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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
 Posted - 07/27/2005 : 12:29:22
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running a few at a time
lyrics again thanks to moro and the Japanese booklet
I Burn Today
I knew a girl with sad blue eyes
But at the feast I lost my psychic prize
I did forget what the tarot maid did say
I burn today, I burn today
Our house was filled many birds
She said to me I can understand their words
The land will shake so run away
I burn today, I burn today
Yes, today I will burn
for the times I did not learn
She said our fun it's time has come
hold my heartstrings and have yourself a strum
No nevermore this song will we play
I burn today, I burn today
And as I drank in old Paris
She lay her cards just to see what she would see
Down by the water you'll find your happy days
I burn today, I burn today
Yes today I will burn for the times I did not learn
I ran so fast into the North
No snow fell on me and so he said thenceforth
I let snow fall on frozen yesterday
I burn today, I burn today
and if my head is hanging down
I feel her arms and legs are all around
And we make love beside the waterway
I burn today, I burn today
Yes today I will burn for the times I did not learn
Behold the rose of Jericho
How many lives I really do not know
Though with the rain I know it will return
Today I burn, Today I burn
quotes
again thanks to Llamadance and Night Times on 12/06/2005
This is my favorite song on the record, for a lot of reasons: the way the lyrics came out, the way everyone plays on it -- the way the guitars sound and the whole vibe. It actually wouldn't have even been called "I Burn Today" had it not been for Jon Tiven. I had written it without a chorus, thinking of it as kind of a repetitive folk song. But Jon kept insisting I add to it, so I went back to my hotel one night and added the refrain: "and today I will burn for all the times I did not learn." That made the song ten times better, so I have to give Jon credit for that. It makes me happy now, every time I listen to it.
and you're questioning the sciences
and questioning religion
you're looking like an idiot
and you no longer care.
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2005 : 12:36:10
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Encyclopędia Britannica says
rose of Jericho ... also called resurrection plant ... is the only species of the genus Anastatica, of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to western Asia. The small, gray plant curls its branches and seedpods inward in the dry season, forming a ball that opens only when moistened. In this form, it can be stored for years and is often sold as a curiosity. The ball rolls with the wind like a tumbleweed (bolding mine, just for kicks cross-referencing with another, unrelated Frank tune)
So something about resurrection, a new life after the divorce?
-----
This
"Our house was filled many birds
She said to me I can understand their words
The land will shake so run away"
could refer to animals' ability to sense imminent earthquakes.
-----
The part about running to the north could ostensibly refer to Frank moving to Oregon, north of California?
Sometimes, no matter how shitty things get, you have to just do a little dance. - Frank
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Edited by - kathryn on 07/27/2005 12:45:22 |
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2005 : 12:39:00
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thanks Kathryn!
and you're questioning the sciences
and questioning religion
you're looking like an idiot
and you no longer care.
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2005 : 13:59:47
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While I think about it, I'll add the single details here:
I'll scan the cover tomorrow for a better picture
Tracks:
1. I burn Today
2. Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day
3. Sing For Joy
Cooking Vinyl
CD
FRYCD240-CDR
UK
This is a promo copy only.
and you're questioning the sciences
and questioning religion
you're looking like an idiot
and you no longer care.
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2005 : 14:49:42
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The rose of jericho in a botanical sketch....
which is far more attractive than the pictures of it, heh...
and you're questioning the sciences
and questioning religion
you're looking like an idiot
and you no longer care.
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Llamadance
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2543 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2005 : 14:55:49
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hmm, following on from the rose of jericho, do you think the title/chorus is hinting at a phoenix from the flames. Rising from the ashes. I dunno, just a thought. The botanical sketch kind of looks like that too.
________________________________________________________________________________
No power in the 'verse can stop me
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mosleyk
= Cult of Ray =
USA
607 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2005 : 16:32:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Llamadance
hmm, following on from the rose of jericho, do you think the title/chorus is hinting at a phoenix from the flames. Rising from the ashes. I dunno, just a thought. The botanical sketch kind of looks like that too.
