What does to 'To turn the stone ' mean
schlpbch
I've tried very hard to make sense of this text but I just don't know what
'to turn the stone' could mean. Is this an English saying?
TO TURN THE STONE
(P.Belotte/G.Moroder)
First release 1982
The moon retreats behind the silver cloud
As darkness throws its cloak towards the earth
And mystery replaces what we thought we knew
To turn the stone, to turn the stone
The one dimension only shows one side
But do we see the same through different eyes
As you and I peer into life's kaleidoscope
To turn the stone, to turn the stone
Eternal sands of time shift endlessly
Behind a veil of motionless disguise
An eyelid flash is all it really seems to need
To turn the stone, to turn the stone
To turn the stone, to turn the stone
Charles Milton Ling
I asked the very same question somewhere about a year ago. There is no
definite answer, it seems. As so often in music, the listener is given
latitude to find an own interpretation.
Perhaps circularity, recurrence are addressed here? Perhaps some strange game
of chance, of fate, where a stone is turned and everything is changed?
Make of it what you will, I suggest. It is a pearl beyond price, turn it as
you may.
Charley
schlpbch
>
>> Eternal sands of time shift endlessly
>> Behind a veil of motionless disguise
>> An eyelid flash is all it really seems to need
>> To turn the stone, to turn the stone
>> To turn the stone, to turn the stone
>
> I asked the very same question somewhere about a year ago. There is no
> definite answer, it seems. As so often in music, the listener is given
> latitude to find an own interpretation.
> Perhaps circularity, recurrence are addressed here? Perhaps some strange
> game of chance, of fate, where a stone is turned and everything is
> changed?
Now, I've got a much simplier hypothesis. What about it 'to turn the stone'
is a Swedish saying, badly translated to English?
May be there's a Swedish speaking person on this list who could comment on
that.
> Make of it what you will, I suggest. It is a pearl beyond price, turn it
> as you may.
I agree with you on that.
Andreas
Bruce or Tracy
I don't know what it means, but I think instead of
"an eyelid flash" it might be "a lightning flash".
Tracy
Charles Milton Ling
> Charles Milton Ling wrote:
>
> >
> >> Eternal sands of time shift endlessly
> >> Behind a veil of motionless disguise
> >> An eyelid flash is all it really seems to need
> >> To turn the stone, to turn the stone
> >> To turn the stone, to turn the stone
> >
> > I asked the very same question somewhere about a year ago. There is no
> > definite answer, it seems. As so often in music, the listener is given
> > latitude to find an own interpretation.
> > Perhaps circularity, recurrence are addressed here? Perhaps some strange
> > game of chance, of fate, where a stone is turned and everything is
> > changed?
>
> Now, I've got a much simplier hypothesis. What about it 'to turn the stone'
> is a Swedish saying, badly translated to English?
>
The song was originally written for Donna Summer, so I doubt it was written by
a Swede.
Charley
ITSBRY
the SGO album?
I think it's about reflecting on life...or maybe thinking about all aspects
of life and realizing that it's really just a changing mystery.
"Eternal sands of time shift endlessly
Behind a veil of motionless disguise
A lightning flash is all it really seems to need
To turn the stone, to turn the stone"
This verse kind of sums it up, I think. The world changes and things are
different than what we thought they were before we even realize it. As
I get older, that rings more true to me!
These lyrics are VERY profound...and that's my take on them. I agree
with Charley though. It's poetry and, like art, is very subjective.
ITSBRY
its...@juno.com
----- Original Message -----
"schlpbch" <schl...@iam.unibe.ch> wrote in message
news:920vh4$sa7$1...@bw107zhb.bluewin.ch...
Frank Zavelberg
Hello!
>I've tried very hard to make sense of this text but I just don't know what
>'to turn the stone' could mean. Is this an English saying?
Well, my pocket translator gives an explanation for "to leave no stone
unturned" which means "not to leave anything untried". So "to turn the stone"
can prolly mean "to try something" or "to try everything that comes to your
mind to solve a problem".
Greetings,
Frank
Gruss,
Frank
Rickflener
her unreleased 1983 LP, "I'm A Rainbow" which was finally released a few years
ago, and is available on CD.
The song was written for Frida, as were all tracks on the 'Something's Going
On' LP except Phil Collin's 'You Know What I Mean', previously recorded by him
on his LP, 'Face Value'
The song was written by Georgio Moroder and Pete Belotte (NOT Swedes...),
famous for their production and writing for Donna Summer. Georgio recorded his
version of the song on an LP in 1983 or 1984; it is very hard to find.
Charles Milton Ling
Thank you for the correction! I must have read my erroneous information somewhere
or other...
Charley
Charles Milton Ling
Thank you for the correction! I must have read my erroneous information somewhere
or other...
Charley
Pipes
news:3A450D2F...@teleweb.at...
> Rickflener wrote:
>
> > No, the song was not written for Donna Summer, though she did cover the
song on
> > her unreleased 1983 LP, "I'm A Rainbow" which was finally released a few
years
> > ago, and is available on CD.
