From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V3 #131 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Sunday, April 22 2001 Volume 03 : Number 131 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] SOTW: Blue Divide. [Vanessa Wills ] Re: [RS] SOTW: Blue Divide. [Elwestrand ] Re: [RS] SOTW: Blue Divide. ["Norman A. Johnson" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 15:34:03 -0400 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: Re: [RS] SOTW: Blue Divide. OK. Well, I can't promise to have anything very profound to say, but maybe I can help jumpstart the conversation? I love this song. As Richard said in the interview Ron quoted, it's funny. But it's also so poignant and heartfelt that it's as though you want to laugh, but try not to laugh too hard. That's true for me, anyways. An uncomfortable laughter--maybe more like I'm laughing to keep from crying, and at other times, it's just that there's something a bit unseemly about laughing too hard at this person in pain. I also love the sort of latent pun of the word "reaching". As if reaching a loved one by rowboat and by radio were the same thing, were interchangeable. Interesting what this song seems to say about the power of communication. > As I glided back to shore > I raised an angry oar > And cursed that blue divide Every time I hear/read those three lines, I chuckle a little. I mean, the mental image of Richard in a tiny rowboat waving an oar around and muttering curses is just absolutely priceless. > Cause all that time I thought > That you and I were lost > A toss long fallen wide Alright, I am a sucker for funky syntax that somehow makes the meaning of a line that much more resonant, makes it stick in your mind. "A toss long fallen wide." And it's kind an interesting metaphor for love. As though love were the throwing of a ball that you hoped the person on the other end would catch. But you don't know if they will, and you can't be very sure of your aim. Will she "reach" the ball? I dunno, I like it. > So I climbed up on a dune > And found Marconi with his radio Always with the ghosts, huh? :-) I guess the song could theoretically be set back when Marconi was alive, but I like this reading better. There's something more sweetly sad about it. Plus, it fits in with his antenna rusting "long ago." That said, there doesn't seem to be any definitive textual reason for thinking one or the other is "right." > He was looking kind of blue > Cause his antenna rusted long ago > And sitting on a cliff > We shared a handkerchief Alright, that is funny, funny, funny. But again, in that "don't laugh _too_ hard" kind of way. The mental image is great (for some reason, I see one or the other of them blowing their nose very loudly). Although it is pretty sad that Marconi has no better luck reaching his loved one than the song's protagonist does. > Above that blue divide > I waved it in the hope > That you owned a telescope > That could pierce that blue divide Awwwwwwwwwww > I thought I was marooned > Til I caught site of your balloon So, wait--the story just changed--he's not just on the other side of any old blue divide. He's stuck somewhere he doesn't want to be. But is it a physically bad somewhere (like a deserted island)? Or just an emotionally bad somewhere? Probably both, I suppose. Isn't that great? She was trying as hard to reach him as he was to reach her! :-) The love is requited. No more weeping. > Rising with the moon Great how he holds that last word out. Reminds me of the "moon"s in "Calling the Moon." > Across that blue divide > That endless blue divide . . . Ooh, she's coming, she'll be on the cliff any time, now. And if he's "marooned" somewhere, then this is a bit of a sacrifice for her to join him. Or maybe she will take him back across the blue divide, with her. Oh, and the harmony here is quite pretty. :-) Peace, Love, and Mischief, Vanessa - -- "The ladders of life that we scale merrily/ Move mysteriously around/ So that when you think you're climbing up, man/ In fact you're climbing down." --Nick Cave, "Oh my Lord," _no more shall we part_ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 00:41:28 -0400 From: Elwestrand Subject: Re: [RS] SOTW: Blue Divide. (Rongrittz@aol.com) wrote: > Well, here's another SOTW, and it's one of my favorite RS songs. As opposed too? Are there actually some songs you don't like? Where is everybody? You all got so quiet! Anyways I love Blue Divide. Richard so beautifully captures the sometimes irrational feelings that build up when you really are in luuuvvv and you miss someone. Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I certainly have done some embarrassing things in that scenario. I just feel for the speaker and his over-the- top behavior and am so happy that the song actually has a happy ending. It also means the whole CD has a happy ending. I wonder if Richard ever noticed or intended that? .... In other news I saw Lucy K with Nina Gerber yesterday. They were great. Unfortunately, her occasional LA sideman -Matt Cartsonis-was only able to play one song with them (he had another gig the same night)- The Return of the Grevious Angel. Pity cause he adds alot of color and can play multiple instruments. Nina was amazing. She definitely distracted me from Lucy (had to watch her play). The important part of this story is that a met a Shindell List Lurkee. Her name is DELORES....... HELLO DELORES I threatened to out her and make her post something to the list. I told her how nice we all were and how she should just jump in and go for it. She is threatening to become Richard's West Coast stalker. Look out Clary, you have competition now! Delores was with a man she denies was her husband. Is that true Delores or do you just not want Richard to know your married? We won't tell! Ok, I think I have given her enough grief for one post. Everybody welcome Delores aboard! E ________________________________________________ Get your own "800" number Voicemail, fax, email, and a lot more http://www.ureach.com/reg/tag ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 01:54:32 -0400 From: "Norman A. Johnson" Subject: Re: [RS] SOTW: Blue Divide. >> Anyways I love Blue Divide. Richard so beautifully captures the sometimes irrational feelings that build up when you really are in luuuvvv and you miss someone. Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I certainly have done some embarrassing things in that scenario. I just feel for the speaker and his over-the- top behavior<< I agree. As for the "over the top behavior", it was matched by his S. O.'s quite literal over the top (balloon) behavior. >> and am so happy that the song actually has a happy ending.<< That's why I think of BD as a hapy song. >> It also means the whole CD has a happy ending. I wonder if Richard ever noticed or intended that? << I bet he did. It also constrasts with having "Summer Wind" open the CD. Norman ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V3 #131 ***********************************