Female energy in TSW

[woj <woiccare@clutx.clarkson.edu>]

(Warning: none of what follows is meant be sexist or stereotypic).

Something that KaTe has repeatedly mentioned in all her interviews recently
is that TSW was fueled by female energy. I find this statement somewhat mys-
terious (especially considering the use of Dave Gilmour on a few songs, but
more on that later).

Looking at all the songs individually, the only ones that come to mind as
female-fueled are "The Sensual World," "Reaching Out," "Between a Man and a 
Woman" and "Never Be Mine."

"The Sensual World" has already been discussed to the point of regurgitation
regarding its origins. I find it interesting, though, that Joyce, being
male, was able to look so far into the female psyche and write so well about 
it (and lauds of applause to KaTe for turning it into music!).

"Reaching Out" has also been done to death regarding its "value", but going
beyond that, I now look at RO as a companion song to TSW: "Stepping out of
the page into the sensual world." While TSW is *about* interaction with the
world, RO *is* that interaction with the world.

Going further, RO also seems to have a bit of a motherhood thing wrapped up
in it - "Reaching out for Mama" - can it be that KaTe is feeling that bio-
logical time bomb?

"Between a Man and a Woman", while possible to be considered from either
a male or female view, I think it has more of a female drive. "It's so hard
to stay together, with the modern Western pressures" is something most males
wouldn't be heard saying. 

"Never Be Mine" is also strongly female. From my own experiences, while a 
woman may not want to end a relationship or doesn't understand why it must
end, she will steadfastly end it if she knows it must end. This isn't so
for men (or at least for me). With a relationship that isn't working, it 
seems that men will try to stick it out longer. "This is where I want to 
be/But I know this will never be mine."

Any KommenTs, KriTicisms or ThoughTs? Especially on an album-wide scale
rather than just a song-by-song basis...

woj