The Signifiying Monkey Tale - ?? I could be way off here, but could it be a sort of reference to the tale of the monkey, the lion and the elephant - "the signified monkey" ? not completely sure on that, however that's my guess. geddy --- Bob McKenzie <hoser_3317@hotmail.com> wrote:
Just pulled out Dream of the Blue Turtles to re-read lyrics.
"Our blood has stained the coal We tunneled deep inside the nation's soul
"The seam lies underground Three million years of pressure packed it down We walk through ancient forest lands... etc. ...Your dark satanic mills Have made redundant all our mining skills You can't exchange a six inch band for all the poisoned streams in Cumberland"
It seems to me he is alluding to many topics related to mining: - "but deadly for twelve thousand years is carbon fouteen" carbon-coal? - "Power was to become cheap and clean": coal smoke was incredibly dirty - "Grimy faces were never seen": no more smudgy coal-blackened faces of miners - "build machines that they can't control": Nuclear power in the wrong hands could wreak havoc on their quiet countryside whereas coal was contained, underground, and they had built their lives around it
I know this because I hold a Masters' Degree in Mining Sciences with a minor of Metallurgy and Technical Writing.*
* To clarify, that was meant in jest and certainly did not call into question any lister who may actually have attended University for this very subject and could explain coal mining far better than I.
What does he mean in "Rock Steady" by "the signified monkey"? That has always baffled me.
From: "HM" <2ho@gmx.net> To: "Bob McKenzie" <hoser_3317@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [Police] Police] On the subject of lyrics and their meaning ..... Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 08:18:29 +0100
I always thought he meant money with that. Isn't one of the larger dollar notes about six inches long?
Can't be Euro, they were not even thought about when the song was written :-) Holger
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob McKenzie" <hoser_3317@hotmail.com> To: <police@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 2:33 AM Subject: [Police] Police] On the subject of lyrics and their meaning .....
Here is one I have always meant to ask about and now seems like a good time. In We Work the Black Seam he says "...............you can't exchange a six inch band for all the poisoned streams in Cumberland." What is the six inch band?
~Anne
Coal. AKA "the Black Seam".
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