Fuel to the Fire

[Stephen Thomas <spt1@ukc.ac.uk>]

First, can I thank those who took the trouble to attempt to answer
my initial query about The Ninth Wave.  You were all most helpful.  It
appears that I may have caused a point of debate, for which I am sorry ...
but not that sorry, because I am about to add to it ( :-) ).

IMHO, she lives.  I feel that the most important point about the songs are
that her experience has taught her to love herself and to truly appreciate
the things in her life that are important to her.  For me, this is clearly
expressed in the lyrics to "The Morning Fog".  I don't have the lyric
sheet in front of me at the moment, so I am probably misquoting, but I think
this is what she means when she says "Little light, you know I think I love
you better now."  I think that if she died after all that she went through, the
point in making this point (if you see what I mean) would be lost.

For what its worth, I think that she is actually *rescued*, or at least found,
by the coast guard or whatever, quite early on.  I think that is what the
helicopter at the end of "Waking the Witch" is about.  However, she is so close
to death that even though she is out of the water, she still has a large
fight to live on her hands, a fight that only starts to be won when her
future, potential self comes to reaffirm the love of life in "Jig of Life".

One final point to note.  At the end of "Waking the Witch", when the helicopter
hovers, a voice shouts "Get out of waves, get out of the water", a phrase
which is repeated in "Hello Earth".  Is this significant?

OK, now I move on to the "The Man With ..." debate.  I think that those who
think that the "I just took a trip on my love for him" lyric refers to
drug-related symbolism are mistaken.  I feel that they have let the words
obscure the meaning.  All I think it means is that she allowed her infatuation
for the man reach very high levels, and a strong infatuation can make you
feel quite high, if you are given to strong emotions.

One last thing.  In a record store in Canterbury today I saw a "limited
edition" CD picture disc, which is a CD single containing two interviews
with herself, one recorded in 1982 about The Dreaming, and the other recorded
in 1985, about Hounds of Love.  Does anyone know about this?  It costs
6 pounds.  The catalogue number is CBAK 4011.

Have fun ...

Stephen
-- 
  Never give   |  Stephen Thomas
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