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#121971 02/03/04 07:39 AM
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'tis the anniversary.

RIP Ritchie, Buddy and BB.

Waddya reckon - should Don MacLean be afforded the highest wordie status for his song's lyrics? Or was it just a ramble loosely cobbled together in an overpowering fit of self indulgence?

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html for them that's interested.

stales


#121972 02/03/04 01:24 PM
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an aside; on another page we find this subhead:
Fighting Ignorance Since 1973
(It's taking longer than we thought)


#121973 02/03/04 01:31 PM
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Neat link, stales, in that includes words from the man himself (these come after he indicates he has not and will not give answers): songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence. --Don McLean, Castine, Maine

Now, I happen to really like this song, and Vincent too (hi, lusy!) which in these two cases mean I also like and have some respect for Don McLean. So I will say that possibly some of his terms are actual references; but I agree with Mr. Adams that the most likely truth for some of them is that they rhyme.

For many other songwriters, and I have to say for artists (painters) too, my personal opinion is that quite often there isn't any "deep" [significant look e] meaning. They just put a bunch of words down that sound good together, because they sound good together. Period. Speaking of periods--I agree with the character Charlene from the old show Designing Women, when she was talking about how supposedly-sophisticated art critics come up with hidden meanings in a painting that consists of a big red dot. She says, "Come on--it's just a big ol' red dot!"




#121974 02/03/04 01:42 PM
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tsuwm, I couldn't find your page, but I did find this:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_065.html
I thought we had discussed this topic before, but a search on pompatus gave no results, and I didn't remember the explanation given in this link, anyway.


#121975 02/03/04 01:44 PM
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Or, as the English professor said to Isaac Asimov, "Just because you wrote it what makes you think you have any idea what it's about?"


#121976 02/03/04 02:01 PM
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which leads us directly to the "deconstructionists".


#121977 02/03/04 02:49 PM
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Bad news on the doorSTEP
I couldn't take one more STEP
Er, genius?
Sorry, that couplet always bugged the heck out of me!


#121978 02/03/04 06:00 PM
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I know what you mean. But digging a bit deeper, although the word appears and sounds the same, the referent is different: in one case it's a physical construction

12. a. A flat-topped structure, normally made of stone or wood and some six or seven inches high, used, singly or as one of a series, to facilitate a person's movement from one level to another

and in the other it's a human pace:

1. a. An act of bodily motion consisting in raising the foot from the ground and bringing it down again in a fresh position; usually, an act of this kind as constituting by repetition the progressive motion... (OED2)

It could also suggest a dance step, in the context of the music dying.

In addition there is also the internal rhyme of door/more... which even Jackie would prolly make rhyme!! eg

but hey, if it doesn't work for you, there are plenty of songs to go round :)


#121979 02/03/04 06:07 PM
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> there are plenty of songs to go round :)

Really? I thought the song remains the same.


#121980 02/03/04 06:09 PM
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I thunk he were referring to the odd, hiccuppy sort of rhythm:

on the DOOR step

take one more STEP

is how it should go, but you get that

take one MORE step

plus the more is jammed up against the step a little too hard. They do it to fit the rhythm of doorstep, but.


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