Welcome to Music Banter Forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with over 70,000 other registered members. After you create your free account, you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 1,100,000 posts.
I think the imagery and descriptive qualities of "Sad Eyed Lady" are great. Yes, it does rhyme a lot. However, I think the imagery that make up those rhymes is very creative.
"With your mercury mouth in the missionary times
And your eyes like smoke, and your prayers like rhymes."
"The kings of Tyrus with their convict list
Are waiting in line for their geranium kiss."
Although they are simple rhymes, they Certainly are not your typical and average descriptions.
No, the descriptions weren't typical; that wasn't the issue I had.
It doesn't feel sincere to me is the issue. It's bogged down by such an easy rhyme scheme, so many flowery descriptive words, that it feels that the subject of the song is lost. I feel - and this may really just be me - that it's a song that could be written about just about anyone. There's no real personal connection between the lyrical content and a solid, concrete subject. It feels like a man waxing poetic about love in general, writing a song that could be used on any woman in the future, if this weren't to work out.
It's like someone describing a wall in vivid detail, but doing so in such a way that they could just as easily be talking about a floor, a basketball, a loaf of bread. The words are lovely. The subject, however, is lost, bogged down by them, and I really do believe that the song suffers from this.
I understand what you're saying. I just don't really have a problem with it, even if I'm seeing it how you are, because what you're saying makes sense; I just don't think its safe to say that it wasn't written by someone in specific. I don't doubt that he had a specific woman in mind when he wrote it. It's awfully descriptive to be so broad that it could be about anyone.
No, the descriptions weren't typical; that wasn't the issue I had.
It doesn't feel sincere to me is the issue. It's bogged down by such an easy rhyme scheme, so many flowery descriptive words, that it feels that the subject of the song is lost. I feel - and this may really just be me - that it's a song that could be written about just about anyone. There's no real personal connection between the lyrical content and a solid, concrete subject. It feels like a man waxing poetic about love in general, writing a song that could be used on any woman in the future, if this weren't to work out.
It's like someone describing a wall in vivid detail, but doing so in such a way that they could just as easily be talking about a floor, a basketball, a loaf of bread. The words are lovely. The subject, however, is lost, bogged down by them, and I really do believe that the song suffers from this.
Well put, and my thoughts exactly on "Sad Eyed," whereas you know "Sara" is about Sara, and the song just really strikes a cord with me. Here's one live clip of "Sara." It's not as powerful as the studio version, but still great.
I also think that divorce songs are often times more emotive than marriage or love songs, which can sometimes come across as sappy. For another example of a whole album of divorce songs, check out Jethro Tull's "Minstrel in the Gallery"... almost every song on that record is about Ian Anderson's divorce, and it is one of Tull's most emotional albums. Here are some audio clips..
Good call on the Tull. Another really good album that is straight up divorce songs from an even more messed up perspective is Richard and Linda Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights.
The two were a husband/wife group, and Richard cheated on her with, and was leaving her for, a younger and more attractive woman. Linda was made to sing songs about Richard leaving her with him, and actually suffered a subsequent nervous breakdown.
Good call on the Tull. Another really good album that is straight up divorce songs from an even more messed up perspective is Richard and Linda Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights.
The two were a husband/wife group, and Richard cheated on her with, and was leaving her for, a younger and more attractive woman. Linda was made to sing songs about Richard leaving her with him, and actually suffered a subsequent nervous breakdown.
Wonderful album, messed up story.
Like this one...that poor woman.
That's a powerful song... and a messed up story. I hadn't heard of them before
Linear Mode
