From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V5 #258 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 Thursday, November 20 2003 Volume 05 : Number 258 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Wisteria & My Fathers House ["John Fix 3rd" ] [RS] Wisteria [rfoxwell@wso.williams.edu] [RS] Spring EP [Ron Alderfer ] Re: [RS] Spring EP [Chris Foxwell ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 14:32:45 -0500 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: [RS] Wisteria & My Fathers House > -----Original Message----- > > "Wisteria" is about going back to see where your beginnings > have gone, and finding that your beginnings are no longer > there. I particularly love the "But I know that it's not my > place" line . . . as in the fact that it's not his place to > tell the owners that they shouldn't have cut down the > Wisteria, but also that the house is no longer "his place." > "Wisteria" is definitely in my top five as well, and it works as a less traumatic return to one's roots than Springsteen's "My Father's House": "I walked up the steps and stood on the porch a woman I didn't recognize came and spoke to me through a chained door I told her my story, and who I'd come for She said "I'm sorry, son, but no one by that name lives here anymore" My father's house shines hard and bright it stands like a beacon calling me in the night Calling and calling, so cold and alone Shining `cross this dark highway where our sins lie unatoned" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 15:37:24 -0500 From: rfoxwell@wso.williams.edu Subject: [RS] Wisteria > "Wisteria" is about going back to see where your beginnings have gone, and > finding that your beginnings are no longer there. I particularly love the > "But I know that it's not my place" line . . . as in the fact that it's not > his place to tell the owners that they shouldn't have cut down the Wisteria, > but also that the house is no longer "his place." I totally agree, and I also love the "I know that it's not my place" line. Above all else, though, I've always marveled at Richard's use of the plant wisteria...or, rather, his use of the *word* wisteria. It's brilliant, just really powerful. "Wisteria" is practically an emotional onomatopoeia; the word conjures feelings of nostalgia and sadness, probably owing to its containing a portion of the word "wistful". (That is how I perceive it, at least, and I know that I'm not alone.) Richard's use of the word in the song takes full advantage of that sense; "it's true it's a chore to tame wisteria" is just beautiful, simultaneously evoking the singer's fond memories of keeping the vine neat and trim and his reflection of how difficult it is to subdue his wistful, nostalgic feelings. "A chore to tame", indeed. The word "tame" is also wonderfully used; it fits right into the pruning/trimming imagery, and is equally perfectly suited to the second layer of meaning: as everyone knows, one can never really conquer or rid one's self of such nostalgic longing, and the best one can do is to hold it back, contain it. Tame it. Yeah, I love that line. "It's true it's a chore to tame wisteria" ranks highly in my list of favorite Shindell lines, along with the Last Fare of the Day verse quoted by RG, "the highway takes its toll" line from Next Best Western, "so now that you know whose skin you're saving / in this photograph, who's this one waving" from Fishing, and other gems too numerous to cite. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 21:38:14 -0500 From: Ron Alderfer Subject: [RS] Spring EP This is a shameless plea for mercy..... I saw a copy of Richard's Spring EP on Ebay, but I got outbid. Does anyone on the list have a copy they would like part with; or share? Or Scott - maybe you've got one collecting dust somewhere? ;) Please email me if anyone is interested. Thanks! Ron A ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 00:09:55 -0500 (EST) From: Chris Foxwell Subject: Re: [RS] Spring EP On Wed, 19 Nov 2003, Ron Alderfer wrote: > This is a shameless plea for mercy..... > I saw a copy of Richard's Spring EP on Ebay, but I got outbid. Does anyone > on the list have a copy they would like part with; or share? Or Scott - > maybe you've got one collecting dust somewhere? ;) > Please email me if anyone is interested. Thanks! What a coincidence...I was JUST about to post the exact same question, after seeing the exact same sale on ebay. I've heard that the extended version of "Spring" is incredible, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. So I second Ron's plea (and beg forgiveness for an even more shameless piggybacking of the shameless plea). ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V5 #258 ***********************************