06-24-2004, 09:20 AM
Love the tune. But reading the lyrics yields little info about its meaning. Anyone care to share?
Thanks!
Scott
Dallas, Tx
Thanks!
Scott
Dallas, Tx
New Orleans is Sinking - What's the Meaning?
06-24-2004, 09:30 AM
New Orleans IS sinking - into the sea. Most of the city is already well below sea level, and its only a matter of time until something gives and the bulk of the city ends under water.
However, not what the song is about.
However, not what the song is about.
06-24-2004, 09:45 AM
I think it's about whatever you want it to be.
Obviously, there is the "if there's no unalduterated fun and mystery in the world, then I don't wanna live" aspect: beautifully demonstrated via the imagery of a city which is actually, slowly sinking.
But I think this song is based more on experiences and feelings than an actual event or theme.
Gord was writing far more literally then, and I think New O just reflects the time the band spent in Louisiana and what was running through their collective head at the time.
Of course, it could be about hockey, whores or Haliburton like the rest of 'em!
Obviously, there is the "if there's no unalduterated fun and mystery in the world, then I don't wanna live" aspect: beautifully demonstrated via the imagery of a city which is actually, slowly sinking.
But I think this song is based more on experiences and feelings than an actual event or theme.
Gord was writing far more literally then, and I think New O just reflects the time the band spent in Louisiana and what was running through their collective head at the time.
Of course, it could be about hockey, whores or Haliburton like the rest of 'em!
06-24-2004, 11:00 AM
Stephen Dame Wrote:I think it's about whatever you want it to be.Exactly! As is the case with any song.
:thumb:
06-24-2004, 11:05 AM
I always kindof thought it was about giving up single life. New Orleans is quite the party town or at least I kindof few it as one with mardi gras and all. There for the single life is going down and that's fine with Gord..Who know's?
06-24-2004, 11:59 AM
dyersbay Wrote:I always kindof thought it was about giving up single life. New Orleans is quite the party town or at least I kindof few it as one with mardi gras and all. There for the single life is going down and that's fine with Gord..Who know's?
Except that he's saying if it's going down: I DON'T wanna swim. I think he's saying if the party life goes: what's the point? At least on the surface...
06-24-2004, 06:15 PM
New Orleans Is Sinking (Three feet per century)
This is all speculation...
---------------------------------------------------------------
I always thought it was maybe a ship that sunk called the “USS New Orleans”
(although I can’t find anything about it sinking...)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.steelnavy.com/New%20Orleans%20cruisers.htm">http://www.steelnavy.com/New%20Orleans%20cruisers.htm</a><!-- m -->
---------------------------------------------------------------
Dixie Dead Shake
- Could be a metaphor for the old South dying
Dixie's Dead, Long Live the South
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/south.html">http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/south.html</a><!-- m -->
-Also, strangely, this (a handshake in the South?);
From - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hornbell.com/214">http://www.hornbell.com/214</a><!-- m -->
The Dead Shake – Definitely one of the saddest shakes on the market today. The Dead Shake usually comes accompanied by a desperate look from its owner, as if to say, “My hand is dead. Can you resuscitate my hand?” The hand will go limp and squishy in your grip, giving you the impression you could wring water out of it. The Dead Shake is basically a cry for help, but if you encounter one, you are the one who is in danger. Although these people seem harmless and demure, they are psychotic killers all, and would happily tie puppet strings to your fresh corpse, watching it dance for hours.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Colonel Tom
- Colonel Tom Parker? Elvis Presley’s manager
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ColTom.html">http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ColTom.html</a><!-- m -->
War of 1812; Battle Of New Orleans?
Tom Custer?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://americanhistory.about.com/library/prm/bldeathoftomcuster1.htm?terms=tom+custer">http://americanhistory.about.com/librar ... tom+custer</a><!-- m -->
---------------------------------------------------------------
It’s probably meant to be ambiguous...
This is all speculation...
---------------------------------------------------------------
I always thought it was maybe a ship that sunk called the “USS New Orleans”
(although I can’t find anything about it sinking...)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.steelnavy.com/New%20Orleans%20cruisers.htm">http://www.steelnavy.com/New%20Orleans%20cruisers.htm</a><!-- m -->
---------------------------------------------------------------
Dixie Dead Shake
- Could be a metaphor for the old South dying
Dixie's Dead, Long Live the South
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/south.html">http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/south.html</a><!-- m -->
-Also, strangely, this (a handshake in the South?);
From - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hornbell.com/214">http://www.hornbell.com/214</a><!-- m -->
The Dead Shake – Definitely one of the saddest shakes on the market today. The Dead Shake usually comes accompanied by a desperate look from its owner, as if to say, “My hand is dead. Can you resuscitate my hand?” The hand will go limp and squishy in your grip, giving you the impression you could wring water out of it. The Dead Shake is basically a cry for help, but if you encounter one, you are the one who is in danger. Although these people seem harmless and demure, they are psychotic killers all, and would happily tie puppet strings to your fresh corpse, watching it dance for hours.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Colonel Tom
- Colonel Tom Parker? Elvis Presley’s manager
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ColTom.html">http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ColTom.html</a><!-- m -->
War of 1812; Battle Of New Orleans?
