was cool, and he never said a mumblin word.
Yea, the dealer was a killer,
He was evil and mean
And he was jealous of the fire in her eyes.
He snorted his coke through a century note
And swore that Boone would die.
The stage was set when the lights went out.
There was death in Tucson town.
Two shadows ran for the bar back door
And one stayed on the ground
If that cat could talk what tales he'd tell
About Della and the Dealer and the dog
as well
But the cat was cool, and he never said a mumblin word.
Two shadows ran from the bar that night
And dog and cat ran too.
And the tires got hot on the pick up truck
As down the road they flew.
It was Della and her lover and a dog named Jake
And a cat named Kalamazoo.
Left Tucson in a pick-up truck
Gonna make some dreams come true.
If that cat could talk what tales he'd tell
About Della and the Dealer and the dog
as well
But the cat was cool, and he never said a mumblin word.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on March 08, 2018, 12:03:06 AM
Hmm...the lyrics and the story seem simple enough: Della got tired of the Dealer, found someone new to make a fresh start with. Dealer was jealous, but he didn't survive. Who killed him, who knows...could be Della, or in some way could be the dog. Either way, the Dealer (I believe anyway) didn't make it.

Can say with a high degree of certainty I've never heard that song until now.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: rollntider on March 08, 2018, 11:25:53 AM
thats the dude from Gremlins... and like Norm said never heard that song until now. Also I think Norm got the same I did from the lyrics.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on March 08, 2018, 11:28:18 AM
He also wrote Joy to the World by Three Dog Night

It does seem straightforward, but the only questions I come back to is the slang dog and cat. In that era, I can recall people called cat, but dog is a little more vague. Dog referred to an ugly woman, or could be a guy as in low down dirty dog I guess.
As for the cat, I think he was a mute. "If that cat could talk" implies he couldn't, and then "...he never said a mumbling word" suggesting he could try to talk but t would be heard as mumbling.
I agree Della ran off with Randy Boone, hence the line changed from Della and the dealer to Della and her lover.

This was a song that I latched on to because I thought it was a fun song till I discovered it was a dark gritty tune and it just stuck to me.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: cflnut on March 08, 2018, 02:33:20 PM
I tend to agree with everyone else about this.

However without knowing the time frame this took place in, the Cat & Dog references are hard to narrow down.
You could make the assumption from the line " the dog had a gun, and the cat had a shot of Rye." that they were people. And when used in slang terms they could be interpreted as such:

So to me the only time that the slang for Dog and Cat seem to overlap is during the 1930's. Which seems to fit in with the narrative of the story given the line "Down Tucson way there's a small cafe Where they play a little cowboy tune."

And like Crewe said the Cat could be a mute, or perhaps just a quite, Introverted person who tends to mumble when he talks.

Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on March 08, 2018, 03:13:49 PM
great post.
the song was from the late 70's but I suppose the song could take place any time before that.
Thanks for the input, good stuff
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: rollntider on March 08, 2018, 06:27:13 PM
I will give it a shot, but be a little different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuWkVqum6a8
QuoteIn a little cafe
Just the other side of the border
She was just sitting there givin' me looks
That made my mouth water
So I started walking her way
She belonged to bad man Jose
And I knew, yes I knew I should leave
When I heard her say, yeah
"Come a little bit closer
You're my kind of man
So big and so strong
Come a little bit closer
I'm all alone and the night is so long"
So we started to dance
In my arms, she felt so inviting
And I just couldn't resist
Just one little kiss, so exciting
Then I heard the guitar player say
"Vamos, Jose's on his way"
Then I knew, yes I knew I should run
But then I heard her say, yeah
"Come a little bit closer
You're my kind of man
So big and so strong
Come a little bit closer
I'm all alone and the night is so long"
Then the music stopped
When I looked the cafe was empty
Then I heard Jose say
"Man, you know you're in trouble plenty"
So I dropped my drink from my hand
And out through the window I ran
And as I rode away
I could hear her say to Jose, yeah
"Come a little bit closer
You're my kind of man
So big and so strong
Come a little bit closer
I'm all alone and the night is so long"

this one to me is pretty straight forward, but I think it told a story in the verses and used the chorus to bring character back and make him realize he was better off without her. I always liked that it told a story and liked the way it used the chorus to do it.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: cflnut on March 08, 2018, 07:06:48 PM
The girl is a flirt. Even though she is Jose girl, she still flirts with other guys when Jose is not around.
The guy telling the story dose get a warning about Jose coming, but weather he ignores it or doesn't have time to react is unclear. However given this pat of the song here:

I don't think he had time to react, and a fight ensued, with the story teller on the losing end.

