Too Many Clues
tom mccollum
What a great Christmas. I received all of Gords' music on CDs. I now
have all his records on CDs (except the 4). Well I was listening to
Summertime Dream and was wondering if anyone could help me with the
lyrics to Too Many Clues In This Room. I haven't heard this song in
awhile and was just trying to figure GLs meaning. I have always had luck
coming to this group for answers. When I listen to Gords music I always
like to figure out the meaning it lets me appreciate the song so much
more. It is also interesting to hear how songs are interpreted by other
people. You can get so many different views on the same song.
Thanks, Tom
UghMan
Tom, congrats on the Gord CDs. Too many clues in the room. I took this song to
be about mans futile search for his soul. Whether it be through exploration or
conquest, the search is futile as long as it is outside of oneself. The clues
are the simple observations of everday things. When he says "praise the lord
there is a train leaving soon" to me this is an expression of the potential
relief in death from all the useless searching.
Greg
BlairDavid
In article <687qp0$g$1...@newsd-124.bryant.webtv.net>, tm...@webtv.net (tom
mccollum) writes:
>Well I was listening to
Summertime Dream and was wondering if anyone could
>help me with the
lyrics to Too Many Clues In This Room.
I'll go way out on a limb and say that I had the impression this was in
reference to so many guilty parties contributing to a general decay-- too many
clues because we're all guilty? take it easy on me now...
--Blair
Tony Meloche
tom mccollum wrote:
>
> What a great Christmas. I received all of Gords' music on CDs. I now
> Summertime Dream and was wondering if anyone could help me with the
> awhile and was just trying to figure GLs meaning. I have always had luck
> coming to this group for answers. When I listen to Gords music I always
> like to figure out the meaning it lets me appreciate the song so much
> more. It is also interesting to hear how songs are interpreted by other
> people. You can get so many different views on the same song.
We kicked this one around a little last summer. My view, (mine only,
unless someone else agrees), is that it's a "Vietnam War
fiasco/crumbling Nixon Administration" song. But God knows this
underappreciated tune can be read a lot of different ways.
Tony Meloche
--
Remove the "z",(if present) from e-mail address to respond.
David Weiss
"The Space Shuttle lands whre the subway begins, there's a tear on the face
of the moon." Think of the Space Shuttle explosion which happened AFTER
this song was released. Pretty neat irony!!!
tom mccollum <tm...@webtv.net> wrote in article
<687qp0$g$1...@newsd-124.bryant.webtv.net>...
> What a great Christmas. I received all of Gords' music on CDs. I now
> have all his records on CDs (except the 4). Well I was listening to
> Summertime Dream and was wondering if anyone could help me with the
> lyrics to Too Many Clues In This Room. I haven't heard this song in
> awhile and was just trying to figure GLs meaning. I have always had luck
> coming to this group for answers. When I listen to Gords music I always
> like to figure out the meaning it lets me appreciate the song so much
> more. It is also interesting to hear how songs are interpreted by other
> people. You can get so many different views on the same song.
> Thanks, Tom
>
Wayne Francis
> Summertime Dream and was wondering if anyone could help me with the
> lyrics to Too Many Clues In This Room. I haven't heard this song in
> awhile and was just trying to figure GLs meaning.
I've always felt the song was about the overpowering nature of technology
and it's effect of diminishing the value of humanity and disrupting the
environment ("There's a tear on the face of the moon").
It certainly contrasts with the innocence of youth portrayed in the title
track, "Summertime Dream", providing a balance in the album's tone. Of
course, Lightfoot originally was to call the album "Race Among The Ruins"
but that changed late in the proceedings, in that case "Clues" would have
been in keeping with the title track.
I've always thought that "Summertime Dream" was a darker album than the
title would suggest, but it's understandable that WB would lobby for a more
upbeat name.
But in Lightfoot's brilliant poem in the liner notes of the album, he makes
clear that the "summertime dream" is a very fleeting and elusive commodity.
In a radio interview in the early 80's, Lightfoot was very pleased when the
interviewer (I can't remember the station or the interviewer's name right
now, but I can look it up if anyone is interested) told him that he often
read from that poem on-air, and Lightfoot stated that was the first time he
was aware that his poetry had ever been read in public.
