The Mabel Normand preview - Page 6

mitzo · #76 08-19-2014, 06:28 AM

It has a kind of Wide Sargasso Sea feel. Might be interesting.

BlueLight · #77 08-19-2014, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

You guys have not heard the whole song. If she doesn't change the lyrics it is going to be awful. Only half of demo is about Mabel Normand. Then it changes into a song about someone else.

But I have! And I love it, even in its rough demo form. Of course it's about someone else, but most of her songs are.

welcomechris · #78 08-19-2014, 07:07 AM

She hasn't changed enough tho,

"I guess she even felt guilty, about even dying"

Hawkeye · #79 08-19-2014, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

You guys have not heard the whole song. If she doesn't change the lyrics it is going to be awful. Only half of demo is about Mabel Normand. Then it changes into a song about someone else.

So What!!! I don't care if the rest of the song is about her dogs taking a Sh** as long as the the vocals are equally as passionate with the awesome background music. The appeal of the song for at least 90 percent of us isn't hearing the story of mable normand. How does the song being about 2 different people make it awful. Ever hear of a little song called edge of 17?

sorcerer999 · #80 08-19-2014, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

So What!!! I don't care if the rest of the song is about her dogs taking a Sh** as long as the the vocals are equally as passionate with the awesome background music. The appeal of the song for at least 90 percent of us isn't hearing the story of mable normand. How does the song being about 2 different people make it awful. Ever hear of a little song called edge of 17?

Agreed. "Sara" is another good example. The "great dark wing" is Mick. Don Henley is the one "building the house." And then of course, there's "Sara" herself.

Stevie has stated on numerous occasions that most of her songs are about a combination of many people.

"Mabel Normand" is a song that parallels the life of the actress to experiences going on in Stevie's own life. She did the same thing with "Greta", "Alice" and "Julia".

bombaysaffires · #81 08-19-2014, 11:58 AM

I think the difference in all the other songs is that the mixing of different threads throughout each song is more subtle..Mabel Normand just sort of shifts jarringly from one to another. In the other songs you don't need to know that in one part the lyrics are inspired by Mick and in another part by Don.. the song as a whole is clearly about a relationship with a man and all that "off screen" stuff is just who she was thinking about. In Mabel Normand it's not about subtle references to people in real life, it's the actual lyrics of the song shifting in a jarring way so you lose all orientation of who the heck she's talking about.

sodascouts · #82 08-20-2014, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by welcomechris

She hasn't changed enough tho,

"I guess she even felt guilty, about even dying"

Yeah.... I was dismayed by that, too.

MarkMc1990 · #83 08-31-2014, 11:50 AM

It's kind of funny, I heard the "Mabel Normand" snippet on Instagram and decided to look up the demo and I LOVED it. Then I came on here and saw everyone taking about it being one of her worst

. Like, okay, it's obviously a mess but there was just something so hauntingly appealing about it. Without evening hearing the snippet, I could guess that this demo had potential if she revamps it a bit. And I'll bet anything that's the case.

Loved the guitar in the snippet, though I kind of hope she keeps some elements of the three repeating piano chords. Maybe in the intro before the guitar kicks in? Not gonna happen but it would be a cool little homage to the demo.

Anyway, I Googled the lyrics and whoever transcribed them wrote "her life was a gas" but I'm 99% sure Stevie is saying "her life was aghast"

michelej1 · #84 08-31-2014, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMc1990

Anyway, I Googled the lyrics and whoever transcribed them wrote "her life was a gas" but I'm 99% sure Stevie is saying "her life was aghast"

But lives can't be aghast. I'm aghast at the thought! Michele

sorcerer999 · #85 08-31-2014, 09:46 PM

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the correct lyric is, "her life was a gas", which was an expression used a lot back in the 20's and 30's. It basically means her life was one big party. Her life was fun.

If it were "aghast" then you'd be able to hear Stevie sing a "T" sound, which clearly she doesn't on the two times she repeats the line. That and the fact that it doesn't make any sense.

MarkMc1990 · #86 08-31-2014, 10:12 PM

Ah, I've never heard that expression but it makes a lot of sense now especially with the time period. It's a moot point now but I still think aghast would make sense..

a·ghast
əˈgast/Submit
adjective
filled with horror or shock.
"when the news came out they were aghast"

Applying that definition it would translate the line to "her life was filled with horror (or shock)"
followed by the lines "Simply everything that happened, Well, they say it was sad"

DauphineMarie · #87 09-01-2014, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMc1990

It's kind of funny, I heard the "Mabel Normand" snippet on Instagram and decided to look up the demo and I LOVED it. Then I came on here and saw everyone taking about it being one of her worst

. Like, okay, it's obviously a mess but there was just something so hauntingly appealing about it. Without evening hearing the snippet, I could guess that this demo had potential if she revamps it a bit. And I'll bet anything that's the case.

Loved the guitar in the snippet, though I kind of hope she keeps some elements of the three repeating piano chords. Maybe in the intro before the guitar kicks in? Not gonna happen but it would be a cool little homage to the demo.

Anyway, I Googled the lyrics and whoever transcribed them wrote "her life was a gas" but I'm 99% sure Stevie is saying "her life was aghast"

I agree completely. Mabel Normand is one of my all-time favourite demos, so naturally I was flying when it made the album. Those three chords are so simple, yet have an endearing quality, very familiar. Lots of people complain about the jarring of perspectives, but I think it's poetic; starting with a different person, transitioning to your own life, and shifting back to Mabel to show the parallels between the two lives. I think it's some of her most honest lyrics as well.

michelej1 · #88 09-01-2014, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMc1990

Applying that definition it would translate the line to "her life was filled with horror (or shock)"

But lives aren't sentient beings. Just like you wouldn't say, "her life was horrified," you would not say "her life was aghast." Rather, a person would be horrified or aghast, since lives can't feel emotion.

But we need not hold lyrics to the same rules as ordinary speech, I suppose.

Michele

HoursAndHours · #89 09-01-2014, 03:09 PM

For context in other songs:

Blondie: Heart Of Glass
"Once I had a love and it was a gas
Soon turned out had a heart of glass
Seemed like the real thing..."

Rolling Stones: Jumping Jack Flash
"I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain
But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas
But it's all right, I'm jumping Jack flash
It's a gas, gas, gas"

APerfectLie · #90 09-01-2014, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michelej1

But lives aren't sentient beings. Just like you wouldn't say, "her life was horrified," you would not say "her life was aghast." Rather, a person would be horrified or aghast, since lives can't feel emotion.

But we need not hold lyrics to the same rules as ordinary speech, I suppose.

Michele

You wouldn't say that to Bob Dylan!!