Posts: 7519 |
Nikki Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 6:35 PM |
Ok… maryhill_johnny got me thinking about the first line of “J. Smith” in the "Sarah" thread and I’m wondering what everyone thinks it means.
”There's a man on the street,
And he looks at his feet form his window.”
My guess would be that the first line of the song foreshadows what happens at the end of the song. J. Smith puts his radio in the bath and kills himself and he’s called up to heaven by angels (the choir). So, the first line refers to him as a ghost looking down on himself.
:D I’m just full of crazy theories about this album. Sorry, I just love to analyze songs and poetry.
What do you all think this line means?
|
|
|
Posts: 7404 |
Turtleneck Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 6:49 PM |
Well, I've now decided that my first idea is probably wrong. But I'll tell you anyway, because that's just what we do here, isn't it?
My first thought was that he was standing on his window ledge thinking about jumping. But after thinking about it, he wouldn't be on the street. If his window was street level, he he, wouldn't be much of a plunge!
Maybe he's just a depressed guy standing near his window, looking down, contemplating his terrible life. |
|
|
Posts: 2310 |
the boy with a cryptic name Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 6:53 PM |
I don't think Fran deliberately writes in vast swathes of extra meaning, but I think it comes naturally from good lyrics, and he's an amazing lyricist.
I don't know what that line means, but it's amazing |
|
|
Posts: 7404 |
Turtleneck Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 6:55 PM |
| The secret code says, "There are no hidden meanings." |
|
|
Posts: 7598 |
weirdmom Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 7:00 PM |
Kayte I had that thought too until I realized if he's on the street that's not much of a jump.
Maybe he's looking at his feet in a street-level window. The state of his shoes starts a downward spiral leading him to the bath. ; )
I think it needs to be taken more as a whole first chunk:
There's a man on the street,
And he looks at his feet form his window.
And he sweares at the sun,
And he curses the moon for its shadow.
So he looks down and then up, and seemingly all around. He's assessing his life and the world and decides it's, to quote Esteban, "utter bullocks." |
|
|
Posts: 7404 |
Turtleneck Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 7:09 PM |
weirdmom wrote: Kayte I had that thought too until I realized if he's on the street that's not much of a jump.
Maybe he's looking at his feet in a street-level window. The state of his shoes starts a downward spiral leading him to the bath. ; )
I think it needs to be taken more as a whole first chunk:
There's a man on the street,
And he looks at his feet form his window.
And he sweares at the sun,
And he curses the moon for its shadow.
So he looks down and then up, and seemingly all around. He's assessing his life and the world and decides it's, to quote Esteban, "utter bullocks."
form? sweares? I think I just read the same web page you did. |
|
|
Posts: 7598 |
weirdmom Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 7:11 PM |
Turtleneck wrote: form? sweares? I think I just read the same web page you did.
Oops! I copied and pasted and I guess my eyes just auto corrected the mistakes. LOL. |
|
|
Posts: 7556 |
I Came in Through the Bathroom Window Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 11:01 PM |
That first line has been stuck in my head from the first time I listened to that song. I think is one of the greatest lyrics ever written.
I don't know if what I'm going to say makes much sense, but I think of it more as a metaphore, not so literal: J. Smith represents the common man, and the common man is torn appart, so this guy is on the street and looks at his feet from his window. I see it as a surrealistic line... |
|
|
Posts: 4170 |
paul_c Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 11:17 PM |
| 'The man' and 'he' are different characters |
|
|
Posts: 7519 |
Nikki Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 11:26 PM |
| Wow! I love everyone's theories! Veerrry interesting. :) |
|
|
Posts: 7404 |
Turtleneck Posted Tue 01 Jul, 2008 11:34 PM |
paul_c wrote: 'The man' and 'he' are different characters
But then the pronoun would have no antecedent. Shame on you for making me remember the word "antecedent." ;o) |
|
|
Posts: 1382 |
jesusaremus Posted Wed 02 Jul, 2008 2:50 AM |
| i don't know, but at my point, i think J Smith represent a common man, i don't think he's very common, but it's just that he doesn't have a name, and they called him J Smith. But that's just my point |
|
|
Posts: 7598 |
weirdmom Posted Wed 02 Jul, 2008 2:51 AM |
paul_c wrote: 'The man' and 'he' are different characters
I wondered that too. Is the man looking at his feet in the window seeing this man on the street? But it seems more likely the man and he are the same person. This J Smith chap. |
|
|
Posts: 1382 |
jesusaremus Posted Wed 02 Jul, 2008 2:55 AM |
weirdmom wrote: paul_c wrote: 'The man' and 'he' are different characters
I wondered that too. Is the man looking at his feet in the window seeing this man on the street? But it seems more likely the man and he are the same person. This J Smith chap.
yes, there are two possibilities, a man watching from his window to another man who's looking at his feet. but dunno |
|
|
Posts: 488 |
Lu122 Posted Wed 02 Jul, 2008 3:02 AM |
paul_c wrote: 'The man' and 'he' are different characters
I agree with you... |
|
|
