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Shortly after Evelyn
was doused with gasoline
and just a few miles off the avenue
a lighter flashed into a puff of smoke
for thirty years Walter worked right there
five days out of every week
that's where he watched his hometown fade
the last came fast and furious
chorus
just step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan
and he was gone
when Walter's shift was over
he'd head out to catch the red line home
two stops away his family slept
he'd be there when they got out of bed
destination subway station
someone yelled so he looked back
five guys were heading his way
he ran to catch that last train home,
chorus
just step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan
and he was gone
oh Walter ran - did they kill Evelyn?
he had his token in his hand
but he jumped over the turnstile
and he ran down the platform
they were hot on his heels
an outbound was bearing down on him
Walter jumped in front of it
chorus
just step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan and he was
step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan and he was gone
was doused with gasoline
and just a few miles off the avenue
a lighter flashed into a puff of smoke
for thirty years Walter worked right there
five days out of every week
that's where he watched his hometown fade
the last came fast and furious
chorus
just step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan
and he was gone
when Walter's shift was over
he'd head out to catch the red line home
two stops away his family slept
he'd be there when they got out of bed
destination subway station
someone yelled so he looked back
five guys were heading his way
he ran to catch that last train home,
chorus
just step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan
and he was gone
oh Walter ran - did they kill Evelyn?
he had his token in his hand
but he jumped over the turnstile
and he ran down the platform
they were hot on his heels
an outbound was bearing down on him
Walter jumped in front of it
chorus
just step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan and he was
step in one direction
stutter step for one split second
faster through the intersection
a jackknife to a swan and he was gone
Lyrics submitted by skatoonist_sazzy
Track duration: 02:48
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Whatever the song was intended to be about, from what I see, her story is really about how far we can go in our departure from humanity whilst on a journey led by an alpha-sociopath or two. Her profoundly misguided attackers not only robbed her of her life, but of a fundamental belief which I hope most of us share: that we are all here for each other. In the end she asked only for someone to call an ambulance, in a manner as if to say "if it would not inconvenience you too much, could you...?".
one example from the article:
"large groups of idle black teenagers were soon wandering the area [Andrews Square], and in quick succession they claimed three white victims"
First verse:
"a few miles off the avenue" - Evelyn Wagler was doused in gasoline and lit up in a trash-filled backyard, not too far from where the fictional Walter worked.
"he watched his hometown fade" - all the comfortable, nostalgic good feelings about Boston fading as the community errupts in racial violence.
Second Verse:
The whole thing is pretty straight-forward.
Walter is a white man that is coming home on the subway late at night, sees these black kids, they start to chase him. Cause of the race issues from Evelyn's killing he thinks they're after him (and they very might be)
Third verse:
"Did they kill Evelyn?" - Walter's lumping all the 'blacks' together... reflection of the racism and tension in Boston at the time.
He thinks they're going to kill him, so he decides to just kill himself by throwing himself in front of the train. Worried that worse things might happen to him.
It's all about how someone can get so afraid from the news that they do crazy shit to "protect" themselves... even so far as to kill themselves. Plus focuses on race issues in Boston going on in the 70s.
As for Walter, I'm not sure. Walter Cronkite perhaps? If I recall he did some extensive reporting on the case of Evelyn Wagler and the subsequent riots--he also lives in Martha's Vineyard, MA.
Or alternately, it could possibly be the name of one of the other victims of the gang violence after Wagler's murder.
The allusion to the swans doesn't necessarily mean that the swans are in any way directly involved in the same... how to say... storyline, for lack of a better word, as Walter. Instead, there seems to be a comparison going on between the statues and the protagonist.
o1. Both were disregarded. I don't know much about Boston, but I am familiar with how something can easily be taken for granted or looked over if it's left in the scenery. Sure, any visitor can stop and admire a statue the first or second time passing. But a citizen of Boston might not glance on it nearly so often, disregarding it as a constant. As he worked steadily for thirty years in the same job and never stirred up much fuss in the world, Walter might have been disregarded, as well, as a constant.
o2. Both held /some/ importance to /somebody/. As in, their sudden departure was or would be missed. The swan statues, even though possibly passed over, were sorely missed by the Boston folk. Similarly, the family, slumbering as the events in the song take place, would miss Walter just as horridly, if not more so.
o3. Both left their respected places abruptly and inexplicably. The cryptic verse leading up to Walter's leap left for some clarification to be desired, certainly. No one can be sure exactly who was following him or exactly what went wrong. Of course, no one knows what happened to the swan statues, either. Finally, there comes the matter of how they left. As tempguy so aptly pointed out, "jackknife" has the connotation of abruptness and violence, as was the manner of Walter's (assumed) death. But theft can be just as violent and sudden, couldn't it? And couldn't the statues have been destroyed, as well?
How this affects the meaning of the song, that's entirely up to you. If you agree with me, fine. If you don't, fine. This is just what's right for me, and I felt like speaking out about one of my favorite Bosstones song.
Im sure the outlook on who stole the duck figured from Boston was grim - who could do such a thing. Here we find a guy who seems to have fallen into a tight spot, his wife gets murdered and he has to run for his life.
He jumps in front of a train, but he makes it - through the intersection and uses a knife to cut off the ducks /swans to sell for cash since he obviously is going to be hard up for it. It wasnt a low down dirty thief who stole the ducks for cash, but someone who needed it to start anew?
Thoughts?
Im sure the outlook on who stole the duck figured from Boston was grim - who could do such a thing. Here we find a guy who seems to have fallen into a tight spot, his wife gets murdered and he has to run for his life.
He jumps in front of a train, but he makes it - through the intersection and uses a knife to cut off the ducks /swans to sell for cash since he obviously is going to be hard up for it. It wasnt a low down dirty thief who stole the ducks for cash, but someone who needed it to start anew?
Thoughts?
So, unless this is just some douchebag making stuff up, we were all way off...