* * DREAMING * *

A 'Best of' Love-Hounds Collection

The Dreaming

The Songs

"Houdini"

From: kk4fs!s fungus@crdgw1.ge.com (Slender Fungus)
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 22:47:35 EST
Subject: houdini

THE HOUDINI SPIRIT MESSAGE

by Teller

Bess opened a tearoom after Houdini died. She needed company. She had been married thirty-two years. People knew her only as the widow of her husband. She sat with customers, all down-and-out showbiz cronies, and reminisced about the old days.

Weeping in her tea, she'd show her friend how Harry had inscribed inside her ring the words of "Rosabelle," the song she sang when they first shared a bill on Coney Island, where they fell in love:

Rosabelle, sweet Rosabelle,
I love you more than I can tell.
Over me you cast a spell.
I love you my sweet Rosabelle.

Her friend would smile and ask her for a loan. The tearoom failed.

Bess became an author, wrote a screenplay based on Harry's life. It never sold. She tried becoming what she'd lost -- "The Greatest Lady Wizard" -- failed and sold her documents and recollections for publication in Houdini, His Life Story. The book, made from her notes, included table of the code that she and Harry used in vaudeville mind reading.

To the press, Houdini was still news, which meant that Bess now answered questions for him. "Did Houdini think there was a life beyond the grave?"

"He hoped there was, but would not let himself believe until he heard his mother's voice speak through a spirit medium the word 'forgive' -- that was her dying word, you know. He never heard.

"He was afraid that if he died before me, crooked mediums would come and take advantage of my grief, deceive me with their tricks and make me say things that would discredit Harry's work exposing fraud and superstition. So he made a plan that whoever died first would try to reach the other in a code, a system we both knew so well by heart that even death would not make us forget. The medium who brings ten words from Harry will win ten thousand dollars as reward."

Bess made this statement to the Brooklyn Eagle, March 27, 1927.

In February 1928, the pastor of the First Spiritualist Church of New York, the Reverend Arthur Ford, became entranced by his celestial guide.

He said Cecilia Weiss, Houdini's mother, was present, saying, "All this later life my Harry sought to hear from me a certain word I spoke before I died, 'forgive' -- that was the word -- his wife Bess knew it, no one else. Contact her. See if what I say is true."

They sent the message on to Bess. She was impressed. "This is the first time," Bess wrote in reply, "that any spirit message had appearance of the truth. Had Houdini heard that word, it would have changed, I think, the whole course of his life. Strange in the message that she called him Harry, not Ehrich as she called him all his life. But, of course, she has that heavy German accent. It really is a trivial mistake."

III

In December 1928, Bess came down with influenza, badly. On New Year's Day she tumbled down a flight of stairs and hurt her back. Delirious, she cried "Harry, dear, who don't you come back to me from the other side?" She reached her arms out, as though grasping him, and said, "I knew you would come back to me, my dear!" Then she blackened out.

As she lay ill on her couch, two members of Ford's congregation came, bearing a message which they said had come one word at a time through Reverend Ford. It took, they said, ten seances and several months before the ten-word message was complete: "Rosabelle, answer, tell, pray, answer, look, tell, answer, answer, tell."

They saw a look of shock, asked if the words made sense to her.

They did. The two advised her to arrange for Reverend Ford to come and hold a seance in her home.

Two days later, Bess was lying on the sofa, a bandage on her head, as Arthur Ford, sitting blindfolded with a handkerchief, went into a trance. As witnesses looked on he spoke the words he'd written in the note, "Rosabelle, answer, tell, pray, answer, look, tell, answer, answer, tell," in a strange voice which he said was Houdini's.

He asked her whether what he said made sense to her. She said it did. Then he went on: "Thank you, sweetheart. Now take off your ring and tell the witnesses what 'Rosabelle' means." Then softly Bess began to sing,

Rosabelle, sweet Rosabelle,
I love you more than I can tell.
Over me you cast a spell.
I love you my sweet Rosabelle.

