Just to clarify: Joanna was born in '82, not '81. The civil war was 1861-1865. However, the American revolution effectively ended in 1781, with the surrender of yorktown. So among the many other things this song is about, it is very possible that we're talking about America ("seceded from the union" here being intentionally misleading, more accurately seceded from the commonwealth). Which makes "Sr. George and the dragon" almost hilarious, being both St. George and George III of England. And as the song is about rebirth, even though we "broke our hearts in the war", she's welcoming "both, in equal part," loyalist and rebel. Which all flows nicely into the strange, ambivalent patriotism of "Good Intentions Paving Company"
America has long been a metaphor for rebirth, new jerusalem, from Blake through the romantics. And the wordplay here plays with the religiousness of it, A.D. 1, novus ordo seclorum.
joanna was born in 82, but i think people are trying to say that she was conceived in 81, and that's why that interpretation makes sense to them. the "union in the year of 81" would have been the event of her conception? although that's not how i view the song, it's an interesting note.
joanna was born in 82, but i think people are trying to say that she was conceived in 81, and that's why that interpretation makes sense to them. the "union in the year of 81" would have been the event of her conception? although that's not how i view the song, it's an interesting note.
i believe '81' is simply the title, since in the song itself she never mentions it, she says "A.D.1" which is the year Jesus was born/conceived, (maybe there are parallels between that date and 81 for her or maybe its just a play on words she was taking advantage of)
i believe '81' is simply the title, since in the song itself she never mentions it, she says "A.D.1" which is the year Jesus was born/conceived, (maybe there are parallels between that date and 81 for her or maybe its just a play on words she was taking advantage of)
Just to clarify: Joanna was born in '82, not '81. The civil war was 1861-1865. However, the American revolution effectively ended in 1781, with the surrender of yorktown. So among the many other things this song is about, it is very possible that we're talking about America ("seceded from the union" here being intentionally misleading, more accurately seceded from the commonwealth). Which makes "Sr. George and the dragon" almost hilarious, being both St. George and George III of England. And as the song is about rebirth, even though we "broke our hearts in the war", she's welcoming "both, in equal part," loyalist and rebel. Which all flows nicely into the strange, ambivalent patriotism of "Good Intentions Paving Company"
America has long been a metaphor for rebirth, new jerusalem, from Blake through the romantics. And the wordplay here plays with the religiousness of it, A.D. 1, novus ordo seclorum.
joanna was born in 82, but i think people are trying to say that she was conceived in 81, and that's why that interpretation makes sense to them. the "union in the year of 81" would have been the event of her conception? although that's not how i view the song, it's an interesting note.
joanna was born in 82, but i think people are trying to say that she was conceived in 81, and that's why that interpretation makes sense to them. the "union in the year of 81" would have been the event of her conception? although that's not how i view the song, it's an interesting note.
Thank You!
Thank You!
i believe '81' is simply the title, since in the song itself she never mentions it, she says "A.D.1" which is the year Jesus was born/conceived, (maybe there are parallels between that date and 81 for her or maybe its just a play on words she was taking advantage of)
i believe '81' is simply the title, since in the song itself she never mentions it, she says "A.D.1" which is the year Jesus was born/conceived, (maybe there are parallels between that date and 81 for her or maybe its just a play on words she was taking advantage of)