The Night The Carousel Burned Down....
The old geezer
the night a carousel burned down??
TOG
Nil
rundgren:
> ...is this particular tune really about drugs OR is it really about
> the night a carousel burned down??
What makes you think it's NOT about a carousel? I don't see anything in
the lyric to suggest otherwise.
The old geezer
> On 09 Sep 2008, The old geezer <J...@aol.com> wrote in alt.music.todd-
> rundgren:
>
> > ...is this particular tune really about drugs OR is it really about
> > the night a carousel burned down??
>
> What makes you think it's NOT about a carousel? I don't see anything in
> the lyric to suggest otherwise.
Really now....TR's gonna write a song about a carousel?
TOG
DanS
<54248f20-510b-42cb...@x41g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
He's written songs about such a myriad of topics, why not a carousel?
I don't hear anything in the song that makes me thing of drugs, but
I've been known to miss the obvious sometimes. The swirling, surreal
sound of the carousel could be his interpretation of a burning
carousel.
The old geezer
> He's written songs about such a myriad of topics, why not a carousel?
> I don't hear anything in the song that makes me thing of drugs, but
> I've been known to miss the obvious sometimes. �The swirling, surreal
> sound of the carousel could be his interpretation of a burning
> carousel.
Or his interpretation of an acid trip...
TOG
NP: Stormwarning - Steve Roach
ND: Yuengling Porter
Nil
alt.music.todd-rundgren:
> Really now....TR's gonna write a song about a carousel?
Yes. Why not? He's written about aliens, ISPs, frogs, VD, pissing and
vomiting, crackers, rocks, sheep, crabs. Why not a carousel?
I repeat the question: what makes you think it's NOT about a carousel?
There's nothing in it to suggest otherwise.
Central Hosting
Only I'm more of a country bumpkin and still a younger sot but I
remember well.
There was an amusement park at
Willow Grove in PA where there was a bad fire and part of the park was
lost, sabotaged, I think, an old classic carousel was destroyed, and
also a cool miniature train ride. They tried to reopen, only to lose
their antique wooden roller coaster- the only one of that kind. It was
an awesome coaster, and predated the monster at Hershey. This woulda
been mid to early 60s. The park is still there with some of the old
junk and trash left lost to the weeds. This woulda been a convenient
daytrip for the Rundgren family, perhaps a nostalgic sentimental
favorite of a better, nicer time for OH. I'd say a possibility.
Lord Buckeye
> On 09 Sep 2008, The old geezer <J...@aol.com> wrote in
It's a pot song. Thought that was common knowledge.
DanS
<bc2dee1b-0b7d-45d1...@q5g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
Lord Buckeye <l_bu...@yahoo.com> wrote:
How do you infer that it's a pot song? Please cite some lyrics that
would convey this.
The old geezer
> On 09 Sep 2008, The old geezer <J...@aol.com> wrote in
Oh, isn't there??? At first it may *seem* like a tune about a
carousel but look a little deeper. The song is really about the
descension into the drug world & the eventual destruction it causes of
the "singer's" (not necessarily TR) personal life & how it affects his
family & friends, etc, etc.. The "singer's" life finally succumbs to
complete & utter chaos (..."And the flames did fly....the boiler died
& melted down the midway....."). Also, the spinning/swirling
instrumental cocacaphany(?) in the middle of the tune represents the
distorted world of the drug user. Simple.
The old geezer
NP: Slow Heat - Steve Roach
ND: Water
Nil
alt.music.todd-rundgren:
> Oh, isn't there??? At first it may *seem* like a tune about a
> carousel but look a little deeper. The song is really about the
> descension into the drug world & the eventual destruction it
> causes of the "singer's" (not necessarily TR) personal life & how
> it affects his family & friends, etc, etc.. The "singer's" life
> finally succumbs to complete & utter chaos (..."And the flames did
> fly....the boiler died & melted down the midway....."). Also, the
> spinning/swirling instrumental cocacaphany(?) in the middle of the
> tune represents the distorted world of the drug user. Simple.
Pretty fanciful interpretation you've invented for it. Sorry, I don't
buy it. It's simply a song about a burning carousel. It can be a
metaphor for just about anything that involves loss and regret, but
there's nothing specific in the song itself to suggest it's about
drugs. You read that into it yourself.
Nil
alt.music.todd-rundgren:
> It's a pot song.
How so?