The Houdini voice explained what this song meant to Bess and Harry, then went on: The strange words of the message were the cues from the Houdinis' vaudeville mind reading. Each word or pair of words stood for a letter of the alphabet. They spelled "believe."

Almost gloating now, the voice explained: "Rosabelle, sweet Rosabelle, BELIEVE! Spare no time or money to undo the attitude of doubt I had on earth. Teach the truth to those who've lost the faith, my sweetheart. Tell the world there is no death."

And that is what Bess did. Next day the headline -- "Widow, Ill, Communes with Houdini" -- showed up all aorund the world. And on that January 9, Bess made a statement to the New York World. She said "I did not know what words Harry would use. Of course I knew that is would be in code, but, when he said 'believe,' I was surprised."

What could have made Bess act the way she did? How could she be surprised to hear from Ford things she had told the press in interviews or give to be published in a book? What made her thing the word "believe" was more than something Reverend Ford had just made up to make a point and publicize himself?

Was she unbalanced? After three decade in Houdini's shadow, was the light too much? Her health was always "fragile." What did "fragile" mean? They say she loved champagne. And in the latter years, when "health" prevented her from working in the show with Harry, they say she often say backstage and sipped.

There was a darker possibility. When the insurance money started to run low, and she had sold Houdini's props, had Ford offered Bess publicity and profits from a lecture tour they'd make to "spread the good word" of life after death?

That's what the press though, not suprisingly. Almost overnight the headlines changed: "Houdini Message a Big Hoax!" they said. Investigative journalists obtained a copy of the letter Ford had sent two days before the seance, in which he claimed to have received the "code words" from his "guide." This, they said, was evidence that Bess and Ford had hatched the plot together. Ford was accused of fraud and brought to trial by his own congregation. He was not convicted, but the cloud of doubt remained.

Bess never spoke to Reverend Ford again. She disavowed the message: "I was ill, both physically and mentally. Such was my eagerness that mediums were able to prey upon my mind, make me believe, and say things that would bring my husband shame."

Bess kept a candle burning for ten years in her apartment by a picture of Houdini. And each year on Halloween she took that candle to a seance, hopeful.

In October 1936, high on the famous Knickerbocker Hotel roof in Hollywood, she tried on final time. No handcuffs opened, and no trumpet spoke. No message wrote itself upon the slate. No table rose. No tambourine stood up and danced.

Bess made a little speech: "I do not think that Harry will come back to me or anyone. I think the dead don't speak. I now regretfully turn out the light. This is the end, Harry," she said. "Good night!" And she blew the candle out.

This story was from the groovey book, "Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends" by Penn Jillette and Teller (the latter actually wrote this particular story).

Now why did I post this story here? Well, it helped me pick up some points in the song "Houdini" that I was unsure of... For example, the tambourine was a kind of "sign" during the seance. And this story explained the "code" mentioned in the song... Also, this story gave background information that kinda set the scene for the song...

Hope you enjoyed it, and I'm sorry it's a bit lengthy...

Slender Fungus

From: Soaf1!wb3ffv!aplcen!jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu!pablo@uunet.UU.NET (Pablo A Iglesias)
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1992 19:37:05 -0500
Subject: Houdini

This being one of my favourite KaTe songs, something has always bothered me. Who is/was Rosabel? Before you all jump out and say Mrs. Houdini, I know for a fact that Mrs. Houdini's name was Bess. (OK, Elizabeth.)

BTW, I was talking to my brother about this song, He is not a KaTe fan, but is an amateur magician and a member of IBM (international Brotherhood of Magicians) It turns out that KaTe's idea that the key for Houdini's stunts is probably erroneous. (I am talking about passing the key with a kiss) It was a theory that was once held, but has been pretty well refuted by now.

Pablo

Date: Sun, 6 Dec 92 22:19 CST
From: chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (chris williams)
Subject: Re: Houdini

You write:

>This being one of my favourite KaTe songs, something has always bothered me. Who is/was Rosabel? Before you all jump out and say Mrs. Houdini, I know for a fact that Mrs. Houdini's name was Bess. (OK, Elizabeth.)

