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Post by Lori on Oct 5, 2005 9:11:44 GMT
There’s a city, draped in net Fisherman net And in the half light, in the half light It looks like every tower Is covered in webs Moving and glistening and rocking It’s babies in rhythm As the spider of time is climbing Over the ruins
There were hundreds of people living here Sails at the windows And the planes came crashing down And many a pilot drowned And the speed boats flying above Put your hand over the side of the boat What do you feel?
My mother and her little brown jug It held her milk And now it holds our memories I can hear her singing “Little brown jug don’t I love thee” “Little brown jug don’t I love thee” Ho ho ho, hee hee hee
I hear her laughing She is standing in the kitchen As we come in the back door See it fall See it fall Oh little spider climbing out of a broken jug And the pieces will lay there a while In a house draped in net In a room filled with coral Sails at the window Forests of masts Put your hand over the side of the boat Put your hand over the side of the boat What do you feel?
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Sheila
Moving
Life is a minestrone served up with parmesan cheese.
Posts: 701
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Post by Sheila on Nov 2, 2005 22:32:40 GMT
It would appear, from what I've read, that this is the mother death song I was dreading would be on TRS before TRS came out and was pleasantly surprised to not find one. Looks like I'm not escaping it after all. My prediction is Xanadu and I are going to have a real problem warming up to this one--much in the same way we cannot warm up to Mother Stands for Comfort. Only time will tell, right Xan?
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Post by Adey on Nov 3, 2005 0:31:12 GMT
I suspect that more than a few people will have such 'issues'..
Maybe because it smacks of obvious sentimentality (as in Bertie), or because it raises the spectre of - or the unpleasant memory of - a deceased parent, or of unresolved/unforgiven family difficulties and who wants to deal with that, especially when it is masquerading as entertainment?
I personally think that Kate presents her most sentimental material in a form that I actually find very appealing. Blow Away, Moments of Pleasure, Mother Stands for Comfort, Lionheart & This Woman's Work are all songs that move me (and thus thrill me) despite their potential for cloying sentimentality. Somehow, when Kate is the performer/writer, her talent is more than sufficient to cut through the inevitable theat of insincerity that is a feature of lesser writers of sentimental material..
On that basis, neither The Coral Room or Bertie, present me with any expectation of potential anxiety or discomfort. But I say good luck to anyone who is sharing these emotions at the thought of such material.
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Sheila
Moving
Life is a minestrone served up with parmesan cheese.
Posts: 701
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Post by Sheila on Nov 3, 2005 1:52:59 GMT
Athough I completely agree with every word you said, spot on Adey, I think you misunderstood Xanadu and myself's discomfort with the topic of a loving mother. Neither of us have an easy time, to this day, listening to MSFC because of our mother issues, and I suspect A Coral Room will make us uncomfortable for a very similar reason. Xan? Jump in anytime here Xan! Xan? Help!
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Post by Xanadu on Nov 3, 2005 2:14:37 GMT
I completely agree with both of you. While I agree with Adey about all the other material, my feelings about MSFC have always been a little uncomfortable. That is on an entirely personal level. I think it's a beautiful song and sentiment, but not something everyone is able to relate to.
I have had the exact same response to the first rumours about Coral Room, but I am hoping it will still prove to be a beautiful song.
I will post more later, since I am on my way out. I also have not heard a note of it yet!
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Post by Sto on Nov 7, 2005 11:48:33 GMT
Wow. If you think "You're The One" is heavy hard to listen to without crying, wait until you get a load of this one.
Possibly the most beautiful song Kate's written, reminiscent of "Moments of Pleasure" but also of the early demos. Possible references to September 11th? Very haunting ending to the first side, and juxtaposed very touchingly with Bertie's voice as the first voice of th next song.
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Post by Adey on Nov 7, 2005 17:53:52 GMT
Yes Sto' I agree. The beauty and the power of this song is almost beyond compare. Simply heart stoppingly brilliant.
Remind yourself to breathe when it's over..
(Oh and Xan/Sheila ~ Kate uses metaphor and only brief reference. The sentimentality is entirely under control, even if the emotion indicator is up in the red.)
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Post by Adey on Nov 10, 2005 17:46:53 GMT
Some thoughts on this, but my impressions only. I claim no insider knowledge ~
The abandoned, half glimpsed underwater city in all it's detail, may be interpreted as Kate's metaphor for memory. A place where memories go and slowly disappear, either underneath the lost nets of fishermen, the webs of the "spider of time" or under the inevitable covering of coral growth that the sea promotes. Maybe she is concerned that even the most precious of memories will eventually disappear completely..
Still very much alive in her concious mind is of course the memory of her Mother. This specific recollection of her standing in the kitchen, and the other association of her favourite little brown jug she used to hold the milk.. And of the day that it was broken, and the little spider (of time, perhaps) climbed from the ruined jug.. And the pieces will stay for a while in the memory of that room, that time, in that house already partially obscured by the net and the coral in Kate's own sea of memory. This is the recollection that Kate pulled out when she dipped her hand over the side of the boat and into that sea. She asks us I think, what memory would we pull out if we dipped our hand into our own sea of honey?
"Put your hand over the side of the boat, what do you feel?"
