Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you... lyrics and the 'expected' meaning....

[getbent]

I remember seeing an interview a million years ago with Paul Simon (maybe Dick Cavett or Dan Rather or....) where he talked about writing "Mrs. Robinson" and how he was working on the film (The Graduate) and watching a scene and just noodling, then he came up with the line about mrs. robinson, then he had one about mrs. roosevelt (which he quickly edited and changed to mrs. robinson) and then he vamped and came up with 'where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you' (I always thought it was 'a nation turns its lonely eyes to you) but, okay...

And in the interview, Simon said something that I think about still... he said(paraphrasing), 'i had no idea what it meant. I couldn't even figure it out, but I liked it and thought, well, it will mean something later'...

When I write songs, I tend to write about the 'little man' not the guy who is winning, or overcoming or brave... but, the guy who is way behind or ordinary or nothing special... and I'll like a line and not know why, but just stay with it...

As I work through my old songs, I'm finding delight in seeing this pattern... in two songs that I'm working on (recording) I finally realize what they are about...

Is this your experience too?

 

[howlin]

Can be…

 

[RaistMagus]

As a non-American I thought I didn't understand these lyrics because I was heavily missing the context. It's relieving to know it was just random words put together

 

[Colo Springs E]

There’s either a meme, an internet quip, or a Facebook post or something out there… it talks about a college course on poetry, and the professor references a line that says “the curtains were blue.” The professor felt ‘blue’ was representative of the depressed mood of the author, while the curtains themselves were a metaphor for his shutting out the outside world. In doing so, the alienation has led to his dark mood.

A student suggested maybe the line was describing the color of the curtains?

 

[Colo Springs E]

Double post sorry

 

[Deeve]

There’s either a meme, an internet quip, or a Facebook post or something out there… it talks about a college course on poetry, and the professor references a line that says “the curtains were blue.” The professor felt ‘blue’ was representative of the depressed mood of the author, while the curtains themselves were a metaphor for his shutting out the outside world. In doing so, the alienation has led to his dark mood.

A student suggested maybe the line was describing the color of the curtains?

Next quarter, let's work on MacArthur Park...

 

[canteytoque]

Is this your experience too?

Timely post, as the song's been in my head since @Knows3Chords posted a video in the Music to Your Ears forum a few days ago. I've been meaning to look into the reference, because I've never understood it, either.

About my songwriting, meaning is always clear from the start and doesn't change. I write traditional stuff in meter, so the rhymes and syllables get a lot more attention and tweaking. The meaning usually comes to me first, in the form of a idea expressed with a word or three, and that doesn't change unless I scrap it to start something new. But what I write is just a few lines of standalone verse at a time (like haikus), so it's probably not relevant to what you're asking.

 

[yegbert]

I think I read somewhere that John Fogerty wrote down bits and pieces that later came together in his songs. And REM similarly threw words together for their sounds. And what it seems like listening, I get bits from other songs that I attach my own meanings to, not necessarily what a writer intended. Poetic license!

 

[tonepoet333]

'where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you'

The song was released in Feb 1968 and I have no idea what year he actually wrote it, but it's possible that he was conscientiously or unconscientiously thinking about the Kennedy assassination and how the loneliness the nation collectively felt back then needed a diversion. Similar to the reaction the Beatles got when they came to the USA in Feb 1964 just two months after the assassination. The nation needed a joyful diversion.

Just a guess.

tonepoet
www.jackshiner.com

 

[Papanate]

As I work through my old songs, I'm finding delight in seeing this pattern... in two songs that I'm working on (recording) I finally realize what they are about...

Is this your experience too?

Some songs I write are as direct as can be - it is what it is - but I still try to write in what i call my “I Am The Walrus’ style - often those. lyrics are just written down - and they may be a feeling or idea or something - but the great thing is I don’t often know - and when do know - it is more about the mode I’m in at the moment than a meaning from when the Lyrics were written - that’s a cool thing about songwriting - lyrics can have several morphed means over time.

 

[getbent]

Timely post, as the song's been in my head since @Knows3Chords posted a video in the Music to Your Ears forum a few days ago. I've been meaning to look into the reference, because I've never understood it, either.

About my songwriting, meaning is always clear from the start and doesn't change. I write traditional stuff in meter, so the rhymes and syllables get a lot more attention and tweaking. The meaning usually comes to me first, in the form of a idea expressed with a word or three, and that doesn't change unless I scrap it to start something new. But what I write is just a few lines of standalone verse at a time (like haikus), so it's probably not relevant to what you're asking.

For me, the line is a longing for a return to innocence and subdued class. DiMaggio climbed out of the east bay from relative poverty to being the Yankee Clipper... the most consistently awesome man on the planet, with a great smile, who got the girl (marilyn monroe) and even when he lost her, he showed so much class that it made you admire him more.

Simon's words were a call from the 60's where the world was disordered (relatively) and the things we could count on in Joe D's time (consistency, class, service to country, family and the american dream of rising above your previous station and making your own way) were gone.

Simon is saying 'we long for when things made sense and you could count on them'.

It is a great line and I could absolutely see how it would roll off his tongue but take awhile to see how it fit--> the film, the characters and the country.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

 

[canteytoque]

Seems a safe bet, both on Simon's part at the time and as an interpretation today.

 

[dollycaster]

I’d wager many of you are on the right track regarding that line’s meaning. I also wouldn’t be surprised if it was a bit of deflection on Paul’s part, not wanting to explain it/leaving room for interpretation but keeping it lighthearted for a talk show.

I think these folks got his meaning. (What’s happening to me? I’m not cutting onions …)

 

[cometazzi]

There’s either a meme, an internet quip, or a Facebook post or something out there… it talks about a college course on poetry, and the professor references a line that says “the curtains were blue.” The professor felt ‘blue’ was representative of the depressed mood of the author, while the curtains themselves were a metaphor for his shutting out the outside world. In doing so, the alienation has led to his dark mood.

A student suggested maybe the line was describing the color of the curtains?

I read an interview in some guitar rag in the late 80s or early 90s. The interviewer was asking Lemmy about the song Ace of Spades, and was asking about the meaning or story behind the metaphor. Is he gambling with the Debbil, with drugs, booze, wimmenz? Is it the song about internal struggles and morality and trying find one's place in society?

Lemmy said "What? No. It's a song about playing cards, man."

(All the above paraphrased from old memory)


Also, I do recall a discussion on Harmony Central ages ago about this subject- Some of the songwriters on that forum were duly noting that sometimes they write lyrics more about what they sound like and less about what they mean.

As I was recently trying to write some lyrics for a song myself I've been thinking of that thread quite a bit lately. Serendipity that it comes up here. Too bad HC's forum is broken now, or I'd try to dig up that thread.

 

[Texicaster]

JD liked donuts too!

 

[hawk620]

Next quarter, let's work on MacArthur Park...

Will drugs be included with the lesson or should we bring our own?

 

[buster poser]

I’ve read similar stuff about Britt Daniel (Spoon) and his lyrical process, like sometimes it means nothing especially but the words sound cool together.

Incredible what I’ve been projecting onto this Simon lyric since I was a kid

 

[Knows3Chords]

Aren't most famous artists a bit reticent when asked to explain their song lyrics? There is the thought that when you put your art out there for everybody, it isn't really yours anymore. Maybe it's a way a keeping a little bit of their art to themselves while letting the public enjoy, or react to it in any way they want to.

 

[P Thought]

one word: plastics