Wayne
Moonshadow
i always saw "Too Many Clues" as sort of an odd song, sort of comparable to songs
like "Desolation Row" and "Ballad of a Thin Man" by Bob Dylan. sort of odd lyrics
putting together a sort of mysterious fantastic sort of world. i think there are
going to be a lot of different interpretations of this one!
Travis
BlairDavid wrote:
> In article <687qp0$g$1...@newsd-124.bryant.webtv.net>, tm...@webtv.net (tom
> mccollum) writes:
>
> >Well I was listening to
> Summertime Dream and was wondering if anyone could
> >help me with the
> lyrics to Too Many Clues In This Room.
>
RikS...
On Tue, 30 Dec 1997 18:12:19 -0500, Moonshadow <Moons...@wycol.com>
wrote:
>i always saw "Too Many Clues" as sort of an odd song, sort of comparable to songs
>like "Desolation Row" and "Ballad of a Thin Man" by Bob Dylan. sort of odd lyrics
>putting together a sort of mysterious fantastic sort of world. i think there are
>going to be a lot of different interpretations of this one!
>Travis
heh, i agree, i feel that the song is either deeper than i can fathom,
or is a conglomeration of lyrics that sounded good and, as pieces,
have many references tied into one song
ran...@europa.com
GL web page http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/2929/
.... Seven Islands To The High Side Of The Bay If You're Looking West...
PLUMBGURU2
Well I guess it's time to lay it on the line and perhaps get roasted, but here
goes.
If you are intrigued by what stimulates Gordon Lightfoot, or any song-writer
for that matter, to write a song, read on. You may consider this is a lengthy
piece, but I’ve never been known as one who could say in a few words what just
as easily could be said in many. ;-) Perhaps a bit longwinded but only because
I prefer detailed over brevity.
Gordon is especially good at writing songs dealing with events, current and
historical. One of his earliest songs, written in the mid 50’s was called,
“The Hula Hoop Song”. A fad of monumental porportions happening at that time.
There was no need to be subtle about the motivation of the song...it was
obvious, and no need to be slippery about the main character, it was any number
of Hula Hooping nobodies.
The genesis of a new tune may be as simple as seeing the roadsign, “Carefree
Highway” while traveling north out of Phoenix AZ. As heart rending as seeing a
loved one going their seperate way, as was the inspiration for “If You Could
Read My Mind”. The sinking of an ore carrier......the building of a railroad
(and nation) ........hostages being taken ......... terrorist being so brave as
to plant “a time bomb” in an Italian airport .........or the Gulf War, which
inspired “Drink Your Glasses Empty”
So while some songs are nebulous or generic in their application, others it
seems truly have there roots in current events. How to tell a story, in song,
without offending folks is a little more elusive. Many of the themes from Don
Quixote originated from the “Police Action In Vietman”. If you doubt it
perhaps you didn’t see GL performing in the early 70’s, an unfortunate and
often desperate time in the US. (I can still hear the thunderous applause when
he sang, “See the soldier with his gun who must be dead to be admired”)
There have been questions in the past and again recently regarding the song
“Too Many Clues In This Room”. Some thoughts:
We in the US have lived through debacles by our government which would have
destroyed a weaker nation, but our people and our Constitution have survived.
How many more times we will, remains to be seen. But one of the worst times
for this nation, (and the darkest for many since Nov of ‘63) the longest
eclipse in my 45 years began in June of ‘74 and lasted until August of ‘74.
Could Gordon have been “inspired” by the Good Ship Nixon and His Happy Band of
Pirates and Cut Throats when he penned “Too Many Clues In This Room”? Before
you dismiss it out of hand, think about the information here, interspersed with
verses from the song.
BTW, this piece was inspired by a discussion we had in Lightfoot Chat 1 on AOL
several months ago. And no I’m not a wacko or related to Oliver Stone.
WATERGATE / TOO MANY CLUES IN THIS ROOM
Watergate is the popular name for the political scandal and constitutional
crisis that began with the arrest (June 17, 1972) of five burglars who broke
into Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office
building in Washington, D.C. It ended with the resignation (Aug. 9, 1974) of
President Richard M. NIXON.
>The space shuttle ends where the subway begins
>There's a tear on the face of the moon
>From dusk until dawn they have searched all day long
>But there's too many clues in this room
The burglars and two co-plotters--G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt--were
indicted (September 1972) on charges of burglary, conspiracy, and wiretapping.
