I think the stanzas arn't in the order in which the events happened, opening with the pivital moment of the song.
"Johanna drove slowly into the city
The Hudson River all filled with snow
She spied the ring on His Honor's finger
Oh-oh-oh"
She drivers up to suprise her lover in New York but when she see's him she notices he has a wedding ring on. Honor used sarcastically, as he has lied to her.
"A thousand years in one piece of silver
She took it from his lily-white hand
Showed no fear—she'd seen the thing
In the young men's wing at Sloan-Kettering"
When she saw his wedding ring tie stood still as if it was a "thousand years" and she kills him in rage. Shes not upset as shes seen yonger men die. Hie honor could also suggest that, like a judge, he was responsible for his own fate by his actions.
"Look outside at the raincoats coming, say "oh"
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say "oh""
Sadness, funeral, esacpism ect :)
'Ey, 'ey, 'ey, 'ey!
'Ey, 'ey, 'ey!
"His Honor drove southward seeking exotica
Down to the pueblo huts of New Mexico
Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas
Oh-oh-oh"
This is the first thing which happened. He went down to NM for a bit of 'fun'. Turquoise harmonicas are tacky gifts people buy when on the spur of the moment yet when they are back home they are not as valued - representing his feelings for this girl, it seemed like a good idea when he was down there but now hes back home he's not interested.
"I saw Johanna down in the subway
She took an apartment in Washington Heights
Half of the ring lies here with me
But the other half's at the bottom of the sea"
After shes murdered him, she threw the river but the other ring is still with his widow.
I think the stanzas arn't in the order in which the events happened, opening with the pivital moment of the song.
"Johanna drove slowly into the city The Hudson River all filled with snow She spied the ring on His Honor's finger Oh-oh-oh"
"A thousand years in one piece of silver She took it from his lily-white hand Showed no fear—she'd seen the thing In the young men's wing at Sloan-Kettering"
"Look outside at the raincoats coming, say "oh" Look outside at the raincoats coming, say "oh""
'Ey, 'ey, 'ey, 'ey! 'Ey, 'ey, 'ey!
"His Honor drove southward seeking exotica Down to the pueblo huts of New Mexico Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas Oh-oh-oh"
"I saw Johanna down in the subway She took an apartment in Washington Heights Half of the ring lies here with me But the other half's at the bottom of the sea"