> Thought that was common knowledge.
No, it's not.
KB
like "my first try at a motion picture score; too bad there isn't motion
picture to go with it".
I also recall that Todd was rather fond of fireworks and flame as a child
growing up and, you know, accidents will happen.
"And we all left town ... the next day"
(too avoid responsibility?)
Lord Buckeye
> On 10 Sep 2008, Lord Buckeye <l_buck...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> alt.music.todd-rundgren:
>
> > It's a pot song.
>
> How so?
>
> > Thought that was common knowledge.
>
> No, it's not.
Back in the 70's they used to sell an attachment that screwed on your
bong that had 6 bowls. In CA we called it a "six-shooter". A buddy of
mine from PA said they called them "carousels". Also note that the
song which leads into it,"Breathless". I also read an interview with
Todd in Creem once where he said alot of his songs were about weed.
Lord Buckeye
> As I recall the liner notes (comments) to S/A for this song say something
> like "my first try at a motion picture score; too bad there isn't motion
> picture to go with it".
What a stoned thing to say!
DanS
<6f8cd77e-1af4-451d...@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
Now, that's a stretch, though I supposed if I were stoned it would make
perfect sense.
The old geezer
>>
> Now, that's a stretch, though I supposed if I were stoned it would make
What are you inferring???
TOG
Istvan
You know what?
Position yourself in the middle of a quad setup of loudspeakers.
Turn on this great song LOUD, and feel yourself being swayed
around and around and around. Todd was experimenting with ways
to record MOTION in the making.
Lord Buckeye
What a stoned thing to say!
Lord Buckeye
The poster is wishing he were stoned.
DanS
<20ad777a-ba3d-4ae2...@m45g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
The old geezer <JY...@aol.com> wrote:
Not meaning to infer anything. I'm just saying , knowing ME the way I
do, I would probably be able to follow your logic if I were stoned. I
would also probably find a drug reference on every other song on the
album (along with getting the munchies).
black...@aol.com
Nil
alt.music.todd-rundgren:
> http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=7939
And yet another burning carousel, at the Long Beach Pike:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pike#The_Carousel
"The Carousel: In 1911 Charles I. D. Looff installed a carousel in
Long Beach, and he and his family actually began to live above the
carousel. Charles Looff is considered to be the first of the great
American carousel makers, having installed a carousel on Coney
Island, and in his career developing Santa Monica Pier and Santa
Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The original Long Beach Looff carousel built
in 1911 burned to the ground in 1943, but the building, called the
"Lite-A-Line," remained and was used as a gaming hall. [1] The roof
structure was saved and is awaiting use. It can be seen from the
grassy area off Ocean Blvd. & Pacific."
Weren't you there when the carousel burned down
The fire and confusion, the smoke and the sound
I swear you were there when the carousel burned down
We were all around
The rings charred and tarnished all over the ground
And the heads hung down
And we all left town the next day
The children all cried when the carousel burned down
The old ladies sighed and the carousel burned down
The rest of us lied as the carousel burned down
And the flames did fly
The pipes steamed and shrieked out a blazing goodbye
As the boiler died
And they melted down the midway
And we all left town the next day
The old geezer
Yeah, In 1972 all hip 24 year old rock 'n' roll song writers were
composing tunes about some merry go round that burned down years
before they were born.
OR....they could write about something more relevant in their lives at
the time...drug experimentation.
TOG
Nil
alt.music.todd-rundgren:
> OR....they could write about something more relevant in their
> lives at the time...drug experimentation.
I think you may have listend to Puff the Magic Dragon a few too many
times!
paul
"The old geezer" <JY...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:6f8cd77e-1af4-451d...@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
On Sep 9, 8:43 pm, Nil <rednoise+n...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote:
> On 09 Sep 2008, The old geezer <J...@aol.com> wrote in
> alt.music.todd-rundgren:
>
carousel but look a little deeper. The song is really about the
descension into the drug world & the eventual destruction it causes of
the "singer's" (not necessarily TR) personal life & how it affects his
family & friends, etc, etc.. The "singer's" life finally succumbs to
complete & utter chaos (..."And the flames did fly....the boiler died
& melted down the midway....."). Also, the spinning/swirling
instrumental cocacaphany(?) in the middle of the tune represents the
distorted world of the drug user. Simple.
or not
The old geezer
> On 12 Sep 2008, The old geezer <J...@aol.com> wrote in
> alt.music.todd-rundgren:
>
> > OR....they could write about something more relevant in their
> > lives at the time...drug experimentation.
