[net.music.gdead] Meaning of Lyrics

nm34@sdcc12.UUCP (nm34) (07/31/85)

     
      Since the volume of discussion on our favorite news group is in a
summer slump (sorta like the Padres of late), I have tried to come up
with a topic that will produce a little discussion.  Lets see...

     There has been much talk about the music of the Dead and its many
qualities, however, even though many of us end our articles with a
quote, there hasn't been much talk about the words and their meanings.
As is true with all forms of artistic communication, the meaning is
always a personal experience often independent of authors intentions.
However, there is an intention that the author has given to his/her
words (I think).  Many late nights I have sat with my eyes closed and
wondered what was meant by this or that line or by an entire song.  I'm
sure most Deaders have done the same.  Unfortunately, I was only able to
come up with general feelings and not a complete 
"meaning" for a song.  I am aware that part of my problem stemmed from
the fact that there is no complete "meaning" to many of the songs.  They
do only paint a general picture of feelings and situations.  Other songs,
have been given a totally obsure meaning  by their authiors.  For
example, "Dire Wolf" has been described by Hunter as an investigation of
the death of the ego that is often aspired to by mystic philosophies
(correct me if this is off).   I wouldn't have ever have come up with
that in a million years. 

     In all I really dont "understand" very many of the Dead's songs,
but maybe that is the intention, they are not to understand, but to be
felt.  

                              Andy Bindman


                    ...!ihnp4!sdcsvax!sdcc12!nm34

GUMBY@MIT-MC.ARPA (08/07/85)

From:  David Vinayak Wallace <GUMBY@MIT-MC.ARPA>

    Date: Wed, 31-Jul-85 08:22:55 PDT
    From: hplabs!pesnta!qumix!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc12!nm34 at UCB-Vax.ARPA (nm34)

         There has been much talk about the music of the Dead and its many
    qualities, however, even though many of us end our articles with a
    quote, there hasn't been much talk about the words and their meanings.
    As is true with all forms of artistic communication, the meaning is
    always a personal experience often independent of authors intentions.
    However, there is an intention that the author has given to his/her
    words (I think).  Many late nights I have sat with my eyes closed and
    wondered what was meant by this or that line or by an entire song.  I'm
    sure most Deaders have done the same.  Unfortunately, I was only able to
    come up with general feelings and not a complete 
    "meaning" for a song.  I am aware that part of my problem stemmed from
    the fact that there is no complete "meaning" to many of the songs.  They
    do only paint a general picture of feelings and situations.  Other songs,
    have been given a totally obsure meaning  by their authiors.  For
    example, "Dire Wolf" has been described by Hunter as an investigation of
    the death of the ego that is often aspired to by mystic philosophies
    (correct me if this is off).   I wouldn't have ever have come up with
    that in a million years. 

         In all I really dont "understand" very many of the Dead's songs,
    but maybe that is the intention, they are not to understand, but to be
    felt.  

                                  Andy Bindman


                        ...!ihnp4!sdcsvax!sdcc12!nm34

GUMBY@MIT-MC.ARPA (08/08/85)

From:  David Vinayak Wallace <GUMBY@MIT-MC.ARPA>

Sorry about that last mis-send; MC dropped my connection but not before
my local host sent a couple of garbage characters..

    Date: Wed, 31-Jul-85 08:22:55 PDT
    From: hplabs!pesnta!qumix!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc12!nm34 at UCB-Vax.ARPA (nm34)

    However, there is an intention that the author has given to his/her
    words (I think).  Many late nights I have sat with my eyes closed and
    wondered what was meant by this or that line or by an entire song.  I'm
    sure most Deaders have done the same.  Unfortunately, I was only able to
    come up with general feelings and not a complete 
    "meaning" for a song.  I am aware that part of my problem stemmed from
    the fact that there is no complete "meaning" to many of the songs.  They
    do only paint a general picture of feelings and situations.  Other songs,
    have been given a totally obsure meaning  by their authiors.  For
    example, "Dire Wolf" has been described by Hunter as an investigation of
    the death of the ego that is often aspired to by mystic philosophies
    (correct me if this is off).   I wouldn't have ever have come up with
    that in a million years. 

         In all I really dont "understand" very many of the Dead's songs,
    but maybe that is the intention, they are not to understand, but to be
    felt.  

In "Playing in the band" there's a long section including interviews
with Hunter and Barlow in which they say that they frequently PREFER the
deadheads' stoned or just confused interpretations of their lyrics.
And sometimes the band members re-arrange the words, not singing what
was written, so that the interpretation won't match what the author
intended anyway.

With that in mind, in regard to the Dire Wolf, I seem to remember that
during the Toronto show last summer during the Jerry interview he said
that "The Dire Wolf" was about the Zodiac Killer who was cruising
around the SF streets at that time.  Someone with a tape might give
that interview a listen to see if I got it right.

david

WILKINS@SRI-AI.ARPA (08/08/85)

From:  Wilkins  <WILKINS@SRI-AI.ARPA>

But, if memory serves me right, the Zodiac killings were in 73
(I had a friend working in the ER of SF General that night who
got to do lots of open heart massage), and Dire Wolf was around
well before that.
David
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