Harry promised that he would try to contact Bess from beyond the grave. The code, "...that only you and I know" was the title of their favorite song, _Rosabel Believe_. Kate had seen a TV documentary about Houdini that detailed the attempts. Bess held many seances with many different mediums attempting to contact him. At one point a medium produced the code, but it turned out that he had obtained the code in a non-supernatural way. Bess eventually sadly concluded that it was impossible to communicate with the dead. Kate may be of a different opinion, or chose to ignore the last part for dramatic reasons.

>BTW, I was talking to my brother about this song, He is not a KaTe fan, but is an amateur magician and a member of IBM (international Brotherhood of Magicians).

Hey, my Dad was a professional magician, and I attended many IBM conventions. If I never see another card trick...

>It turns out that KaTe's idea that the key for Houdini's stunts is probably erroneous. (I am talking about passing the key with a kiss) It was a theory that was once held, but has been pretty well refuted by now.

If you have ever seen the "Die Eftling" video of "Strange Phenomena" you would know that Kate, although a brilliant singer, songwriter and musician, is an absolutely dreadful magician.

Date: 25 Feb 93 14:06:04 EST
From: Mike Mendelson <MJM@ZYLAB.MHS.CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Who is Rosabelle?

I was recently showing someone the Houdini description that Kate once wrote (the story anout Ford, etc.) and the album cover and the song. Just when I thought I was thru, she asked about the lyrics, and who Rosabelle is, and I was stumped. I felt dumb because I know this we've discussed this whole thing here before, but for the life of me I cannot remember. So, if someone could please post a summary of any pertinent details, specifically, what point of view the lyrics are told from (the POV seems to shift, right?) and who is Rosabelle, I would be grateful and could end my friend's confusion.

Thanks in advance. -mjm (mike mendelson)

From: vjmurphy%carina.unm.edu@lynx.unm.edu (Vincent J. Murphy)
Date: 26 Feb 1993 06:33:28 GMT
Subject: Re: Who is Rosabelle?

The phrase 'Rosabelle, believe' was the code phrase that Houdini worked out with his wife to send to her from the afterlife. Though Houdini's wife tried a myriad of mediums, none had the correct message. Well, apparently one did, but I do believe it was shown that that medium and Mrs. Houdini had either planned it out before, or she had accidentally informed him of the code phrase.

Rosabelle, of course, was just his wife's nickname, if I remember correctly.

Date: 26 Feb 93 15:58:32 EST
From: Mike Mendelson <MJM@ZYLAB.MHS.CompuServe.COM>
Subject: houdini

Thanks for refreshing my memory as to Rosabel's ID. Does anyone know Houdini's wife's *real* name (assuming Rosabel was a term of endearment unknown to anyone else)?

There are still some lines in this song that are a bit perplexing. So, here are all the lyrics (for those, like me, who have not memorized every syllable of every song backwards in sanskrit) so you can all help me understand.My notes are in the left margin.

Houdini

I wait at the table,
And hold hands with weeping strangers,
Wait for you
To join the group.

OK, so Mrs.H. is sitting at a table with some charlatan who claims he can contact her dead hubby.

The tambourine jingle-jangles.
The medium roams and rambles.
Not taken in, I break the circle.

Alas, he cannot pull the wool over her eyes, so she cuts the seance short...

I want this man
To go away now.

...and expresses loathing for the guy who's in charge.

With a kiss
I'd pass the key
And feel your tongue
Teasing and receiving.
With your spit
Still on my lip--
You hit the water.

Here a little reminiscence re: her husband's exploits... the way she would slip him the key before he enterred the locked trunk about to be submerged in shark-infested ice cold water etc. etc. ("Teasing and receiving" --ain't that brilliant?)

Him and I in the room
To prove you are with us too.

Now, she's referring to the guy called Ford, I presume, who supposedly succeeded in uncovering the correct code Houdini and his wife agreed on before his departure: "Rosabel believe."

He's using code that only you and I know.
This is no trick of his.
This is your magic.

But it's really Houdini who is pulling the strings.

I'd catch the cues,
Watching you,
Hoping you'd do something wrong.