> >
> > The song was written for Frida, as were all tracks on the 'Something's
Going
> > On' LP except Phil Collin's 'You Know What I Mean', previously recorded
by him
> > on his LP, 'Face Value'
> >
> Thank you for the correction! I must have read my erroneous information
somewhere
> or other...
>
> Charley
>
Page 153 of From ABBA to Mamma Mia!: 'Most of the material had never been
recorded previously, but the song "To Turn The Stone" was culled from an
unreleased Donna Summer album.'
This suggests that the song was recorded by Donna Summer *before* Frida sang
it, so you could be right, Charley. The text of "From ABBA to Mamma Mia!"
was written by Carl Magnus Palm, who we know to be a credible source when it
comes to ABBA-related info. If it had been written by someone else (say, for
example, Johnny Tobler), I wouldn't have taken that sentence at "face
value";-)
Cheers,
Pipes
"Anyone who claims not to have thoroughly enjoyed seeing a Wombles concert
must be either insane, a liar, or didn't deserve to have been there."
(John Tobler)
impossiblecase
"ITSBRY" <its...@juno.com> wrote:
> Wasn't this song originally a poem...or was that a different song from
> the SGO album?
>
No, the poem was Threnody, written by the incomparable Dorothy Parker.
Per Gessle, the man from Roxette, wrote the music.
I agree with the consensus here, that the meaning of the phrase "to turn
the stone" is a reflection on the importance of trying everything with an
open mind, in the belief that the answer might be very near.
--
impossiblecase
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
pod...@my-deja.com
Bruce or Tracy <blja...@hiwaay.net> wrote:
>
> I don't know what it means, but I think instead of
> "an eyelid flash" it might be "a lightning flash".
An eyelid flash works well too: the idea being that all it takes is the
blink of an eye (ie as quick as a flash) to turn the stone...:-)
Cheers
Podmix
Interpretation is the root of all... erm... interpretation;-)
pod...@my-deja.com
Charles Milton Ling <cml...@teleweb.at> wrote:
> schlpbch wrote:
> > Now, I've got a much simplier hypothesis. What about it 'to turn the
stone'
> > is a Swedish saying, badly translated to English?
> >
>
> The song was originally written for Donna Summer, so I doubt it was
written by
> a Swede.
It's written by American (IIRC) composer Giorgio Moroder so the phrase
is definitely not translated badly.
My take on it is that to turn a stone means to change direction or make
a significant alteration to something that seems immovable (like where
your emotions may be at a certain time).
I interpret the song to mean that the way you look at something
currently isn't the way you'll always look at it... all it takes is the
flash of an eye before you can suddenly realise there are many ways to
see the situation.
Frida commented that it was her fave song on the album, and in the
context of her personal life at the time, I think I can understand
why....
Cheers
Podmix
Viewpoints are the root of all interpretation
pod...@my-deja.com
"Pipes" <thepip...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Charles Milton Ling" <cml...@teleweb.at> wrote in message
> news:3A450D2F...@teleweb.at...
> > > The song was written for Frida, as were all tracks on the
'Something's
> Going
> > > On' LP
I was under the impression that she was sent various demo recordings
from different composers from which she then chose her faves.
It's more likely that the songs were composed (without necessarily Frida
in mind) and then sent to Polar in the hope that they'd be accepted...
This is the more common way that composers work...
> The text of "From ABBA to Mamma
Mia!"
> was written by Carl Magnus Palm, who we know to be a credible source
when it
> comes to ABBA-related info. If it had been written by someone else
(say, for
> example, Johnny Tobler), I wouldn't have taken that sentence at "face
> value";-)
Yerk!! Boy, the more I see this, I think your posts should come with a
"bad pun" warning;-)
Cheers
Podmix
Making a living as a composer is the root of all delusion
CalJFB
>the SGO album?
I think you may be thinking of Threnody. Threnody is a poem written by Dorothy
Parker, a well known poet.
Jim
spn...@gmail.com
The moon retreating line is the process of dying, darkness throwing the cloak is being dead. Mystery replacing what we though we knew is the mystery of death replacing what we thought we knew of death while alive.
The one dimension is that of death, what we see from the "other side." do we see the same through different (some alive, some dead) eyes. life's kaleidoscope? maybe the differences each person sees through their own eyes, whether alive or dead?
eternal sands of time shift endlessly could be exactly that, time is always moving, never stopping for anyone/anything. behind a veil of motionless disguise is the veil of death, and the dead person is motionless. an eyelid flash is all it seems to need is the yearning of the living to have their dead loved one back.
throughout this, i'm not sure how "to turn the stone" necessarily fits the verses preceding each occurrence...maybe to discover the "truth" of the preceding lines, we must "flip the stone," as has been mentioned.
gunilla.j...@telia.com
scotts...@gmail.com
emja...@gmail.com
(He's on loads social media) and VERY open to questions.
There's another version with Joe Esposito. I'm Interested
in knowing why this song appears on so many albums produced
by Giorgio. Mr. Moroder is a visionary Maybe a very simple
answer to everyone's question !!!!