Jane Siberry

[vickie@chinet.chi.il.us (Vickie Ann Mapes)]

Vickie here.        (Entering IMHOland. Welcome!)

Loren Moore says:

> Well, I can't honestly say that all of her stuff is the best in the
> universe, but, I will say that 'The Walking' and 'The Speckless Sky' 
> are among the best in the universe.

YES!YES!TES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!

> It seems the whole album's (The Walking) thread is one of breakup,
> isolation, distortions of relationships, and all out despair.
> I can only think that she must have gone through one hell of a
> time to write such moving songs.

I believe that she and John Switzer broke up as a couple during the
making of this album. If I'd never heard of Jane the above description
might tend to set off alarm bells in my head. Who, I might ask, needs 
another "o woe is me" album? Jane's music is so brilliant (IMHO) though,
that it wouldn't matter what the lyrics were saying, but when you do listen
to the lyrics, they're not like anybody else's in the universe. She has an
amazing ability to see (and write about) things with the most interesting
perspectives. The song "Red High Heels" for instance, is about a woman who
has just broken up with her lover, and is walking home in the snow. She
is drunk and has red high heels one, so she's not doing very well. Thoughts
run randomly through her mind, sung in a stream-of-conciousness way. Some
are silly, some are profound, some are nonsensical, some are painful. At the
end of the song she just gets tired of walking and lies down in the snow.
You assume she dies, but it's not a suicide, exactly.

A couple of other quick interpretations...we believe that "Lena Is A White
Table" is about an autistic child. There are 4 characters in the song. Two
sisters, talking about a third (Lena), to the forth, who's never heard from.

"The White Tent The Raft" is (again, we believe) about Jane's grandparents.

Jane often writes lyrics in a stream-of-conciousness way, changes points of
view often and even contridicts herself occasionally. Add on the fact that
many of her songs have multiple characters (something like 10 in "The Bird 
In The Gravel) and her lyrics make for fascinating, interesting, sometimes
frustrating, fun. It takes work to figure Jane out, but she's worth it.

Of course, all this is IMHO. She isn't for everyone, and it even took me
about a year to realize her brilliance. She's subtle and she'll sneak up
on the listener who gives her a chance and has the correct mind-set.
Her music may sometimes seem simple, until you pay attention and notice
all the weird things going on. It might also seem weird, until you pay
attention and notice all the normal things that are going on. Stunning!

She's a very beautiful person, inside and out. I was lucky enough to see
her in concert last year and was able to meet her after the show. I would
not hesitate to say that meeting Jane was one of the highlights of my life.
In the musical-importance part of my life. Up there, second only to meeting
Kate. Up there with seeing Genesis twice when Peter Gabriel was still the
lead singer. Up there with getting in touch, and becoming friends with
Happy Rhodes. Those are the highest of the highlights for me. 

Ayya, I could talk about Jane for hours. I've written so many posts about
her that I don't want to repeat myself, but, (IMHO), she's a genius.
I love all 5 of her albums (and they're all very different from each
other) and I'm anxiously awaiting her new album.

> To have the ability to move other people in such an intrusive way is a
> gift.

Thank you for your post, Loren. I couldn't agree more.


Vickie (one of two people who flew from Kansas City to Chicago to see Jane)
katefans@chinet.chi.il.us

Let's talk dieties...

I   Kate is God
M   Jane is Jesus
O   Happy is The Holy Ghost


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