<<I think there is always a danger of interpreting Joni's songs as strictly
autobiographical.>>
Glad I make you chuckle on your sick day, Mark...and while I agree with you about
attributing Joni's songs to autobiography, who is THIS one about, etc, she puts a
pretty thin veil over the lyrics here.
As I alluded to earlier, it reminds me of the clunkiness of "No Apologies", where she
starts out with a very specific intention, the assault of the Vietnamese girl, and
then sidestreets it with lawyers, loan sharks, Juan, Freddy and all that. It's an
awkward transition from the specific to the general.
Ironically, I think Joni is much more successful in sending a broader image when she
stays with a specific image. Like in "Judgement", by sticking to her agenda of writing
a "pep talk" for Beethoven, she gives the song a universality that we all can relate
to. She's cheering all of us on. But in Tea-Leaf, I don't find the segue as successful.
Don't mean to beat the horse, just enjoying the dialogue...
Bob
NP: Elvis C., "Town Where Time Stood Still"
