Privateering - song meanings: Submariner

[Hophead]

I meant that maybe Mark got the idea for the song from this film, not that the song would strictly follow the plot. Who knows? He has said that bits and pieces from here and there go to the "junkyard" of his head and he may use them in a song later. But don't you agree that when he puts these bits and pieces together with a melody, it becomes a gem!

I whole-heartedly agree...he stated in the interview that accompanied the deluxe set that "Haul Away" was inspired by a scene from a Patrick O'Brian book..said scene is also in the movie based on the book..."Master and Commander..the far side of the world". He does seem to take bits and pieces from different influences..and craft them into a real beauty! 

[jennja]

I do love this song. And, I enjoyed Hop's question to Guy today and hope to find more 'hidden sounds'.

My first listen to this song--and you know how first listens go--I thought it was the daughter imagining her father's last thoughts. I think it was in part the sing-song, innocent like quality of Mark's voice, the melody is haunting, eerie and beautiful--it can also seem a little demented OR innocent--which makes it especially beautiful to me. Anyway... I  imagined a conversation sort of like: " how did daddy die" Mom: " he drowned in a submarine"...daughter " what is drowning like " Mom" like going to sleep " ...and so she imagines his last thoughts were of her.

But, on subsequent listening I came to the same conclusion the rest of you here did...that he did in fact drown, and dreamt of his daughter.

These atmospheric songs are always awesome.

[Love Expresso]

Sorry to bring up this old topic again.. but it struck me while listening to the Stuttgart Live version (several times in a row) what we know about the meaning of this great song.. Kursk and the date of his birthday..

as it was usual back in GUS days, maybe news were reporting a few days later about the catastrophe, and Mark just had celebrated a beautiful birthday in August with his (then) two years-old daughter (Isabella). He might have thought back to that sunny day in the garden, thinking, my god, that day I was so happy, in the garden playing with my "darling, my beautiful daughter", these poor guys were sitting there, in the vault... hope you get the picture. Some sort of sorrow and sadness. Both pictures, the beautiful and the sad,  maybe let the idea of the song going... how close it all sticks together, being happy and being sad..., and of course as a happy dad, feeling with other fathers, being sure that those guys in the Kursk had left family members, too...

Maybe naive and a little broad interpretation, it might come from my curiousness about what the heck Mark is doing on his birthdays...

 

LE

[superval99]

Sorry to bring up this old topic again.. but it struck me while listening to the Stuttgart Live version (several times in a row) what we know about the meaning of this great song.. Kursk and the date of his birthday..

as it was usual back in GUS days, maybe news were reporting a few days later about the catastrophe, and Mark just had celebrated a beautiful birthday in August with his (then) two years-old daughter (Isabella). He might have thought back to that sunny day in the garden, thinking, my god, that day I was so happy, in the garden playing with my "darling, my beautiful daughter", these poor guys were sitting there, in the vault... hope you get the picture. Some sort of sorrow and sadness. Both pictures, the beautiful and the sad,  maybe let the idea of the song going... how close it all sticks together, being happy and being sad..., and of course as a happy dad, feeling with other fathers, being sure that those guys in the Kursk had left family members, too...

Maybe naive and a little broad interpretation, it might come from my curiousness about what the heck Mark is doing on his birthdays...

 

LE

LE - You've done it again!     

Ever since your interpretation of Marbletown, I have had a mental picture, every time I listen to the song, of the hobo resting on the gravestones, then pricking up his ears when he hears the next train coming and then his frantic running to catch the train! 

Now, thanks to you, I have another picture, this time to accompany DOTDS, of Mark, thinking back to that beautiful sunny day in the garden, playing with baby Isabella.

It's a really beautiful song and I think Stuttgart is probably my favourite performance.   

Just one thing - what is GUS?   

[Love Expresso]

Val, my mistake (another again today, too much holiday it seems... ) GUS is the German Abbreviation of what you should have  called CIS (?)  I googled it and found out about my mistake - what I mean is the then usual name of the bigger part of the former Soviet Union - that's at least what I connected with the Kursk... I could have said "Russia" instead...  but was not completely sure about the political constellations then..

Nice that you are willing to follow my picture. 

LE