I've made a habit the past couple of weeks of putting two different Joni's in my car
changer and listening to them all week. This week's have been HOSL & CMIARS. This
morning my least favorite song from CMIARS came on, and it just has never grown on me.
Still after all the listens I've given it, the melody is blah, almost non-existent,
the production is poor with those plodding echoing drums, and on the whole I'm happy
when it's over, if indeed I stick out the whole song. Joni's vocals are also poorly
recorded, it's hard to make out a lot of what she says, even when I know the words!
But I must say that lyrically there's maybe more going on then I give it credit for,
although it seems to be disjointed in a "No Apologies" sort of way.
I like the story of her parents' courtship, and the scene of the three of them
listening to the radio together (reminds me of our Darn Kids thread), but wonder about
the constant "Lay Down Your Arms" chant. It really becomes a distraction for me.
<<"Sleep little darlin'!
This is your happy home
Hiroshima cannot be pardoned!
Don't have kids when you get grown
Because this world is shattered>>
This section of the verse caught my ear...I wonder if this is the sort of thing that
Joni constantly got from her Mom? If so, it would have made her pregnancy that much
more difficult to deal with.
Just wondering what some of your takes on this song are...I know I'm missing
something, just can't seem to get a handle on what it is.
Bob
NP: Elvis, "Poisoned Rose"