________________________________________________________________________________
No power in the 'verse can stop me
I think that sounds like a good possibility |
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scruvs
= Cult of Ray =
353 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2005 : 23:31:31
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This is a song about drugs. While Dylan's Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35 on b on b is only a song about pot, this song is about a fictional male experimenting with several different narcotics and other drugs. Here's my take, but I could be wrong. Let's break it down...
I Burn Today
I knew a girl with sad blue eyes
But at the feast I lost my psychic prize
I did forget what the tarot maid did say
I burn today, I burn today
Starting off with pot. That girl is Mary Jane. That feast, well that's there because he's got the munchies. Lights up his J, lets the tarot maid take a hit and lets it burn.
Our house was filled many birds
She said to me I can understand their words
The land will shake so run away
I burn today, I burn today
Yes, today I will burn
for the times I did not learn
Trippin on acid here. Not only are there birds in the house, but the lady can talk to them. And the ground shaking. Come on. One or both of the people here are on some sort of hallucinating drug. That burning sensation he's feeling, that's not real, just his imagination.
She said our fun it's time has come
hold my heartstrings and have yourself a strum
No nevermore this song will we play
I burn today, I burn today
Smokin' some crystal methamphetamines here. His heart's moving so fast it feels like someone's strumming it like a guitar.
And as I drank in old Paris
She lay her cards just to see what she would see
Down by the water you'll find your happy days
I burn today, I burn today
Yes today I will burn for the times I did not learn
Alcohol. Old Paris. Down by the water, more like whiskey and water. The burning sensation of the whiskey down his throat, he wishes he would have learned to chase it with some Mt. Dew.
I ran so fast into the North
No snow fell on me and so he said thenceforth
I let snow fall on frozen yesterday
I burn today, I burn today
coke. Possibly smoking this as crack rock. Snow all over the place. Snorting it. Smoking it. Whatever it takes.
and if my head is hanging down
I feel her arms and legs are all around
And we make love beside the waterway
I burn today, I burn today
Yes today I will burn for the times I did not learn
Heroin. Arms, Legs, wherever he can find some place to shoot up. Gotta get his fix. Gotta burn the spoon.
Behold the rose of Jericho
How many lives I really do not know
Though with the rain I know it will return
Today I burn, Today I burn
That rose of Jericho, that's not a rose, that's a mushroom. A psychedelic mushroom. Then not only does the rain return, but he returns all the way back to the beginning, burning again, smokin the reefer.
_____________________
Boy, you sure can holler. |
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Jason
* Dog in the Sand *
1446 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 00:11:15
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quote:
Originally posted by scruvs
Our house was filled many birds
She said to me I can understand their words
The land will shake so run away
I burn today, I burn today
Yes, today I will burn
for the times I did not learn
Trippin on acid here. Not only are there birds in the house, but the lady can talk to them. And the ground shaking. Come on. One or both of the people here are on some sort of hallucinating drug. That burning sensation he's feeling, that's not real, just his imagination.
This part of the song has to refer to the way animals (like birds) are often able to anticipate earthquakes. When an earthquake is about to happen, before most of us humans are aware of it, some animals will become noticeably agitated. |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7443 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 00:55:03
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scruvs I love your interpretation.
Denis
I know the god of rock n roll / Yeah I sold him my soul! |
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Joey Joe Jo Jr. Chabadoo
* Dog in the Sand *
1079 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 01:06:31
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quote:
Originally posted by starmekitten
The rose of jericho in a botanical sketch....
which is far more attractive than the pictures of it, heh...
and you're questioning the sciences
and questioning religion
you're looking like an idiot
and you no longer care.
Hmmm.. Looks like weed..... I want some:!!!
**** |
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fbc
-= Modulator =-
United Kingdom
4903 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 03:26:55
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quote:
Originally posted by starmekitten
I'll scan the cover tomorrow for a better picture
i did this for another thread if you don't mind me posting it here
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misterwoe
= Cult of Ray =
Greece
675 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 05:33:45
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Hey, I like drugs just as much as the next guy, but they're not everything! Although this interpretation is quite thorough, I think FB is tapping into something else here...raw, untainted emotion. Of course, maybe it is about drugs, and HE didn't even know it! It happens.
Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole. |
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Joey Joe Jo Jr. Chabadoo
* Dog in the Sand *
1079 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 05:54:58
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Too bad the single has no b-sides...
**** |
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 09:26:38
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cool stuff fbc, only where's the writing on it?
I didn't actually get to scan it in today, we've got a massive rain storm going down and the thought of going to the library was too much, you could pour water out of my shoes.
and you're questioning the sciences
and questioning religion
you're looking like an idiot
and you no longer care.
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 09:46:32
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"She said our fun it's time has come
hold my heartstrings and have yourself a strum
No nevermore this song will we play"
...Wow. |
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martha_promise
= Cult of Ray =
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 10:31:56
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Scruv's interpretation is classic. One of the funniest things I read in a long time. Well done.
~~Come inside, or...Go Away.~~ |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 11:44:39
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Indeed! Perhaps scruvs might you consider, for the sake of the forum archives, interpreting every db song in this light?
Sometimes, no matter how shitty things get, you have to just do a little dance. - Frank
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Daisy Girl
~ Abstract Brain ~
Belize
5305 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 11:56:42
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This is a really cool thread thanks everyone for all your hard work!
It's funny how I thought psychic prize was psychic rise and "Yes, today" was "Yesterday."
I the only question I had was in the fifth stanza in the second line.
I was hearing "no snow on me" not "no snow fell on me"
Thanks again everyone for the interpretations, espeically of the rose of Jericho. |
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fbc
-= Modulator =-
United Kingdom
4903 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 14:07:07
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quote:
Originally posted by starmekitten
cool stuff fbc, only where's the writing on it?
why tre, it's here!
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 14:27:38
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| why fbc, you little star you! |
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pixiestu
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2564 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2005 : 07:17:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Daisy Girl
It's funny how I thought "Yes, today" was "Yesterday."
I thought this too, and that Frank was just messing around with tenses.
"Yesterday, I will burn"- Why didn't I realise that it was "Yes, today"?
It seems so obvious now.
"The arc of triumph" |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2006 : 12:36:58
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Frank on "Later...with Jools Holland" sometime in 05, about "I Burn Today":
"It's a semi cryptic, semi poetic telling of my recent life I suppose. It's all from the pages of my heart."
I got some heaven in my head
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Douglas
= Cult of Ray =
Sweden
308 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2006 : 18:48:31
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quote:
Originally posted by pixiestu
quote:
Originally posted by Daisy Girl
It's funny how I thought "Yes, today" was "Yesterday."
I thought this too, and that Frank was just messing around with tenses.
"Yesterday, I will burn"- Why didn't I realise that it was "Yes, today"?
It seems so obvious now.
"The arc of triumph"
Me too  now, "yes, today" of course seems like the obvious thing he must be singing |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2006 : 22:08:11
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 I thought it was yesterday, too!
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fbc
-= Modulator =-
United Kingdom
4903 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 01:45:51
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| The cover art was done by Julian Clark - Violet Clark's son (7 years old) |
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tobafett
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1713 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 12:48:44
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quote:
Originally posted by starmekitten
Our house was filled many birds
She said to me I can understand their words
So...she could talk like doolittle? |
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fbc
-= Modulator =-
United Kingdom
4903 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 10:41:03
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http://www.skratchmagazine.com/interviews/interviews.php?id=92
Skratch Magazine
quote:
SKRATCH: In "I Burn Today" you make reference to getting your future read by some tarot cards. Have you ever had a tarot reading before?
FRANK: Yes.
SKRATCH: What did it say?
FRANK: Well, it's all there in the song, you know? Not to give you such a short answer, but it's all there in the lyrics. Feel free to quote me at length.
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Edited by - fbc on 02/01/2006 10:47:12 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 23:02:27
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Good find, Soren!
 pas de dutchie! |
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kfs
= Cult of Ray =
USA
889 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2006 : 11:00:58
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| Has anyone else noticed the guitar part in this song that sounds a LOT like a part in Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"? |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2006 : 12:51:04
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Yeah, I though it sounded Dylanish, too!
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db threads - I burn today
