Lily and Galapagos meanings
Jackie Robinson
Dear All,
I have just listened to the interview disc that's black with a chunky
booklet. In it Billy explains how he names songs - something about if it
was a song about a bull he'd get a red image or something.
I was wondering how many other songs are like this and I worked out what
galapogas was on about.
The song's about him getting older because:
galapogas was where Charles Darwin discovered evolution and Billy's
evolving.
ALSO
Is Lily(my one and only) about Lillian Gish(silent film actress) whom he
named the fist album after? The style of the song is very 1920s when she
was an actress too.
hmmm
further suggestions and comments would be appreciated
thanks
Chris Taylor
Jackie Robinson <jaro...@rmplc.co.uk> wrote:
>Dear All,
>I have just listened to the interview disc that's black with a chunky
>booklet. In it Billy explains how he names songs - something about if it
>was a song about a bull he'd get a red image or something.
>galapogas was where Charles Darwin discovered evolution and Billy's
>evolving.
It's "Galapogos".
>ALSO
>Is Lily(my one and only) about Lillian Gish(silent film actress) whom he
>named the fist album after? The style of the song is very 1920s when she
>was an actress too.
First of all, Gish was not named after Lillian Gish, and secondly, I
seem to think that Lily is written about his cat.
"Cause I'm hanging in this tree
in the hopes that she will catch a glimpse of me"
Then again, it could be about Lillian Gish because he *didn't* name
Gish after her. Like you said, it sounds like an older song, and the
little picture in the MCIS booklet has a picture of what looks like an
actress. Hmmm...
Chris
Listening to: Smashing Pumpkins - Drown (Live)
>hmmm
>further suggestions and comments would be appreciated
>thanks
"The naked mole rats will rule the world," - Billy Corgan
- The Smashing Pumpkins Presentation Page -
http://members.tripod.com/~ChrisTaylor/index.htm
Del Alakija
Jackie Robinson <jaro...@rmplc.co.uk> wrote:
>Dear All,
>I have just listened to the interview disc that's black with a chunky
>booklet. In it Billy explains how he names songs - something about if it
>was a song about a bull he'd get a red image or something.
>I was wondering how many other songs are like this and I worked out what
>galapogas was on about.
>The song's about him getting older because:
>galapogas was where Charles Darwin discovered evolution and Billy's
>evolving.
intersting point
>ALSO
>Is Lily(my one and only) about Lillian Gish(silent film actress) whom he
>named the fist album after? The style of the song is very 1920s when she
>was an actress too.
this is not true. gish was the first thing that popped into his head
so he named the album gish. he got the song name mayonaise 'cause
that's the first thing he saw when he looked in his fridge. this could
also be true for the song called Egg (great song by the way. i wished
they released it). anyway, Lily was named after the cat Billy "won
custody of" from courtney after they split up. hope this clears things
up.
Del
Chris Martinez
Lily is not about a cat! Look at the lyrics, and you will find that it is a
very witty and (not so) subtle song about a voyeur. The narrator (or singer)
is obsessed with a girl named Lily (my one and only) and is looking through her
window from a tree (like George McFly in Back to the Future). He watches her
every movement, especially with her real boyfriend ("Will she or won't she want
him?"). Of course this affair between Lily and the narrator is completely in
his head, and at the end, if Lily is waving at all she is waving at the police
officers who are dragging this sicko away.
What makes Lily such a great song is its simple, soft beat and the
sweet, innocent voice- when he's actually some weirdo pervert. I think the
song is similar to "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov in which the narrator thinks he
is in some great love affair with Lolita, but is actually raping her and making
her life a living hell.
Kudos to Billy for writing such a powerful song and not feeling the need to
beat the meaning into the listeners over and over again.
chris.
"And I knew the silence of the world."
call...@aol.com
<<Dear All,
I have just listened to the interview disc that's black with a chunky
booklet. In it Billy explains how he names songs - something about if it
was a song about a bull he'd get a red image or something.
I was wondering how many other songs are like this and I worked out what
galapogas was on about.
The song's about him getting older because:
galapogas was where Charles Darwin discovered evolution and Billy's
evolving.
ALSO
Is Lily(my one and only) about Lillian Gish(silent film actress) whom he
named the fist album after? The style of the song is very 1920s when she
was an actress too.
hmmm
further suggestions and comments would be appreciated
thanks>>
Yeah..the "Interview Disc & Fully Illustrated Book" It's a cool Gish-era
interview with Billy & Jimmy. (There's a quote in my sig from that
interview).