This most beautiful and haunting of perhaps all of her songs, is exquisite and profoundly moving. We should surely be honoured that she has chosen to share one of these most precious memories with us..
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Post by Al Truest on Nov 10, 2005 19:02:05 GMT
Hmm. Let me give this some thought. Very interesting....Coral is a living and growing complex structure. I never would have gotten it because I'd assumed it was a childroom memory of a coral coloured (UK spelling ) room. I will respond later.
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Post by Adey on Nov 13, 2005 16:16:46 GMT
Hmm. Let me give this some thought. Very interesting....Coral is a living and growing complex structure. I never would have gotten it because I'd assumed it was a childroom memory of a coral coloured (UK spelling ) room. I will respond later. Does silence denote a full or partial agreement or are you too polite to tell me I've got it all wrong?
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Post by Al Truest on Nov 13, 2005 16:24:40 GMT
Hmm. Let me give this some thought. Very interesting....Coral is a living and growing complex structure. I never would have gotten it because I'd assumed it was a childroom memory of a coral coloured (UK spelling ) room. I will respond later. Does silence denote a full or partial agreement or are you too polite to tell me I've got it all wrong? No. And thanks for reminding me. I will post soon.
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Post by Al Truest on Nov 13, 2005 17:02:44 GMT
The abandoned, half glimpsed underwater city in all it's detail, may be interpreted as Kate's metaphor for memory. A place where memories go and slowly disappear, either underneath the lost nets of fishermen, the webs of the "spider of time" or under the inevitable covering of coral growth that the sea promotes. Maybe she is concerned that even the most precious of memories will eventually disappear completely.. Yes. I can see this. It describes the vague imagery more succinctly. I think the little brown jug is a specific memory of her mother singing songs to her "Ho ho ho, hee hee hee, little brown jug how I love the" is part of a real children's song that was widely shared in the late 50's and early 60's. I think she has used this animate object to represent pleasant memories. The memories are now bittersweet. The jug is broken. She can still put the pieces back together. But in the half light - or underwater - or covered in web - or through a building up of (coral) deposits...this memory is sadly fading. Do you feel that these memories are concentrated (thick) and sweet - but no longer clear? Or do you know what you feel?... Look to the sky............ [/i][/quote] This is why disc one is integrally necessary to set the stage for "Sky of Honey" The melancholy 'sea' is but a reflection of the beautiful and changing sky. Put your hand over the side of the boat. Do you feel the memories are warm and sweet? Or do you feeled mired and confused? Look up - there is a glow cast on these memories. A sky of honey that changes and reveals more and more beauty as you journey through life. This is the most hopeful of all of Kate's music. It sets a tone for the next stage of her life - her child and family. Birds singing, beautiful skies, the majesty of life panoramic. 'Rising higher and diving deeper, we understand and can be uplifted by the joy of our family in communion with the awesome glory of nature. Look at the light, all the time it's a changing look at the light, climbing up the aerial
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Post by Adey on Nov 14, 2005 1:06:08 GMT
I didn't comment on the song "Little Brown Jug" - happily remembered from my youth - though by quoting "ho ho ho hee hee hee" I realised immediately that Kate was referring to it. And you are right, she weaves it in effortlessly to further illustrate that patchwork of her memory.
Yes, I also agree that there is a sense within the song of memories fading - obscured by net, web & coral as she says. I don't doubt that this is a source of regret. How many times have we struggled to remember something that was once so important to us?
The up-beat climax of Aerial, certainly does suggest an optimism for the future in Kate's world. As an admirer, that was gratifying to discover - only the most jaded life cynic doesn't appreciate a 'happy ever after'.
I feel you've integrated "Sea & Sky of Honey" more completely at this stage than I have. I must acknowledge having focussed more fully on disk 2, but that's only temporary. Odd however, that our first real conversation about Aerial is based around a track from side 1. Still 'tis of no matter, and just illustrates the power of this particular song..
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Post by Al Truest on Nov 14, 2005 1:51:48 GMT
I didn't comment on the song "Little Brown Jug" - happily remembered from my youth - though by quoting "ho ho ho hee hee hee" I realised immediately that Kate was referring to it. And you are right, she weaves it in effortlessly to further illustrate that patchwork of her memory. Well, I characterized it as a children's song. (we sang it as kids at least) It is more a drinking song with a childish melody. May be she is acknowledging that, although regrettable, losing some of these memories is a part of moving on. This may not dawn on some of her 'darker' fans though until after they're hooked. I can just see the revelation - Wait a minute....this music is 'happy! ;D I don't know that I was even prepared to be analytical about the lyrics just yet. I was still just enjoying the music on a surface level. Your remarks just got me thinking. There seems to be several themes wrapped around how we are attuned to ourselves within a social, familial, and cosmic attitude. 'An affirmation that reverberates on our fond past, mundane present and limitless future.
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Post by almdudler on Nov 18, 2005 19:25:38 GMT
Hi all,
When buying this album on release I just claseed it as a nice song like This Woman's Work and had no special meaning to me. Just a lovely song. But last weekend my mum suddenly passed and now this song just cracks me up into a ball of tears. I still can't figure out if I should skip it all the time or listen to it and let the feelings out. When I do listen to it I feel great memories but then it all goes pear shaped halfway through the song.
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