Tom Custer?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://americanhistory.about.com/library/prm/bldeathoftomcuster1.htm?terms=tom+custer">http://americanhistory.about.com/librar ... tom+custer</a><!-- m -->
---------------------------------------------------------------
It’s probably meant to be ambiguous...
06-25-2004, 12:23 AM
lord brazle Wrote:New Orleans Is Sinking (Three feet per century)
This is all speculation...
---------------------------------------------------------------
I always thought it was maybe a ship that sunk called the “USS New Orleans”
(although I can’t find anything about it sinking...)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.steelnavy.com/New%20Orleans%20cruisers.htm">http://www.steelnavy.com/New%20Orleans%20cruisers.htm</a><!-- m -->
---------------------------------------------------------------
Dixie Dead Shake
- Could be a metaphor for the old South dying
Dixie's Dead, Long Live the South
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/south.html">http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/south.html</a><!-- m -->
-Also, strangely, this (a handshake in the South?);
From - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hornbell.com/214">http://www.hornbell.com/214</a><!-- m -->
The Dead Shake – Definitely one of the saddest shakes on the market today. The Dead Shake usually comes accompanied by a desperate look from its owner, as if to say, “My hand is dead. Can you resuscitate my hand?” The hand will go limp and squishy in your grip, giving you the impression you could wring water out of it. The Dead Shake is basically a cry for help, but if you encounter one, you are the one who is in danger. Although these people seem harmless and demure, they are psychotic killers all, and would happily tie puppet strings to your fresh corpse, watching it dance for hours.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Colonel Tom
- Colonel Tom Parker? Elvis Presley’s manager
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ColTom.html">http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ColTom.html</a><!-- m -->
War of 1812; Battle Of New Orleans?
Tom Custer?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://americanhistory.about.com/library/prm/bldeathoftomcuster1.htm?terms=tom+custer">http://americanhistory.about.com/librar ... tom+custer</a><!-- m -->
---------------------------------------------------------------
It’s probably meant to be ambiguous...
Funny you mention 1812. When I was 9 years old and the song was originally released, I was sure it was about the Battle of New Orleans. I figured it was the "last stand" theme of an American watching the Yanks beating the Brits in New O after losing the war in Canada. "Yeah, we may have lost Goody Two-Shoes Canada, but at least we're keeping the Sodom and Gamora (sp?) of the Mississippi."
08-03-2004, 12:15 PM
Found this thru the 'google image game'...
New Orleans is sinking at a rate of a foot a decade...
New Orleans Sinking, But NOAA Has a Plan
NOAA Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher visited New Orleans last month to announce a joint NOAA-Louisiana State University study warning that parts of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi are sinking, and will face increased dangers from storm surge and flooding. The announcement, at the National Hurricane Conference, said the affected areas may lose up to one foot of elevation over the next decade.
“We have diagnosed a problem, and NOAA is uniquely capable to recommend and implement a remedy,” said Lautenbacher. “We are taking long-term and near-term steps that will save lives during dangerous storms, prevent further subsidence, and closely monitor the situation so that we are always working with the most current data.”
In cooperation with state and local agencies, NOAA is taking a two-stage approach to address the problem of increased vulnerability to flooding and tidal surges made increasingly worse by coastal subsidence. In the near-term, NOAA National Weather Service has installed monitoring systems that will give more accurate forecasts of coastal water levels, and is using the new information on ground elevations in the forecasting of coastal storms. The long-term strategy involves drastic coastal reclamation that is intended to halt the coastal subsidence.
http://www.accessnoaa.noaa.gov/indexmay12-03.html
New Orleans is sinking at a rate of a foot a decade...
New Orleans Sinking, But NOAA Has a Plan
NOAA Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher visited New Orleans last month to announce a joint NOAA-Louisiana State University study warning that parts of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi are sinking, and will face increased dangers from storm surge and flooding. The announcement, at the National Hurricane Conference, said the affected areas may lose up to one foot of elevation over the next decade.
“We have diagnosed a problem, and NOAA is uniquely capable to recommend and implement a remedy,” said Lautenbacher. “We are taking long-term and near-term steps that will save lives during dangerous storms, prevent further subsidence, and closely monitor the situation so that we are always working with the most current data.”