I heard Lily was the name of Chris Fabian's cat.
********************************SEB*********************************
Call...@aol.com
sba...@mail.orion.org
http://home.aol.com/CallMeSeb
Trade Bootlegs: Smashing Pumpkins, +Live+, REM, etc.
"ok, this is how i write songs: let's say you wrote a song about a chandelier, and the chandelier gave off light that was red, and red reminded you of the color you're not supposed to wear around a bull, so you call the song 'cow.'"
-billy corgan
Michiel Scheepmaker
Hello,
Chris Martinez wrote:
>
> Lily is not about a cat! Look at the lyrics, and you will find that it is a
> very witty and (not so) subtle song about a voyeur. The narrator (or singer)
> is obsessed with a girl named Lily (my one and only) and is looking through her
> window from a tree (like George McFly in Back to the Future).
If you look at the lyrics, it becomes even more clear that it's about a
cat!
The cat is sitting in the tree, observing pussycat Lily who lives with
the neighbours.
> He watches her
> every movement, especially with her real boyfriend ("Will she or won't > she want
> him?").
I think this is only a change from 1st person to 3rd person
narrator, but this is irrelevant for Lily being a cat or not.
> his head, and at the end, if Lily is waving at all she is waving at the police
> officers who are dragging this sicko away.
hmm, not very convincing.
before that he sings: "an officer is knocking at my door".
so, the officer is knocking at the door to speak to owner of the cat,
like:
officer: "hello m'am, are you the owner of the cat hanging in that tree
over there?"
cat-owner: "oh goodness, yes I am"
officer: "well, it looks like it's afraid to come down. Just wait here
an
let me handle this."
consequently, the officer climbs up the tree and -drags- the cat away!
"at your service m'am!"
If it's a sicko in the tree, why should the officer knock at his door?
Michiel
cal
Chris Martinez <csma...@fas.harvard.edu> wrote in article
> What makes Lily such a great song is its simple, soft beat and the
> sweet, innocent voice- when he's actually some weirdo pervert. I think
the
> song is similar to "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov in which the narrator
thinks he
> is in some great love affair with Lolita, but is actually raping her and
making
> her life a living hell.
I couldn't agree with you more Chris. I never paid attention to the
lyrics until a couple of weeks ago and when I did I just fell in love with
the song for it's simplicity. I think it's such a cute little song, and it
fits just perfectly between "Beautiful" and "By Starlight." You just got
to love the last line of the song for the image it brings of the police
hauling the nut case away.
Chris Martinez
In article <32A009...@student.utwente.nl>,
m.m.sch...@student.utwente.nl says...
>
>
>If you look at the lyrics, it becomes even more clear that it's about a
>cat!
>The cat is sitting in the tree, observing pussycat Lily who lives with
>the neighbours.
>
>> He watches her
>> every movement, especially with her real boyfriend ("Will she or won't > she
want
>> him?").
>
>I think this is only a change from 1st person to 3rd person
> narrator, but this is irrelevant for Lily being a cat or not.
>
This is a pretty abrupt change that you claim. If it's irrelevant, then why is
it in there? In the words of Johnny Cochrane "If it doesn't fit, you must
acquit!"
>before that he sings: "an officer is knocking at my door".
>so, the officer is knocking at the door to speak to owner of the cat,
>like:
>officer: "hello m'am, are you the owner of the cat hanging in that tree
>over there?"
>cat-owner: "oh goodness, yes I am"
>officer: "well, it looks like it's afraid to come down. Just wait here
>an
>let me handle this."
>consequently, the officer climbs up the tree and -drags- the cat away!
>"at your service m'am!"
Aren't you reading a little bit too much into this? You're making up a pretty
nice little story, but it isn't in the song!
>
>If it's a sicko in the tree, why should the officer knock at his door?
>
You just used some weird scenerio about the cops hunting down this cat owner,
but why can't the cops be knocking on the door of their prime "Peeping-Tom"
suspect to ask him some questions.
Here is a question for you:
"If I could kiss her I wouldn't mind"- obviously HOW CAN THIS BE A CAT SAYING
THIS?????
The cat argument might be somewhat valid until this point. My "sicko" argument
might be somewhat off-base, but my theory encompasses the entire song and not
just little snippets
chris.
