I think the only useful thing my English teacher ever taught me, when I was doing poetry in high-school, was that after the poet has made his work public, it's meaning is no longer up to him. Whoever reads it creates the meaning - and the by-product of that is the fact that the piece is going to mean something different to everyone. The lyrics are going to have different connotations for everyone, and it's possible that Mangum is deliberately vague when it comes to explaining the meanings to his songs for this reason.
In the words of one of my favourite comedians, Dennis Miller, “The only thing separating holy writ from complete bullshit is your perspective. It’s your only weapon, keep the safety off”
I think the only useful thing my English teacher ever taught me, when I was doing poetry in high-school, was that after the poet has made his work public, it's meaning is no longer up to him. Whoever reads it creates the meaning - and the by-product of that is the fact that the piece is going to mean something different to everyone. The lyrics are going to have different connotations for everyone, and it's possible that Mangum is deliberately vague when it comes to explaining the meanings to his songs for this reason.
In the words of one of my favourite comedians, Dennis Miller, “The only thing separating holy writ from complete bullshit is your perspective. It’s your only weapon, keep the safety off”
Yes, finally!
Yes, finally!