| Jenny Lewis – Pretty Bird Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[brighteyes304:15106] Yes. Pretty Bird Women's Shelter is in McLaughlin, SD on the Standing Rock Reservation. It was named after Pretty Bird Woman, the sister of the shelter's founder who was raped and murdered. Notice the four directions/colors that make up the song's chorus, the mimic the four directions and colors of the Lakota Medicine Wheel. The only one that is accurate to the real thing, however, is "West/black setting sun." The direction west on the Medicine wheel is black, and represents the setting sun. Interestingly, she says "north/walk the good red road." North on the Medicine Wheel is white, not red (red is east.) Funny enough, to "Walk the Red Road" is a turn of phrase on the reservation that means, in essence: to stay sober, stay clean, and worship in a traditional way. I spent the better part of a year on the Pine Ridge Reservation with the Oglala Lakota, so I got familiar with these themes way after having heard the song. I hadn't listened to it in a long time, and one day I heard it so perfectly. Without knowing the story of Pretty Bird, I knew it was a Lakota woman's name. So I did the research. It's interesting stuff. I kind of wish Jenny would make a significant donation to the shelter itself. I'm not saying she *hasn't* --but there's no record if she did, and I just really hope she did. They have struggled to stay open for a while. |
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| Lady GaGa – The Edge of Glory Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| I think this is about sex. | |
| Lady GaGa – The Edge of Glory Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| I think this is about sex. | |
| Iron & Wine – Passing Afternoon Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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To clarify, bougainvillea is a beautiful, purple/pink-flowering plant that while it may technically be a tropical plant from Africa/Argentina/Brazil, many hybrids are extremely popular in subtropical climate of the southeastern US, where a lot of Iron & Wine's music takes place. I live in Florida, and bougainvillea is EVERYWHERE. What makes it so interesting in the context of the song is the mention of seeds. The only species of this plant that grow in the US (the hybrids) have sterile seeds and can only be propagated by cuttings. .... I think it's symbolic. |
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