Chris Martinez
In article <01bbdff7$89277040$ce2d...@dwell.hardknox.edu>, c...@cloud9.net
says...
such a lame, nothing song?"- Idiots! I'm glad you see the greatness of this
incredible song!
chris.
csma...@fas.harvard.edu
Michiel Scheepmaker
Chris Martinez wrote:
>He watches her
> >> every movement, especially with her real boyfriend ("Will she or won't > she
> want
> >> him?").
> >
> >I think this is only a change from 1st person to 3rd person
> > narrator, but this is irrelevant for Lily being a cat or not.
> >
> This is a pretty abrupt change that you claim. If it's irrelevant, then why is
> it in there?
Just for stylistic purposes I asume.
> >before that he sings: "an officer is knocking at my door".
> >so, the officer is knocking at the door to speak to owner of the cat,
> >like:
[...]
> Aren't you reading a little bit too much into this? You're making up a pretty
> nice little story, but it isn't in the song!
Yes, but these lyrics perfectly allow for this!
> >If it's a sicko in the tree, why should the officer knock at his door?
> >
> You just used some weird scenerio about the cops hunting down this cat owner,
> but why can't the cops be knocking on the door of their prime "Peeping-Tom"
> suspect to ask him some questions.
Could be possible, yes.
> Here is a question for you:
>
> "If I could kiss her I wouldn't mind"- obviously HOW CAN THIS BE A CAT SAYING
> THIS?????
I know cats don't kiss, and they don't write love songs either! I think
that's what makes the song funny, giving a cat human characteristics.
> The cat argument might be somewhat valid until this point. My "sicko" argument
> might be somewhat off-base, but my theory encompasses the entire song and not
> just little snippets
And so does mine. But to be honest I feel this discussion is getting a
bit too serious, I apologize for
attacking your theory (or better: interpretations). You know, until one
week ago my interpretation of
Lily was -exactly- the same as yours. Then I heard Lily was a cat's
name, I looked again at the lyrics
and I thought: of course! And I felt very happy with being able to
explain to myself every word of a SP song. At that moment, when you said
"Lily isn't about a cat!" I thought "yes it is!", and, in my excitement,
"and I'll tell him!" :)
BTW, do you or any close relative have a cat yourself? :)
Michiel
Jim Worbois
Chris Martinez wrote:
>
> In article <32A009...@student.utwente.nl>,
> m.m.sch...@student.utwente.nl says...
> >
>
> >
> >If you look at the lyrics, it becomes even more clear that it's about a
> >cat!
> >The cat is sitting in the tree, observing pussycat Lily who lives with
> >the neighbours.
> >
> >> every movement, especially with her real boyfriend ("Will she or won't > she
> want
> >> him?").
> >
> >I think this is only a change from 1st person to 3rd person
> > narrator, but this is irrelevant for Lily being a cat or not.
> >
> This is a pretty abrupt change that you claim. If it's irrelevant, then why is
> acquit!"
>
> >so, the officer is knocking at the door to speak to owner of the cat,
> >like:
> >over there?"
> >cat-owner: "oh goodness, yes I am"
> >officer: "well, it looks like it's afraid to come down. Just wait here
> >an
> >let me handle this."
> >consequently, the officer climbs up the tree and -drags- the cat away!
> >"at your service m'am!"
> nice little story, but it isn't in the song!
>
> >
> >
>
> You just used some weird scenerio about the cops hunting down this cat owner,
> but why can't the cops be knocking on the door of their prime "Peeping-Tom"
> suspect to ask him some questions.
>
>
> "If I could kiss her I wouldn't mind"- obviously HOW CAN THIS BE A CAT SAYING
> THIS?????
>
> might be somewhat off-base, but my theory encompasses the entire song and not
> just little snippets
>
>
> csma...@fas.harvard.edu
Well, what about the part about "And through her window shade, I watch
her shadow move."? I can understand the watching of the shadow, but not
the window shade part. Whatever.
Anna
Chris Martinez
In article <32A4EC...@macatawa.org>, wor...@macatawa.org says...
where you can see the shadows move (like in that Levi commercial a couple of
years ago where the girl is trying to get on her jeans, but trips on a
misplaced mannequin in her room, but her boyfriend is waiting outside because
its taking her *so* long to put on her jeans, but because the shade it pulled
and he can only see the shadows, he thinks the dummy is another guy, so he gets
pissed and leaves). Yeah, like that. So the narrator is watching her
shadow, knowing she's in there. I think this adds to the idea that the
peeping tom is making up these sexual situations between the girl and whoever
completely in his head. I don't know how this fits into the cat theory.
chris.