This is where I start to lose it. What is she referring to here? The cues of Houdini as he is about to perform a trick? Well, why would she hope something go wrong? Or has she started to refer to the medium in second person, suddenly, thus hoping that *he*'d do something wrong? I'm a little puzzled. Help.

Everybody thinks you'll never make it,
But every time,
You escape!

Sure, everyone else is the skeptic... but Mrs.H. knows he will succeed... or does she?

Rosabel believe,
Not even eternity
Can hold Houdini!

At least a double entendre here: 1) Rosabel (Mrs.H.) believe that H is boss, or 2) Ford uttering "Rosabel believe", the mantra that proves he has contacted H, whom no one can hold back.

"Rosabel, believe!"

Through the glass
I'd watch you breathe.
Bound and drowned,
And paler than you've ever been.

With your life
The only thing in my mind--
We pull you from the water!

I guess Mrs.H. is apprehensive when Houdini does his stunts, even though she knows the trick.

Houdini!

You
And I
And Rosabel believe.

A conundrumatic ending. Is 'you' the person listening to the song? Ford? Houdini himself? Does Rosabel here refer to Mrs.H., making the "I" redundant? Or is Kate the "I", speaking now as narrator about H or the listener (you) and Mrs. H.?

OK. All help is hereby solicited and accepted. Thanks.

From: as010b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Scorpii)
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 93 22:35:58 GMT
Subject: Re: houdini

Possibly:

"You and I and 'Rosabel, believe'?"

Just a thought. "You and I and the code."

Drewcifer

Date: 26 Feb 1993 23:35:51 -0500
From: scasterg@waltham.columbus.oh.us (Stuart M. Castergine)
Subject: re: houdini

> I guess Mrs. H. is apprehensive when Houdini does his stunts, even though she knows the trick.

The description is how Houdini died. He was punched in the stomach when he wasn't ready for it by some idiot shortly before he was to go on stage. It ruptured his appendix. He passed out in the tank and drowned.

From: halfen@snake27.cs.wisc.edu (Mark Halfen)
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1993 07:49:20 GMT Subject: Re: houdini

(bunch of lines deleted)...

> I'd catch the cues,

It's been a while since I actually looked at the lyrics for this song, but I always got the impression that the word was "queues", as in lines ofpeople. Pardon my ignorance if this is incorrect.

> Watching you,
> Hoping you'd do something wrong.

>This is where I start to lose it. What is she referring to here? The cues of Houdini as he is about to perform a trick? Well, why would she hope something go wrong? Or has she started to refer to the medium in second person, suddenly, thus hoping that *he*'d do something wrong? I'm a little puzzled. Help.

You see, I always thought that this verse was about the people who came tosee Houdini perform his magic, and Mrs. H. was referring to how many ofthem were secretly excited by the idea of Houdini screwing up somehow andgetting hurt. After all, if you go to see Houdini do his thing, a lot ofthe excitement is in wondering whether he can actually pull it off.

>I guess Mrs.H. is apprehensive when Houdini does his stunts, even though she knows the trick.

This is basically consistent with the ideas I stated above. Mrs. Houdinican't help but be affected by the possibility of a mistake or an accident. She knows that PROBABLY everything will be all right, but the small elementof uncertainty is quite troublesome to her.

>OK. All help is hereby solicited and accepted. Thanks.

Thank YOU. I had often wondered about most of the lyrics in this song, whichtended to be pretty mysterious since I didn't know anything about the medium,or who in the world this "Rosabel" person was.

Date: Sat, 27 Feb 93 18:34:50 -0500
From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka)
Subject: Re: Who is Rosabelle?

The entire song is from the point of view of Houdini's wife. Rosabelle was, I believe Houdini's mother. The name is important, though, because the 'secret code' that Houdini shared with his wife so she'd know he was speaking to her from 'beyond' was "Rosabelle believe." Hence it's many repetitions within the song.

Of course, the one line in the song not spoken by Mrs. Houdini is Del's telephoned "Rosabelle belive" in the second verse.