In cooperation with state and local agencies, NOAA is taking a two-stage approach to address the problem of increased vulnerability to flooding and tidal surges made increasingly worse by coastal subsidence. In the near-term, NOAA National Weather Service has installed monitoring systems that will give more accurate forecasts of coastal water levels, and is using the new information on ground elevations in the forecasting of coastal storms. The long-term strategy involves drastic coastal reclamation that is intended to halt the coastal subsidence.
http://www.accessnoaa.noaa.gov/indexmay12-03.html
08-03-2004, 12:41 PM
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/2001/9/new_orleans_is_sinking/">http://www.popularmechanics.com/science ... s_sinking/</a><!-- m -->
08-03-2004, 09:36 PM
Now here's what I wrote in an earlier thread in response to the idea that the song is sung from the point of view of one of the corpses that peridiocally wash up from nearby cemetaries when the Mississipi floods (that's why, for instance, his gf screams AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!). This is LONG, but...heartfelt:
OK. I'm down with the 'corpse' interpretation, but there's got to be more to it. There's a back story behind that corpse, contained in the first half of the song. That's why I like the 'Civil War' connection. The corpse is a Civil War vet. But then again, references to light bulbs and picture postcards are modern references make no sense coming from a Civil War corpse.
So we may have to glide over to something more allusive and metaphorical. The 'Dixie', 'North-South' and other suggestions of a war veteran's perspective are clear hints of the Civil War. If we choose to read an Ollie North reference into the lines about Colonel Tom (which makes sense given that it was written when North was all over the news) then the theme of solider/war gains further resonance; but it also suggests that something trans-historical is going on here, that we're being given some panoramic vision of America's history of warfare. The damaged, disturbed soldier is a constant in American life, the song seems to be suggesting.
But there's also the obvious MUSICAL connotation to New Orleans, which of course is one of America's great musical centres. That's where the 'Colonel Tom' line takes on yet another meaning---Elvis's Colonel Tom Parker. The crucial invocation of 'Colonel Tom' actually suggests three things, then: a Civil War vet; a more generic American soldier or some other victim of America's history of warfare; and Elvis's manager. This last reference is reinforced by the 'do what ya feel is real' line (the sort of thing musicians and artists would say, not soldiers), as well as 'dancing the sidewalk clean' in the introduction. So American war and American music are definitely themes here.
If you follow the rest of the song through---being pale, bloated and distorted as a cloud, feet up on the banks, etc.---this corpse-imagery applies equally well to our dead civil war/generic American solider, OR Elvis Presely, who died pathetic and bloated. Both the American solider and the iconic American musician are, in the end, washed up by the Mississipi river, ruined corpses in New Orleans.
So, let's seal the deal. America is two things: a nation of war, killing its own; and the source of great rock and roll music. New Orleans is the place where all of America is symbolically summarized, where it all ends (see the lines about the river in 'If New Orleans is Beat' for development of that idea). 'I don't wanna swim' could be the statement of the corpse that belongs below the surface; but it can also double as the singer's ambiguous affirmation of the granduer of the nation that created the style of music, in fact a whole lot of the civilization, that defines his own work and life. It's the 'river that I [he, the singer] am in.'
It may be long-winded, but I think this really hangs together. But I'd love to hear what you all think.
OK. I'm down with the 'corpse' interpretation, but there's got to be more to it. There's a back story behind that corpse, contained in the first half of the song. That's why I like the 'Civil War' connection. The corpse is a Civil War vet. But then again, references to light bulbs and picture postcards are modern references make no sense coming from a Civil War corpse.
So we may have to glide over to something more allusive and metaphorical. The 'Dixie', 'North-South' and other suggestions of a war veteran's perspective are clear hints of the Civil War. If we choose to read an Ollie North reference into the lines about Colonel Tom (which makes sense given that it was written when North was all over the news) then the theme of solider/war gains further resonance; but it also suggests that something trans-historical is going on here, that we're being given some panoramic vision of America's history of warfare. The damaged, disturbed soldier is a constant in American life, the song seems to be suggesting.
But there's also the obvious MUSICAL connotation to New Orleans, which of course is one of America's great musical centres. That's where the 'Colonel Tom' line takes on yet another meaning---Elvis's Colonel Tom Parker. The crucial invocation of 'Colonel Tom' actually suggests three things, then: a Civil War vet; a more generic American soldier or some other victim of America's history of warfare; and Elvis's manager. This last reference is reinforced by the 'do what ya feel is real' line (the sort of thing musicians and artists would say, not soldiers), as well as 'dancing the sidewalk clean' in the introduction. So American war and American music are definitely themes here.
If you follow the rest of the song through---being pale, bloated and distorted as a cloud, feet up on the banks, etc.---this corpse-imagery applies equally well to our dead civil war/generic American solider, OR Elvis Presely, who died pathetic and bloated. Both the American solider and the iconic American musician are, in the end, washed up by the Mississipi river, ruined corpses in New Orleans.
So, let's seal the deal. America is two things: a nation of war, killing its own; and the source of great rock and roll music. New Orleans is the place where all of America is symbolically summarized, where it all ends (see the lines about the river in 'If New Orleans is Beat' for development of that idea). 'I don't wanna swim' could be the statement of the corpse that belongs below the surface; but it can also double as the singer's ambiguous affirmation of the granduer of the nation that created the style of music, in fact a whole lot of the civilization, that defines his own work and life. It's the 'river that I [he, the singer] am in.'
It may be long-winded, but I think this really hangs together. But I'd love to hear what you all think.
hock:
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