This song is astounding on many levels. For me, listening to Josh is always a game of figuring out the literary/historical riddles and allusions he throws into the lyrics. I just want to point out some of the amazing literary/history references Josh threw into the mix on this one.
In verse three he says "The stain of the sepia the butcher Crimea" I believe this refers to the fact that the Crimean War (1853-1856) was the first European war to be extensively documented by photographs, which at the time were only developed in sepia tone.
Then in verse four Josh says "Joan never cared about the in betweens/Combed her hair with a blade did the Maid of Orleans". These lines are referencing Joan of Arc's nickname as the "Maid of Orleans" and may also be alluding to Voltaire's unfinished poem, "The Maid of Orleans". And the image of someone combing her hair with a blade is a witty way of showing a person cutting their hair (as Joan of Arc did during her military campaigns).
Josh continues on with some of his most clever wordplay in verse seven. He sings:
Was it Casey Jones or Casey at the Bat?
Who died out of pride and got famous for that
Killed by a swerve laid low by the curve
Do you ever think they ever thought they got what they deserved?
This verse references the train conductor Casey Jones, which other commentators have noted so I won't add any more on him. Though I haven't seen anyone explain the Casey at the Bat. "Casey at the Bat" was a poem published in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. It tells the story of a prideful batter named Casey who purposefully strikes on the first two pitches because he believes he will hit a home run on the third. He ends up striking out and losing the game for his whole team. The way that Josh Ritter ties the whole verse together by showing that both Casey Jones and Casey the batter "died out of pride" is incredible; with Casey Jones dying from the swerve (of the train) and Casey at the Bat figuratively "dying" from a curve ball.
Anyhow, what a mesmerizing song. Let's all keep supporting Josh!
This song is astounding on many levels. For me, listening to Josh is always a game of figuring out the literary/historical riddles and allusions he throws into the lyrics. I just want to point out some of the amazing literary/history references Josh threw into the mix on this one. In verse three he says "The stain of the sepia the butcher Crimea" I believe this refers to the fact that the Crimean War (1853-1856) was the first European war to be extensively documented by photographs, which at the time were only developed in sepia tone. Then in verse four Josh says "Joan never cared about the in betweens/Combed her hair with a blade did the Maid of Orleans". These lines are referencing Joan of Arc's nickname as the "Maid of Orleans" and may also be alluding to Voltaire's unfinished poem, "The Maid of Orleans". And the image of someone combing her hair with a blade is a witty way of showing a person cutting their hair (as Joan of Arc did during her military campaigns). Josh continues on with some of his most clever wordplay in verse seven. He sings:
Who died out of pride and got famous for that Killed by a swerve laid low by the curve Do you ever think they ever thought they got what they deserved?
This verse references the train conductor Casey Jones, which other commentators have noted so I won't add any more on him. Though I haven't seen anyone explain the Casey at the Bat. "Casey at the Bat" was a poem published in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. It tells the story of a prideful batter named Casey who purposefully strikes on the first two pitches because he believes he will hit a home run on the third. He ends up striking out and losing the game for his whole team. The way that Josh Ritter ties the whole verse together by showing that both Casey Jones and Casey the batter "died out of pride" is incredible; with Casey Jones dying from the swerve (of the train) and Casey at the Bat figuratively "dying" from a curve ball.
Anyhow, what a mesmerizing song. Let's all keep supporting Josh!