While the entire song is first-person from Mrs. Houdini, it *does* jump around int time. The verses are after Houdini's death and the refrain is during various performances.

God, this song is so romantic, sad, chilling. It gives me shivvers every time I hear it. <sigh>

Jeff (who's in the process of putting the CD into his player right now...)

Date: Sun, 28 Feb 93 04:53:37 EST
From: vickie@pilot.njin.net (Vickie Mapes)
Subject: Re: Who is Rosabelle?

According to a documentary we have, "Rosabel Believe" was a song that the Houdinis loved. An excerpt of what I assume is the actual song is playing at the point where the voice-over is talking about them setting up the code.

Shall I blaspheme a little? Why not, even God can take some ribbing every now and then. The song itself works just fine, lyrically and musically, but Kate herself came off looking just a bit silly in interviews after the album came out, when talking about that song. In reality, whats-his-name never broke the code through supernatural means. Mrs. Houdini thought he did, at first (and there's the song) but later found out that he obtained the code through earthly means. She eventually stated that there was no way of communicating with the dearly departed. I don't know where Kate heard the story that turned into "Houdini" but she didn't do any homework on the real story. I cringe when listening to some of those interviews, because the way she talks, she actually *believes* that Mrs H made contact with Mr H. I hope someone told her, and I hope she doesn't still believe that.

It doesn't matter, I love her anyway.

Vickie

From: tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll)
Date: 1 Mar 93 20:29:12 GMT
Subject: Re: houdini

Mike Mendelson writes:

> I'd catch the cues,
> Watching you,
> Hoping you'd do something wrong. >

> This is where I start to lose it. What is she referring to here? The cues of Houdini as he is about to perform a trick? Well, why would she hope something go wrong? Or has she started to refer to the medium in second person, suddenly, thus hoping that *he*'d do something wrong? I'm a little puzzled. Help.

It's "queues." In British usage, a queue is a line, as in a line of people. This is a reference to spectators lined up, secretly hoping something goes wrong in the trick.

Date: Mon, 1 Mar 93 17:49:22 -0500
From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka)
Subject: Houdini

Mark Halfen writes, in response to Mike Mendelson:

>> I'd catch the cues,

>It's been a while since I actually looked at the lyrics for this song, butI always got the impression that the word was "queues", as in lines ofpeople. Pardon my ignorance if this is incorrect.

You're right--the printed lyric is "queue". However, I'd say that this is a very good pun, becaues both spellings of the homophone "cue/queue" (in English, in any event) make perfect grammatical and contextual sense.

> This is basically consistent with the ideas I stated above. Mrs. Houdini can't help but be affected by the possibility of a mistake or an accident.She knows that PROBABLY everything will be all right, but the small elementof uncertainty is quite troublesome to her.

As someone's already pointed out, that last verse ("bound and drowned and paler than you've ever been") would, in fact, refer to his actual death. Apparently one of his "tricks" was to allow strong, macho-minded folks to punch him as hard as they could in the stomach. Not long before his final performance, he did this, and the puncher ruptured something (the other poster said "appendix" and I'll buy that). This interfered with his underwater escape and he drowned.

Jeff

Date: 01 Mar 93 16:56:25 EST
From: Mike Mendelson <MJM@ZYLAB.MHS.CompuServe.COM>
Subject: queues

Well, thanks to everyone for their Houdini interpretations. I understand most of it now, though you may have noticed some discrepancies among the various people who posted their ideas. Note to ARCHIVE-MAN (Ron?? or whoever): The transcription I used is from IED's *most-lyrics* post from who-knows-when. There, he writes "cues", not "queues". Granted queues makes more sense in context. I'm not at home, but I wonder what the lyric booklet gives for this spelling? Anyways, someone might want to correct the most-lyrics post in the archives.

From: mojzes@tiger.vill.edu (tyrone slothrop)
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1993 01:15:14 GMT
Subject: Re: queues

The booklet says "queues." Sad. I like "cues" better.

From: ac151@freenet.carleton.ca (David Clarke)
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 03:44:53 GMT
Subject: Harry, Bess & Rosabelle

Ok, just some bits and pieces:

Rosabelle wasn't Harry Houdini's wife or mother...