Four months later, they were convicted and sentenced to prison terms by
District Court Judge John J. Sirica, who was convinced that pertinent details
had not been unveiled during the trial and proffered leniency in exchange for
further information. As it became increasingly evident that the Watergate
burglars were tied closely to the Central Intelligence Agency and the Committee
to Re-elect the President (CRP), some of Nixon's aides began talking to federal
prosecutors.
>At best it is said we've been locked deep inside
>Of an old sea man's chest full of charts
>Where maps are contained and what's left of his brains
>When his crew threw his balls to the sharks
The defection of aides such as Jeb Stuart Magruder, assistant to CRP director
John N. MITCHELL, quickly implicated others in Nixon's inner circle. The Senate
established (February 1973) an investigative committee headed by Sen. Sam
ERVIN, Jr., to look into the growing scandal. Amid increasing disclosures of
White House involvement in the Watergate break-in and its aftermath, Nixon
announced the resignations of John Ehrlichman and H. R. Haldeman, two of his
closest advisors, and the dismissal of his counsel, John W. Dean III.
>All around the looking glass
>Dancing to a tune
>Sweeping out the house with a fine tooth comb
>Which history's shown
>Leads to ruin
Growing suspicion of presidential involvement in the scandal resulted in an
intensification of the investigation. Leaders in this inquiry included Judge
Sirica, reporters for the Washington Post, the Ervin committee, and Archibald
COX, who was sworn in as special prosecutor in May 1973. Dean told the Ervin
committee in June that Nixon had known of the cover-up.
>In a word it is said that at times we must fall
>But the worst of it all was the lies
>We died for the cause just like regular outlaws
>In the dust of an old lawman's eyes
A month later, former White House staff member Alexander Butterfield revealed
that Nixon had secretly tape-recorded conversations in his offices. Both Cox
and the Ervin committee began efforts to obtain selected tapes. Nixon, citing
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, refused to relinquish them and tried to have Cox fired.
>In times best forgot there was peace there was not
>In her pains mother earth came to bloom
>Her children were born in the eye of the storm
>And there's too many clues in this room
On Oct. 20, 1973, Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson, refusing to dismiss
Cox, resigned in protest. His deputy, William Ruckelshaus, also refused and was
fired. Nixon's solicitor general, Robert H. Bork, who was next in command, then
fired Cox. The "Saturday night massacre," as the events of that evening became
known, heightened suspicions that Nixon had much to hide.
>The power that is stored in the no man's land of chance
>Is the someone who knows what they're doin'
>The old soldiers say in they're own crusty way
>We've got too many troops in this room
Leon Jaworski, who replaced Cox as special prosecutor on November 1, continued
to press for the tapes. On Mar. 1, 1974, a federal grand jury indicted seven
men, including Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, and White House special counsel
Charles Colson, for conspiracy to obstruct justice. At the same time, the House
Judiciary Committee began investigating the Watergate affair and related
matters.
>All around the looking glass
>Dancing to a tune
>Sweeping out the house with a fine tooth comb
>Which history's shown
>Leads to ruin
The president released (April 30) edited transcripts--containing suspicious
gaps--of Watergate-related Oval Office conversations. Not satisfied, Judge
Sirica subpoenaed additional tapes. When Nixon refused, the case moved to the
Supreme Court, which ruled (July 24) against him by an 8-0 vote. The Court
conceded that a president could withhold national security material but
insisted that Watergate was a criminal matter
>The space shuttle ends where the subway begins
>Praise the lord there's a train leavin' soon
>From dusk until dawn they have searched all day long
>But there's too many clues in this room
On July 27-30, the House Judiciary Committee, whose public hearings had
disclosed evidence of illegal White House activities, recommended that Nixon be
impeached on three charges: obstruction of justice, abuse of presidential
powers, and trying to impede the impeachment process by defying committee
subpoenas. The committee rejected two other possible counts: Nixon's
unauthorized, secret bombing of Cambodia in 1969 and his use of public funds to
improve his private property.
