claire wrote:I don't know what the song is about, but it does have echoes of certain ideas from Have One On Me. In particular, in regards to that quote from the man himself, I think about how much of Have One On Me deals with the idea of home, and Joanna not wanting to leave her home. I don't really know the specifics of their relationship, but I do know that he was living in Texas while they were together.
I think it's interesting to contrast his statement that "Baby's Breath" (which has so much lyrical content about what sounds like the decline of a relationship) is about "what happens when you finally choose where you're going to settle down and get your own plot of land" with some of the songs from Have One On Me, particularly "Occident" and "In California."
To leave your home and your family
For some distortion of property
Well, darling, I can't go
But you may stay here with me
I don't think the song is about an abortion. Of course there is more meaning behind the song than that brief description, but I still don't assume it's about an abortion... Too obvious, imo.
Headless_Caboose wrote:I don't think the song is about an abortion. Of course there is more meaning behind the song than that brief description, but I still don't assume it's about an abortion... Too obvious, imo.
Too obvious? What does it mean for it to be too obvious?
As far as I'm concerned the lyrical content strongly references an abortion. First the fact that the title echos directly Joanna's most suggestive song about abortion (Baby Birch/Baby's Breath) makes it sound like a response. Both songs with the word baby followed by another "b" word. Then, the mention of a sacrifice being made and his mistaking a flower for a weed. Lots of references to death - the flowers drying to hay, living grave, tearing out the baby's breath - and regret. It feels pretty straightforward to me. That's not to say that it can't also be about other things as well in the context of the album as a whole.
I can't wait to hear the other songs
Jordan~ wrote:What he's said about that song seems to me to support the other major view of Baby Birch - that the potential of the ended relationship is symbolised by an unborn child. Callahan just seems to be using the same metaphor. "Baby's Breath is about what happens when you finally choose where you're going to settle down and get your own plot of land" chimes very strongly with a lot of Joanna's lyrics where her being in California is related to the end of a relationship - the theme pops up all over the place - as has been mentioned above. I'd maintain that they're both talking about the end of a relationship rather than an abortion.
Headless_Caboose wrote:I don't think the song is about an abortion. Of course there is more meaning behind the song than that brief description, but I still don't assume it's about an abortion... Too obvious, imo.
Too obvious? What does it mean for it to be too obvious?
As far as I'm concerned the lyrical content strongly references an abortion. First the fact that the title echos directly Joanna's most suggestive song about abortion (Baby Birch/Baby's Breath) makes it sound like a response. Both songs with the word baby followed by another "b" word. Then, the mention of a sacrifice being made and his mistaking a flower for a weed. Lots of references to death - the flowers drying to hay, living grave, tearing out the baby's breath - and regret. It feels pretty straightforward to me. That's not to say that it can't also be about other things as well in the context of the album as a whole.
I can't wait to hear the other songs
Jordan~ wrote:Another thing to consider is that Joanna is such a private person. She tries to avoid giving too much about herself away. So why would she write as extensively as she putatively does about something so deeply personal, even in a cryptic way? An artist isn't trying to deceive their audience when they write, they're trying to communicate with them. They want the audience to understand what they're saying - so it would be something of a break with character for her to make a declaration like this where it can be heard by anyone.
Jordan~ wrote:Literal vs. Metaphorical is the new Sink vs. Swim in Monkey & Bear.
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