In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
The mama pajama rolled out of bed
And she ran to the police station
When the papa found out he began to shout
And he started the investigation
It's against the law
It was against the law
What the mama saw
It was against the law
The mama looked down and spit on the ground
Every time my name gets mentioned
The papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy
I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention"
Well I'm on my way
I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Whoa, in a couple of days they come and take me away
But the press let the story leak
And when the radical priest
Come to get me released
We was all on the cover of Newsweek
And I'm on my way
I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
And she ran to the police station
When the papa found out he began to shout
And he started the investigation
It's against the law
It was against the law
What the mama saw
It was against the law
The mama looked down and spit on the ground
Every time my name gets mentioned
The papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy
I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention"
Well I'm on my way
I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Whoa, in a couple of days they come and take me away
But the press let the story leak
And when the radical priest
Come to get me released
We was all on the cover of Newsweek
And I'm on my way
I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
"Rosie, the Queen of Corona" is probably referring to the neighbourhood Corona, in Queens and not the beer.
Paul Simon was asked about this song in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine, in 1972. The interviewer asked "what was it that the mama saw?" and Simon replied, "I have no idea what it is... Something sexual is what I imagine, but when I say 'something', I never bothered to figure out what it was. Didn't make any difference to me."
Yeah I love this song but I've never had any idea what it's about. Grafitti or alcohol abuse you say? Huh... I don't get who's parents it's talking about. I love the sound of it though. Simon and Garfunkel are amazing.
Pity comment, lol... Not much to say, except that corona is an alcoholic beverage.
its abour grafitti or alcohol abuse.
I'd always imagined pot, but my sister thought it was about gay sex (not suggesting paul simon was gay)
i had always thought this song was about a girl who was caught going out with a boy (julio), probably older that's why it was against the law. also the gay sex version sounds very logic to me, but none of those explain what does Rosie, the Queen of Corona has to do with it.
Anyway, we already heard garfunkel saying not even him knows, so we are free to imagine whatever we want.
I think people should take it for all it's worth..."nothing" it was a great song... remember the time it was written..... Take it for face value........ Roll a fatty enjoy the song and move right into Peter paul and mary... Puff the magic dragon.. Alot of people think it was about homosexualality however it might have been looked down on by 99 percent of the people it would not have got ya stuck in jail.... moma seen somthing going on, cops got them, it was all over newsweek after the release... I would venture it was drugs... but Paul says everyone has to come tho their own thought of what was seen and what was done....
Peace...
Was not about gay people
Here's a song fact, an aural word-math equation (with a rounding error).
(goodbye to) Ro.....o............sie
Me and Julio
Further, the only "House of Detention" in NYC history was a women's prison, located at 10 Greenwich Avenue, from 1932-1974 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Women's_House_of_Detention
Before I looked up lyrics , would wrongly, use 'baba yaga', a witch from Eastern Europe fables.