Re: annotations redivivus

[John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>]

Jorn Barger <barger@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu> asks:

>Symphony in Blue:
>What do you all make of this paragraph:
>"When that feeling of meaninglessness, sets in,
>Go blowing my mind on God                         [_who_ goes???]
>The light in the dark with the neon arms  [god is a phosphene?]
>The meek He seeks, the beast He calms  [nice, but so _christian_]
>The head of the good soul Department." [heaven as a bureaucracy?]
>
>Generally, the message seems to be about "cosmic sonsciousness"?

The protagonist sits around, feeling blue, "looking at blue, \ the
colour of my room and my mood".  S\he feels small in this world, like
most of us do, a person who has little effect on current events and
whose long term effects on the world and on history are nearly zero.
And so, sitting and thinking about one's tiny place in the universe,
"that feeling of meaninglessness, sets in".  So our protagonist then
starts thinking about "God" and what s\he might be, thus "blowing my
mind on God".  The following three lines are all alternative
interpretations of the Is, the One, the ultimate Power, He or She who
Is, I Am, &c.

The chorus brings the protagonist out of the melancholy Blue state,
because s\he realizes that s\he's part of the "cycle": "on the piano,
\ As a melody. \ My terrible fear of dying, no longer \ Plays with
me".  The "symphony" is the afterlife, the time before rebirth,
however you wish to interpret it.

And then comes the fairly easy to understand "Red" section of the
song, ending with the punchline, "The root of our reincarnations."

>In Search of Peter Pan:
>How old is the speaker?

In the first two paragraphs, I'd say around ten years of age.

>"She whispers that I am a poor kid"  Is this consoling, or insulting?

It's supposed to be consoling, but of course the adult doesn't really
understand the child.  Growing up, loss of innocence and naivete, is
hard, and the parents don't understand the child's point of view.

>Who is the "they" who took the game right out of it?

The adults, the teachers at school.

>Who is Dennis?
>"My eyes are full" of hope? of tears?  of love? (face/empty ditto)
>
>I see a brother and sister, pre-teen, with her suffering from kids' cruelty
>at school?

I really don't understand the second half of this song.

>Wow:
>KT acknowledges that this is for Lindsey Kemp, a gay actor and dancer whom
>she studied with.  I have pointed out that his only known film role was in
>"The Wicker Man" where he played the pub-keeper and dressed as a fool for
>their festival.
>
>Is the Sweeney a theater?

>Who's the 'we' alone on the stage?

The younger actors and ...

>Who's the you we're not afraid of?

the incredibly wonderful leading man, the main actor, the star.

>Who told us we weren't afraid?  Why did we need to be told?

The director, or possibly the star, who is training the more
inexperienced actors, the ones who "don't head the bill."  Because
they were unsure of themselves whenever the star was around.  They
needed to be convinced that he was just another actor just like them.

>What does the theatrical-illusion imagery have to do with the rest of the
>story?
>(i'm confused...)

This last part confuses me as well, but here's a first shot.  I think
that the younger actors really don't think that the star is really all
that great after all.  He's more stuck on himself, plays things
overdramatically ("he always dives too soon, too fast to save
himself").  And if they were putting on the show, they would only give
the star a role if he would "play the fool."

I have some questions, too: Who is "Crippen" in "Coffee Homeground"?
Why is there a "4B" after Duncan Mackay's name in the credits for
"Wow"?  Where do the beads come from in "Heartbrake"?  Why isn't
Love-Hounds called "Lionhearts"?

	-- John

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