A beleaguered President Nixon released three tapes to the public on Aug. 5,
1974. One revealed that he had taken steps to thwart the FBI's inquiry into the
Watergate burglary. The tape made it clear that Nixon had been involved
actively in the cover-up from its beginnings. These disclosures destroyed the
president's remaining congressional support. With House impeachment inevitable
and Senate conviction probable, Richard Nixon became (Aug. 9, 1974) the first
U.S. chief executive to resign.
Doug
PLUMB...@aol.com
"Be known as a man who will always be candid on questions that do not
relate...."
Glutamodo
>"The Space Shuttle lands whre the subway begins, there's a tear on the face
>of the moon." Think of the Space Shuttle explosion which happened AFTER
>this song was released. Pretty neat irony!!!
I agree. Although I believe the first time I heard that song was within a year
of the Challenger explosion. It was around the time I discovered Lightfoot,
but was not very well aquainted with his music yet. I heard it late one night
on a local radio station, and thought it was an allusion to the Challenger
tradgedy. It was only after finding a copy of SUMMERTIME DREAM in a friends
father's record collection did I find out it was actually much older.
Andy
"May this world find a resting place,
where Peaceful Waters flow..."
Oksky
>There have been questions in the past and again recently regarding the song
Too Many Clues In This Room”. Some thoughts:
I am in awe, Doug! I would love to know what Gord would think of your
interpretation of this song.
Shirley
RikS...
On 31 Dec 1997 03:49:55 GMT, plumb...@aol.com (PLUMBGURU2) wrote:
>
>There have been questions in the past and again recently regarding the song
>Could Gordon have been inspired by the Good Ship Nixon and His Happy Band of
>you dismiss it out of hand, think about this:
>
>WATERGATE / TOO MANY CLUES IN THIS ROOM
>
>PLUMB...@aol.com
>
wow! what a short comment doug! usually u r given to posts so large it
takes me 10 minutes to read. :)
seriously tho, what a powerful post. having just started my teen
years when watergate began, the proceedings leading up to Nixons
stepping down were a blur. i remember many of the headlines u
included and it does make a lot of sense.
>All around the looking glass
>Dancing to a tune
>Sweeping out the house with a fine tooth comb
>Which history's shown
>Leads to ruin
about those times.
when u r in the publics critical eye, trying to manipulate a thousand
puppet strings at once, if u decide to cut many from the bunch and
bury them, history will cast u down like yesterdays garbage
thanks for the post
Tony Meloche
> >
> >Could Gordon have been inspired by the Good Ship Nixon and His Happy Band of
> >you dismiss it out of hand, think about this:
> >
> >WATERGATE / TOO MANY CLUES IN THIS ROOM
> >
> >PLUMB...@aol.com
> >
> wow! what a short comment doug! usually u r given to posts so large it
> takes me 10 minutes to read. :)
> seriously tho, what a powerful post. having just started my teen
> years when watergate began, the proceedings leading up to Nixons
> stepping down were a blur. i remember many of the headlines u
> included and it does make a lot of sense.
> >Dancing to a tune
> >Sweeping out the house with a fine tooth comb
> >Which history's shown
> >Leads to ruin
> about those times.
> when u r in the publics critical eye, trying to manipulate a thousand
> puppet strings at once, if u decide to cut many from the bunch and
> bury them, history will cast u down like yesterdays garbage
>
> thanks for the post
Well, I've thought that from the beginning, and the more posts made
here about the song, (and they've all been excellent), the more comes
back to me about those times and the references one might see in it.
Theodore H. White wrote a book about the closing days of the Nixon
presidency called "Breach of Promise". Two days before Nixon resigned,
he still wanted to stonewall it. He called in the three people who's
judgement meant the most to him - his Attorney General, (can't remember
his name), Henry Kissinger, and Barry Goldwater. Nixon asked them about
the congressional charges pending against him. The A. G. said he
believed he could beat any
obstruction of justice charge or the like, Kissinger quietly agreed.
But then Nixon asked about the charge: "Abuse of Presidential Power".
His A. G. said: "That would be harder, Mr. President". Kissinger
bluntly said he thought Nixon would be found guilty on that charge.
Finally, he asked Goldwater - the Republican's Republican, and the most
loyal party supporter of the time - and Goldwater said: "I'm leaning
that way myself, sir".
. . . "When his crew threw his balls to the sharks . . ."
Tony Meloche