>
> I think you may have listend to Puff the Magic Dragon a few too many
> times!
Please elaborate. I do not see what Peter, Paul & Mary have to do
with this conversation. Plus, I hate folk music.
TOG
Lord Buckeye
Hell, just look at the inside cover of Something/Anything. t looks
like Todd and Hunter S Thompson got together.
Scott Sheppard
children's song. I recall that Peter, Paul, and Mary have confirmed this.
This was alluded to in the _Meet The Parents_ movie.
"The old geezer" <JY...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:bda60d19-9bb0-49fd...@c65g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
Scott Sheppard
ferris wheel.
Something like that is solid evidence. The trouble is that "The Night The
Carousel Burnt Down" has nothing like that.
"Nil" <rednoi...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9B14A8BC...@216.196.97.136...
> On 09 Sep 2008, The old geezer <JY...@aol.com> wrote in alt.music.todd-
> rundgren:
>
>> ...is this particular tune really about drugs OR is it really about
>> the night a carousel burned down??
>
> What makes you think it's NOT about a carousel? I don't see anything in
> the lyric to suggest otherwise.
Scott Sheppard
in Swedish. Ruth Rundgren wrote me once that he saw a Swedish movie, saw the
word Slut appear just before the credits, and decided to end
_Something/Anything?_ the same way.
"The old geezer" <JY...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:54248f20-510b-42cb...@x41g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
On Sep 9, 4:35 pm, Nil <rednoise+n...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote:
> On 09 Sep 2008, The old geezer <J...@aol.com> wrote in alt.music.todd-
> rundgren:
>
> > ...is this particular tune really about drugs OR is it really about
> > the night a carousel burned down??
>
> What makes you think it's NOT about a carousel? I don't see anything in
> the lyric to suggest otherwise.
Really now....TR's gonna write a song about a carousel?
TOG
Scott Sheppard
being?
-- Animal House
"The old geezer" <JY...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:bc99e7d2-5944-4456...@34g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
On Sep 9, 5:16?pm, DanS <djlstew...@TAKE-OUTmac.com> wrote:
> He's written songs about such a myriad of topics, why not a carousel?
> I don't hear anything in the song that makes me thing of drugs, but
> I've been known to miss the obvious sometimes. ?The swirling, surreal
> sound of the carousel could be his interpretation of a burning
> carousel.
Or his interpretation of an acid trip...
TOG
NP: Stormwarning - Steve Roach
ND: Yuengling Porter
Scott Sheppard
carnival would leave town the next day.
"KB" <open_m...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:%tTxk.646$Z64...@flpi143.ffdc.sbc.com...
Scott Sheppard
for you. Half of the symbolism is Robert Frost's works were not intended by
the author; however, according to my high school English teacher, that does
not invalidate the metaphor any less.
"paul" <psevin@ _sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:tXzyk.89$as...@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com...
Lord Buckeye
> Puff the Magic Dragon is about marijuana. Most people think it is a
> children's song. I recall that Peter, Paul, and Mary have confirmed this.
Oh come on. Can we keep this conversation serious?
The old geezer
Actually, I saw an interview with Peter Yarrow where he vehemitly(?)
denied it being a "drug song". He stated that it wuz a tune about
"lost childhood"....whatever that means.......
The old geezer
The old geezer
TOG
Lord Buckeye
> Is that it???
>
> TOG
No. 'Born To Synthesize' is about LSD. Please discuss.
Scott Sheppard
"But the red polygon's only desire is to get to the blue triangle."
See the bottom of
http://dwf.blogs.com/beyond_the_paper/2007/02/dwf_compare_a_s_1.html
"Lord Buckeye" <l_bu...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:0b1cb8c0-cf0e-4d5b...@s28g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
Lord Buckeye
> You might be right about that.
>
> "But the red polygon's only desire is to get to the blue triangle."
What a stoned thing to say.
>
> See the bottom of
>
> http://dwf.blogs.com/beyond_the_paper/2007/02/dwf_compare_a_s_1.html
>
> "Lord Buckeye" <l_buck...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
The old geezer
> > Is that it???
> >
> > TOG
>
> No. 'Born To Synthesize' is about LSD. Please discuss.
The Old Geezer
ND: Southern Tier 3X IPA