From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V9 #114 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 Friday, July 6 2007 Volume 09 : Number 114 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] Meaning of Sparrow's Point, the song? ["Norman Johnson" Subject: Re: [RS] Meaning of Sparrow's Point, the song? >> When my father died with money, and my mother lived in spite, << The line is "when my father died of money..." I think Richard is saying Taylor's father died because of the lack of money due to his losses after the stock market crash and depression. I see the mother living on "in spite" of the money woes. >> And I travelled mostly northeast, with my head held mostly down. << I don't think he is a runaway in the classic sense, just a hardy lad who has been sent off to earn money for the family. His head is down because he's not doing well. >> And I found myself at Sparrow's Point, with a slingshot in my hand. << Sparrows Point (no apostrophe) is a steel mill, bought by Bethlehelm Steel in 1916 -- so there's a connection bewteen Richard's song and Billy Joel's Allentown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparrows_Point I see the slingshot as a reference to our hero as a David figure. The slingshot is all he has. >> Three days west of Normandy, with a rifle in my hand << He's going to die. It is, as Matthew said, a Richard Shindell song in minor key. Oh, if Taylor was born in '24, how could he be 21 at the time of D-Day (in '44)? Norman ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2007 23:24:17 -0600 From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?john_cl=E9irigh?= Subject: Re: [RS] Meaning of Sparrow's Point, the song? That was really common, actually. My dad was born in '25 and he enlisted at the tender age of 17. Many young men lied their ages *up* in order to serve. Norman Johnson wrote: Oh, if Taylor was born in '24, how could he be 21 at the time of D-Day (in '44)? Norman ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 01:11:48 -0400 From: "Norman Johnson" Subject: Re: [RS] Meaning of Sparrow's Point, the song? Yes, but in the song he claimed to be 21. I think Richard just messed up with the math. Norman - ----- Original Message ----- From: "john cliirigh" To: Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 1:24 AM Subject: Re: [RS] Meaning of Sparrow's Point, the song? > That was really common, actually. My dad was born in '25 and he > enlisted at the tender age of 17. Many young men lied their ages *up* in > order to serve. > > Norman Johnson wrote: > > Oh, if Taylor was born in '24, how could he be 21 at the time of D-Day (in > '44)? > > Norman ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:54:07 -0600 From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?john_cl=E9irigh?= Subject: Re: [RS] Meaning of Sparrow's Point, the song? I took this to be Taylor still claiming to be a year older than he really was. john Norman Johnson wrote: Yes, but in the song he claimed to be 21. I think Richard just messed up with the math. Norman ----- Original Message ----- From: "john cliirigh" To: Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 1:24 AM Subject: Re: [RS] Meaning of Sparrow's Point, the song? That was really common, actually. My dad was born in '25 and he enlisted at the tender age of 17. Many young men lied their ages *up* in order to serve. Norman Johnson wrote: Oh, if Taylor was born in '24, how could he be 21 at the time of D-Day (in '44)? Norman - -- John Cleirigh | Boulder, CO | 303/590.4290http://johncleirigh.com/ | http://myspace.com/johncleirigh ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V9 #114 ***********************************