Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (09/20/89)
Really-From: James Smith <munnari!cc.nu.oz.au!CCJS@uunet.UU.NET> Path: cc!ccjs From: CCJS@cc.nu.oz (James Smith) Newsgroups: rec.music.gaffa Subject: Re: Hounds of Love Message-ID: <9393@cc.nu.oz> Date: 20 Sep 89 09:40:11 EST References: <8909162341.AA07674@GAFFA.MIT.EDU> <8909190016.AA00815@GAFFA.MIT.EDU> Organization: University of Newcastle Lines: 29 Doug Alan writes: > Mr. Marvick is again being completely ridiculous. The image of > running through water to avoid hounds is so completely ingrained into > American and British culture that Kate would have to be brain-dead or > a complete hermit to refer to walking through water in a song about > being chased by hounds, and not be refering to trying to shake their > trail. Since we know that Kate is neither brain-dead, nor a complete > hermit, she *must* be (in part) refering to avoiding the hounds. > However, contrary to Mr. Marvick's myopic interpretation, shaking off > the hounds does not necessarily mean that Kate has forsaken love. It > may very well refer to her shaking off the fear of love (the hounds), > without shaking off love itself. I've always thought that _Hounds of Love_ was a song about the conflicting emotions of a young woman who has never experienced love: she fears the experience and yet still wants to try it. In that context, "two steps on the water" could mean both an attempt to evade the experience, and a positive advance towards it. The conflict of meaning would be very Katian. In other words, I think you're both right. :-) Jim -- James Smith, Computing Centre, University of Newcastle, ccjs@cc.nu.oz.au The bluebird of happiness having been absent from his life for many years, David is visited by the chicken of depression.
CCJS@cc.nu.oz (James Smith) (09/20/89)
Doug Alan writes: > Mr. Marvick is again being completely ridiculous. The image of > running through water to avoid hounds is so completely ingrained into > American and British culture that Kate would have to be brain-dead or > a complete hermit to refer to walking through water in a song about > being chased by hounds, and not be refering to trying to shake their > trail. Since we know that Kate is neither brain-dead, nor a complete > hermit, she *must* be (in part) refering to avoiding the hounds. > However, contrary to Mr. Marvick's myopic interpretation, shaking off > the hounds does not necessarily mean that Kate has forsaken love. It > may very well refer to her shaking off the fear of love (the hounds), > without shaking off love itself. I've always thought that _Hounds of Love_ was a song about the conflicting emotions of a young woman who has never experienced love: she fears the experience and yet still wants to try it. In that context, "two steps on the water" could mean both an attempt to evade the experience, and a positive advance towards it. The conflict of meaning would be very Katian. In other words, I think you're both right. :-) Jim -- James Smith, Computing Centre, University of Newcastle, ccjs@cc.nu.oz.au The bluebird of happiness having been absent from his life for many years, David is visited by the chicken of depression.