In the end the girl acts all innocent to Jose, saying the same thing that she said to the story teller. Hence making him realize he was being played.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on March 08, 2018, 07:27:23 PM
I agree. She's a tease and he's still drawn to her knowing it could end poorly for him.
Confronted, he high tails it and like nut said, could be after a beat down. And that would actually make more sense to me because he paid a price for his bad decision.
And then she just continues on with no consequences or regrets.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on April 28, 2018, 06:41:15 PM
Alright, hit me with your interpretations here.
Hardest Button to Button by White Stripes

We started living in an old house
My ma gave birth and we were checking it out
It was a baby boy
So we bought him a toy
It was a ray gun
And it was 1981
We named him "Baby"
He had a toothache
He started crying
It sounded like an earthquake
It didn't last long
Because I stopped it
I grabbed a rag doll
And stuck some little pins in it
Now we're a family
And we're alright now
We got money and a little place
To fight now
We don't know you
And we don't owe you
But if you see us around
I got something else to show you
Now it's easy when you don't know better
You think it's sleazy?
Then put it in a short letter
We keep warm
But there's just something wrong with ya
Just feel like you're the hardest button to button
I had opinions
That didn't matter
I had a brain
That felt like pancake batter
I got a backyard
With nothing in it
Except a stick. a dog
And a box with something in it
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh oh

Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on May 10, 2018, 07:04:29 PM
no takers?
here's my thought.
Feels like its about a kid dealing with jealousy issues when a new baby is born into the family.
Jack White is rarely literal, but where I really have questions is the line about, you think its sleazy then put it in a short letter.
It just doesn't seem to fit the narrative, unless he's implying the older kid actually did severely harm the new baby.
The line, But if you see us around I got something else to show you...this just leaves me blank.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on May 14, 2018, 11:44:36 PM
How the hell did I miss all of this?
Anyway, I'll have to check out this song in the next day or so and give my take...
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on May 29, 2018, 08:38:37 PM
Quote from: TheNorm on May 14, 2018, 11:44:36 PM
How the hell did I miss all of this?
Anyway, I'll have to check out this song in the next day or so and give my take...

yea uh, hello?  ;-)
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on June 02, 2018, 01:58:24 PM
Yeah, your interpretation doesn't seem that far off after listening to it. Jealousy issue after a new baby sibling arrives is what i get out of it. Not much else, really.

Never really listened to this song before, but a pretty decent one from Jack White and his 'sister' lol.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on June 02, 2018, 02:07:39 PM
Decided to check out the wiki on them because even though I knew they were from Detroit I wasn't really much into that scene. I'd seen a few "garage rock" bands at spots in the area during the 90s, but most of them were forgettable...save for the Verve Pipe oddly enough.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Stripes

The place where they first met, Memphis Smoke in Royal Oak, I used to go there all the time (they had some amazing food)...even around the time Meg White used to work there.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on June 02, 2018, 07:00:36 PM
thats cool norm. I really like the Stripes quite a lot.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on October 02, 2018, 12:26:00 PM
Okay, I'll submit one...damn I loved this song (and the album it came from) when it came out in 92. Loved Natalie Merchant's vocals.

"Noah's Dove" - 10,000 Maniacs

You win a prize for that,
for telling lies like that
So well that I believed it.
And I never felt cheated.

You were the chosen one,
the pure eyes of Noah's dove.
Choir boys and angels
stole your lips and your halo.

In your reckless mind,
you act as if you've got more lives.
In your reckless eyes, you only have time and your love of danger
to it you're no stranger.

In that August breeze
of those forgotten trees,
your time was set for leaving,
come a colder season.

In your reckless mind,
you act as if you're got more lives
In your reckless eyes,
it's never too late for a chance to seize some final breath of freedom.
Very, so very wise.

Don't reveal it. I'm tired, tired of knowing
where it is you're going.
In your reckless mind,
you act as if you've got more lives.
In your reckless eyes,
You only have time and your love of danger
to it you're no stranger.

In your reckless mind,
you act as if you've got more lives.
In your reckless eyes, it's never too late
for a chance to seize some
final breath of freedom

https://youtu.be/xH-y9nubg0k
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on October 02, 2018, 01:37:19 PM
She had what she thought was the perfect fella and was in denial about his cheating but finally came to accept the truth.
Was I close? ;-)
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: BojackHorsefella on October 02, 2018, 01:54:32 PM
Quote from: Crewe on October 02, 2018, 01:37:19 PM
She had what she thought was the perfect fella and was in denial about his cheating but finally came to accept the truth.
Was I close? ;-)

I'd agree with this. I'd also say, based on the talk of his recklessness, last breath of freedom and many lives, that it isn't the first time and the man has shown a pattern of self-destructive behavior, including torpedoing this relationship evidently.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on October 03, 2018, 01:01:48 AM
Hmmm, I've always thought that was one take of it. I've also found it could be from the view of the writer as well, that she could be talking about herself. You know the phrase 'you tell a lie often enough it can seem like the truth'? Maybe in some way she's believing the lie and in that sense she's no longer cheating (herself? someone else? not sure).

