Kakki wrote (hey, we're playing e-mail tag! ;-) ):
"The "changed you with religion" line makes me
think of Cohen, too. But the preceding line "they've monitored your brain"
makes it sound like the religion is more along the lines of the upstart
"cult" variety, and not the more spiritual experience we'd expect Cohen to
seek. The protagonist does sound like someone more established, prosperous
and sophisticated. The way Joni characterizes him overall does not fit with
what little we know about McMath. However, I get thrown by the lines which
are coincidental to her experience with McMath and also the "I keep your
house in fit repair, I dust the portraits daily, your mail comes here from
everywhere" and "I gave you all my pretty years." It's one of the tougher
songs to pin down, I think ;-)"
RE: the "monitored your brain" line: yes, that does sound like Joni
*thought* it was a cult experience. But then, on "Roses Blue," which
appeared on the same album, Joni makes similar, unflattering comments about
Rose, who was into "tarot cards and potions, zodiac and zen." Maybe these
lines more reflect how Joni felt about some of the religious experimentation
going on about her at this particular point in time than the actual
experience of the seeker.
RE: "I keep your house in fit repair / I dust the portraits daily / your
mail comes in from everywhere / the writing looks like ladies'": again, for
me, this conjures up the image of Cohen, or at least, someone very much like
him. The protagonist of the song is someone with money enough to travel
"everywhere": he's closer to a jet-setter than a young man fleeing art
school in Calgary due to a personal crisis. The image of Joni "keeping
[his] house in fit repair" and "dusting the portraits daily" has also struck
me as almost suggesting the role of a maid, rather than a lover, and
heightens the disparity in wealth and status between the two. It also
suggests that Joni is tending to something of value to the male figure in
his absence: his particular world view, or his "portrayal" of her, or even
his circle of social contacts (perhaps making sure that he can continue to
remain in communication with his various lady friends).
But about the line "I gave you all my pretty years": I haven't a clue,
because I don't think she gave "years" to either Cohen or McMath! So this
is where I cop out and say, "you know, we can't really regard Joni's work as
completely autobiographical. She uses her life as a jumping-off point, and
then creates a work of art that exists in a reality of its own," or other
words you say when you're not sure just what the heck you're talking about.
;-)
Regards,
Mary.
