¤ milky moon ¤

I feel like I've waited long enough that I can talk about this without blaspheming the new album.
I think I may prefer the earlier live arrangements of this. I love love love the HOOM version, but the live one perhaps sounded even better. They were, for some reason, titled "Barbara" on the versions I heard?

Anyway, I have three burning questions.

1. What the hell is this song about anyway?
2. Why would the live versions be labeled as "Barbara"?
3. Does anyone have a link to a higher-quality live video of this? Especially from the older arrangements with violin and drums. Even current would be interesting though. I've seen her live two times since the new album came out, and she hasn't played it yet T____T (it's one of my favorite songs by her)


thxxx

Just a quick answer to 2: after Emily and the seeming-title of 'Es(a)me', Joanna made a joke on stage in Feb 2008 at BAM that all her songs were named after women, and that this one should not have an assumed name. Neil then suggested 'Barbara' and everyone laughed. The name was born.

Could it have been "Brabara"? No I think it was "Barbara".

Steve wrote:Could it have been "Brabara"? No I think it was "Barbara".

"No, it was Barbara; there's no such name as Brabra!"
Unfortunately, I really don't have much of a clue as to what the song's about... Any interpretations would be appreciated!

I see it as the conflict/difference of her home space and the city space that she finds herself in so often. I get this from verses like "There is a spring..." (which to me starts and sets the song in nature, which in this song would represent her home and what she's comfortable with), "i am not like, I ain't from this place...", "my mama may be ashamed of me with all my finery", "them city girls with their ribbon bows,"... I kind of picture this character of a small town girl in the 30's going to the big city and being overwhelmed with all of it

in the first line, "there is a spring, not far from here", i think her voice is so beautiful. i love this song. to me, it is telling the story of someone who has made mistakes and regrets the path her life is taken, and has to pretend to be someone she isn't a lot of the time.