I definitely see the pattern of recklessness and so on could be applied to self too: the self-destructive behavior continues because the person really isn't sticking around for the aftermath; maybe there's something better or maybe that person will just never be satisfied. Whatever interpretation though, I've always enjoyed the contrast between the music and the lyrics: the music feels somewhat upbeat while the lyrics carry a sense of defeat, that there's really no way to fix things.

I've related to this song on more than one occasion.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on October 05, 2018, 03:31:49 PM
Thats why I enjoy these conversations. I sometimes dont look deeper than whats obvious to me and this is a good example.
An insightful interpretation for sure, but as I go through it a few more times, I still come back to my original instinct.
Lines like, you win a prize for that, doesn't really gel for me in an introspective manner and just the way its written speaks to me as the writer being the victim of anothers infidelity, emotional or physical.
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on October 15, 2018, 07:34:43 PM
Yep...going with 10,000 Maniacs again. Same album too.

"Candy Everybody Wants"

If lust and hate is the candy
if blood and love tastes so sweet
then we give 'em what they want
Hey, hey, give 'em what they want

So their eyes are growing hazy 'cause they want to turn it on
so their minds are soft and lazy
Well, hey, give 'em what they want

If lust and hate is the candy
if blood and love tastes so sweet
then we give 'em what they want

So their eyes are growing hazy 'cause they want to turn it on
so their minds are soft and lazy
Well who do you want to blame?

Hey, hey, give 'em what they want

If lust and hate is the candy
if blood and love tastes so sweet
then we give 'em what they want

So their eyes are growing hazy 'cause they want to turn it on
so their minds are soft and lazy.

Well who do you want to blame?

Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on October 15, 2018, 08:10:54 PM
Quote from: TheNorm on October 15, 2018, 07:34:43 PM
Yep...going with 10,000 Maniacs again. Same album too.

"Candy Everybody Wants"

If lust and hate is the candy
if blood and love tastes so sweet
then we give 'em what they want
Hey, hey, give 'em what they want

So their eyes are growing hazy 'cause they want to turn it on
so their minds are soft and lazy
Well, hey, give 'em what they want

If lust and hate is the candy
if blood and love tastes so sweet
then we give 'em what they want

So their eyes are growing hazy 'cause they want to turn it on
so their minds are soft and lazy
Well who do you want to blame?

Hey, hey, give 'em what they want

If lust and hate is the candy
if blood and love tastes so sweet
then we give 'em what they want

So their eyes are growing hazy 'cause they want to turn it on
so their minds are soft and lazy.

Well who do you want to blame?



I dont know this song, but my initial response is that its commentary on social decay and/or desensitivity
Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: TheNorm on October 16, 2018, 11:54:48 PM
You pretty much hit the nail on the head there. Natalie Merchant & 10000 Maniacs were your typical college/alt rock band, and she typically tackled some pretty tough topics in her lyrics: child abuse in "What's the Matter Here", mental illness/depression in "Like the Weather", etc.. This song is no different, speaking about society's appetite for sex and violence and the powers that be absolutely more than willing to give it to them. It's a cycle.

I always enjoyed the dynamic of how chipper this song sounds, while the lyrics tell an entirely different story. I really wanted to use the official video for the song when I posted the lyrics above, but it pretty much gives away what the song is about lol. Check it out here.

Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on January 14, 2019, 05:02:39 PM
just a quick revival here:

This song received a lot of radio airplay back when and was always a favorite.
Terrific riff with an unambiguous meaning, any idea?


Three Lock Box (3:21)
Sammy Hagar

Suckers walk
Money talks
but it can't touch my three lock box
Ah yea

Mysteries of the days of old
You find the key you got the gold

One two three lock box
One two three lock box
One two three lock box
One two three lock box

Treasures here sunken there
buried treasures everywhere

One two three lock box
One two three lock box

Don't go far circle close
the father, son, the Holy Ghost
to the trinity I raise a toast
ah yea

One two three lock box
One two three lock box
One two three lock box
One two three lock box

Secrets of the trinity lie within the number three
hey
One two three lock box
One two three lock box
One two three lock box
One two three lock box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJjvMsPtKTM




Title: Re: Lyric interpretations
Post by: Crewe on January 16, 2019, 02:54:29 PM
The obvious guesses were sexual and I even heard one I really liked long ago which was the Three Lock Box was a guitar case, but, from Sammy himself...

The title was taken completely wrong and I almost had some difficulties with the big store chains thinking it was a sexual thing. But a "Three Lock Box" stands for mind, body, and spirit -- it was also a very valuable buried treasure usually belonging to royalty. When traveling at sea, Kings and Queens would have their valuables in a chest that took three keys to open