Mother = Cecilia Weiss

Father = Mayer Samuel Weiss

(Harry was born Ehrich Weiss)

Harry's wife was Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, but everybody called her Bess. Harry met her while he and his brother were doing their magic act at Coney Island. 10 days later, Harry married her, and she joined the magic act (his brother left)

"Rosabelle, believe" was the 'secret' message that Harry would use to tell Bess that it was actually him contacting her from 'the other side'. He picked something that he and Bess would know...

Rosabelle was the title of a song...a song that Bess had sung at Coney Island when Bess & Harry started their magic act together...

{Canadian content below:}

Houdini was 'hit' in the stomach after an afternoon show at the Princess Theater in Montreal. He fellow who hit him was a boxing star (college) at McGill University.

Two days later (and after his last show) doctors operated on Houdini and removed a torn appendix...

Anyway...indirectly Kate related, but the subject has been bounced about quite a bit lately.

Dave.

From: Jackie Zucconi <lionhart@netlink.cts.COM>
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 93 22:08:41 PST
Subject: Re: Who is Rosabelle?

"Rosabelle, sweet Rosabelle, I love you more than I could tell." It's a line from the Houdini's favorite song, atleast that's what I've read. Supposedly that they agreed to use the name "Rosabelle" as the code word to contact each other. I also read that Beatrice Houdini had taken a fall down a flight of stairs and blacked out BUT she had mumbled "something" while she was "unconcious" that her nurse heard. As the story goes it was the nurse who told the psychic the code because that's what the "something" was that Beatrice mumbled.

From: kobi@bimacs.cs.biu.ac.il (Sambrano Kobi)

The Annotated 'Houdini'

From the lady herself:

"The song is written from Mrs. Houdini's point of view. And what was rather beautiful was she used to help him a lot with his tricks and one of the things that she would do, before he went off into his tank or to jump into the sea or whatever it was, she would pass him a tiny key with a kiss before she left him and he went off. And when he was then in the water he would use the key to unlock the padlocks. So in many ways by passing that key she was keeping an eye on his life, making sure that he be safe, that he would come out again."

The following is a collection of what people on the mailing list had to say:

Who was Rosabelle? and some Houdini details.

Rosabelle wasn't Harry Houdini's wife or mother...

Mother = Cecilia Weiss

Father = Mayer Samuel Weiss

(Harry was born Ehrich Weiss)

Houdini was 'hit' in the stomach after an afternoon show at the Princess Theater in Montreal. The fellow who hit him was a boxing star (college) at McGill University.

Two days later (and after his last show) doctors operated on Houdini and removed a torn appendix...

According to a documentary we have, "Rosabelle Believe" was a song that the Houdinis loved - a song that Bess had sung at Coney Island when Bess & Harry started their magic act together... An excerpt of what I assume is the actual song is playing at the point where the voice-over is talking about them setting up the code. "Rosabelle, sweet Rosabelle, I love you more than I could tell." is a line from that song.

What is 'Rosabelle Believe'?

Beatrice (Bess) Houdini had taken a fall down a flight of stairs and blacked out BUT she had mumbled "something" while she was "unconcious" that her nurse heard. As the story goes it was the nurse who told the psychic the code because that's what the "something" was that Beatrice mumbled.

About the Song.

Of course, the one line in the song not spoken by Mrs. Houdini is Del's telephoned "Rosabelle belive" in the second verse.

While the entire song is first-person from Mrs. Houdini, it *does* jump around int time. The verses are after Houdini's death and the refrain is during various performances.

God, this song is so romantic, sad, chilling. It gives me shivvers every time I hear it. <sigh>

It doesn't matter, I love her anyway.

Houdini

I wait at the table,
And hold hands with weeping strangers,
Wait for you
To join the group.

(OK, so Mrs.H. is sitting at a table with some charlatan who claims he can contact her dead hubby.)

The tambourine jingle-jangles.
The medium roams and rambles.
Not taken in,
I break the circle.

(Alas, he cannot pull the wool over her eyes, so she cuts the seance short...)