C.Santos
In article <57f455$v...@panther.rmplc.co.uk>, jaro...@rmplc.co.uk says...
>
>Dear All,
>
>I have just listened to the interview disc that's black with a chunky
>booklet. In it Billy explains how he names songs - something about if it
>was a song about a bull he'd get a red image or something.
>
>I was wondering how many other songs are like this and I worked out what
>galapogas was on about.
>
>The song's about him getting older because:
>
>galapogas was where Charles Darwin discovered evolution and Billy's
>evolving.
>
>ALSO
>
>Is Lily(my one and only) about Lillian Gish(silent film actress) whom he
>named the fist album after? The style of the song is very 1920s when she
>was an actress too.
>
>hmmm
>
>further suggestions and comments would be appreciated
>
>thanks
>
>
>
At the Toronto concert on Jan. 3, 1996, Billy actually said that Lily was
about his cat. He even joked that he could've used his other cat's name,
Daryl, but that it wouldn't have sounded very good and he actually sang the
line "Daryl, my one and only" and laughed.
-C-
Rian
In article <57tlph$2...@decaxp.harvard.edu>, csma...@fas.harvard.edu (Chris Martinez) wrote:
>In article <32A009...@student.utwente.nl>,
>m.m.sch...@student.utwente.nl says...
>>
>
>>
>>If you look at the lyrics, it becomes even more clear that it's about a
>>cat!
>"If I could kiss her I wouldn't mind"- obviously HOW CAN THIS BE A CAT SAYING
>THIS?????
exactly.
>The cat argument might be somewhat valid until this point. My "sicko" argument
>
>might be somewhat off-base, but my theory encompasses the entire song and not
>just little snippets
the sicko therory is also backed by a lo of people. when mellon collie first
came out, everyone where i live was arguing about the lyrics to the songs, but
one thing everyone agreed on was Lily is about a peeping tom. I don't know
how anyone could come up with the cat idea, no offence to the guy who did.
--
Rian,
conc...@mail.island.net
"the Goose dances at midnight"
Chris Taylor
csma...@fas.harvard.edu (Chris Martinez) wrote:
>The cat argument might be somewhat valid until this point. My "sicko" argument
>might be somewhat off-base, but my theory encompasses the entire song and not
>just little snippets
>chris.
Yes, your theory makes more sense, and fits better, but I still think
its about a cat cause thats the first line of the song I memorized, is
the one about sitting in a tree. And Billys cats named Lily. Anyway,
you can't change my mind. I think its about a cat. =)
Chris
Listening to: Smashing Pumpkins - Crush
RJ
In article <01bbdff7$89277040$ce2d...@dwell.hardknox.edu>,
c...@cloud9.net says...
>
>
>
>Chris Martinez <csma...@fas.harvard.edu> wrote in article
>> What makes Lily such a great song is its simple, soft beat and
the
>> sweet, innocent voice- when he's actually some weirdo pervert. I
think
>the
>> song is similar to "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov in which the narrator
>thinks he
>> is in some great love affair with Lolita, but is actually raping her
and
>making
>> her life a living hell.
>
> I couldn't agree with you more Chris. I never paid attention to the
>lyrics until a couple of weeks ago and when I did I just fell in love
with
>the song for it's simplicity. I think it's such a cute little song,
and it
>fits just perfectly between "Beautiful" and "By Starlight." You just
got
>to love the last line of the song for the image it brings of the police
>hauling the nut case away.
>
Corgan has a cat named Lily. The song is about his cat.
RJ
In article <582r2r$j...@decaxp.harvard.edu>, csma...@fas.harvard.edu
says...
>>>
>>> In article <32A009...@student.utwente.nl>,
>>> m.m.sch...@student.utwente.nl says...
>>> >
>>>
>>> >
>>> >If you look at the lyrics, it becomes even more clear that it's
about a
>>> >cat!
CAT
>SAYING
>>> THIS?????
>>>
"sicko"
>argument
>>> might be somewhat off-base, but my theory encompasses the entire
song and
>not
>>> just little snippets
>>>
>>> chris.
>>>
Corgan has a cat named Lily. The song is about a cat.
RJ
In article <583b1v$1...@tor-nn1-hb0.netcom.ca>, jsa...@netcom.ca says...
Gish is NOT named after Lillian Gish. Check out 120 minutes when he was
on it.