I want this man
To go away now.

(...and expresses loathing for the guy who's in charge.)

With a kiss
I'd pass the key
And feel your tongue
Teasing and receiving.
With your spit
Still on my lip--
You hit the water.

Him and I in the room
To prove you are with us too.

Now, she's referring to the guy called Ford, I presume, who supposedly succeeded in uncovering the correct code Houdini and his wife agreed on before his departure: "Rosabelle believe."

He's using code that only you and I know.
This is no trick of his.
This is your magic.

But it's really Houdini who is pulling the strings.

I'd catch the cues,
Watching you,
Hoping you'd do something wrong.

What is she referring to here? The cues of Houdini as he is about to perform a trick? Well, why would she hope something go wrong? Or has she started to refer to the medium in second person, suddenly, thus hoping that *he*'d do something wrong? Or has she started to refer to the medium in second person, suddenly, thus hoping that *he*'d do something wrong?

- I think the latter. She is *afraid* that Houdini really is contactingher. (You might be afraid too if you thought that a ghost was tryingto contact you) even though it might have been your husband.

- It's "queues." In British usage, a queue is a line, as in a line of people.This is a reference to spectators lined up, secretly hoping something goeswrong in the trick.

- This is basically consistent with the ideas I stated above. Mrs. Houdinican't help but be affected by the possibility of a mistake or an accident.She knows that PROBABLY everything will be all right, but the small elementof uncertainty is quite troublesome to her.

Everybody thinks you'll never make it,
But every time,
You escape!

Sure, everyone else is the skeptic... but Mrs.H. knows he will succeed... or does she?

Rosabelle believe,
Not even eternity
Can hold Houdini!

At least a double entendre here: 1) Rosabelle (Mrs.H.) believe that H is boss, or 2) Ford uttering "Rosabelle believe", the mantra that proves he has contacted H, whom no one can hold back.

"Rosabelle, believe!"
Through the glass
I'd watch you breathe.
Bound and drowned,
And paler than you've ever been.
With your life
The only thing in my mind--
We pull you from the water!

I guess Mrs.H. is apprehensive when Houdini does his stunts, even though she knows the trick.

Houdini! You
And I
And Rosabelle believe.

A conundrumatic ending. Is 'you' the person listening to the song? Ford? Houdini himself? Does Rosabelle here refer to Mrs.H., making the "I" redundant? Or is Kate the "I", speaking now as narrator about H or the listener (you) and Mrs. H.? Possibly "You and I and the code." or maybe the "I" is Kate.

Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 07:57:40 -0500 (EST)
From: "Stuart M. Castergine" <scasterg@cd.columbus.oh.us>
Subject: Houdini

Here's something for discussion. Listen closely to Houdini.

The official lyrics say "With your spit still on my lips."

But when I listen to it, I always get the impression that she is saying "With your spirit still on my lips". The 'r' sound seems greatly slurred and rushed, but there.

It seems there is a certain poetic beauty to spirit instead of spit. The word used for spirit in Greek translations of the Bible was derived from the word for wind or breath, and there are passages in the Bible that equate the spirit with the breath.

Since the song is about her searching for his spirit, I think it is neat to imagine one of his last breaths as he withdraws from the kiss, and her feeling it lingering on her lips and imagining his very spirit there. Then when he dies (as in the song, not real life), the body they pull from the water has no spirit -- no breath -- left. The last of it she felt was what he left behind with that last kiss. You can even go further, since this is Houdini we're talking about, and say that the great magician tricked death through the ruse of leaving his spirit on her lips, not taking it into the water with him -- with a kiss, she passed the key that would allow him to escape eternity "Not even eternity can hold Houdini." I know that's pushing it, but I like the thought. :-)

Sigh. But I am probably mishearing it -- all my recent listening has been done with an old cassette copy on a cheap tape player. My cd player and turntable (remember those?) are in storage while I build a new house.

What's everyone else think?

On to "Get Out Of My House"

written by Love-Hounds
compiled and edited
by
Wieland Willker
Sept 1995 June 1996