Quiet World Of White & Gold?
 

Curious what everyone thinks that lyric means?
"You'll become his legacy,
His quiet world of white & gold?"

Before I ponder this, I have to ask a question and please forgive my ignorance: did Stevie or Tom write "Insider" or both? I know, I'm a bad Stevie fan!!:shrug:

Tom wrote it for Stevie.

Reference to someone's badly decorated house in the Hollywood Hills circa 1980.:thumbsup:

I always think of quiet world of white and gold as indicating purity of some kind, perfection, also something a untouchable and away from the fray, a kind of emotional refuge. I dunno, in the context of the verse and song, I feel like I really understand what it means, but obviously white and gold isn't something literal, it's what white and gold connotes to me. Especially with the preceding "I bet you're his masterpiece. I bet you're his self control."
The lyrics are fantastic. That isn't part of my interpretation, I am just constantly amazed by this song. :p

ok. I have my own speculation about this song (which is probably totally wrong, but here goes :) )

I think it's def about stevie, but I also think it is about Liddy too.
It's mostly from the first verse-
"yeah you're the dark angel" (of course...stevie, in black..whatever *L*)
"it don't show when you break up" Stevie was the one that broke off the relationship, but she was the one that got all of the support from fans. oh..poor stevie. Look-she's writing all these sad songs, she's so depressed...blah blah.

Anyway..back to the question at hand *L*

"yeah-you'll become his legacy"
Lindsey is remembered largely to his relationship with stevie. People will remember his music, but they will also remember the legacy of the two of them

"His quiet world of white and gold" maybe the white is the love-the relationship, and the gold is the stardom..?? the money??

yeah-that's about all I have..which isn't much:shrug:

^^^

Has anyone ever said it was about Stevie? I hadn't heard that, only that he wanted her to sing on it right away. :shrug: I can see how it could be about her, especially since it was slated to go on her album...but I don't know, it doesn't quite fit, in my mind.

I imagine it meaning something along the lines of what Amber was saying. I can't really put it into words, but I think it's more about the big picture imagery of that verse than the specific lines... "he" wants to put "her" up on a shelf, i.e. to be this passive lover/supporter, and in return he'll dote on her and give her material things, but she'll still be miserable. The connotation is calm and sort of regal - "silent," "quiet," "legacy," "white and gold," - but in a melancholy way. Like she's some gorgeous exotic bird that will sit in a gilded cage and waste away.

i was thinking about that, but I can't gel how it fits with the rest of the lyrics, which seem to me to say the girl is the "dangerous" one. Is there a transfer in the middle verse? By that I mean - the first verse seems to describe the girl...then "it's a circle of deception...it's a hall of strangers...it's a cage without a key..you can feel the danger" - does that describe what the girl is getting into, or again describing being involved with the girl? And of course (depending) then the last verse seems to switch it up and describe the girl like you said...in a more passive way...

Do you think the last verse described what she became because of the effect of whoever/whatever the "circle of deception, hall of strangers, cage without a key" is?
This is hard, I prefer my vague emotional understanding, rather than trying this literal interpretation...:laugh:

The middle verse always connotes the nature of fame and money and coke (hee) to me. Not that that is what he meant, but it seems still a good description of the nature of fame...

In some weird way it still fits to me. I think of the "circle of deception" verse as describing what she's getting into. It's a warning, and the speaker says he's "the one who ought to know" because he's the friend/spectator/Insider (a role he's not happy with) and can see things clearly where she cannot. The whole song is kind of bitter though, because she spurned him or at least led him on in some way when she really only wanted him to be her friend/confidant ("I've been burned by the fire/crawled trough the briars/yadda yadda"), hence the reason she is also the dangerous one. So he gives her this warning and says "fine, go with him, but I'm the one who cares and I can see it coming that this is what'll happen to you..." God, this sounds really stupid :laugh:. I don't mean to make it so literal because I don't think it is, but I don't know how else to communicate the feeling I get from it. Whatever, it's a great song, the end!

Hi Amber!
Loved reading your thoughts on Insider.
It is just such a perfect song! Love those Lyrics!!!
I dont think it is about Stevie necessarily. Just a song he wanted to record
with her. I think it about the man's point of view (Tom). It is the ol' Love's A Hard Game To Play Theory. I think "his quiet world of white & gold"..is his secret way of coping in the aftermath of his loss..white (coke) & gold (booze)....hmmmm. You know numbing out to escape the pain.

Yeah, what he said.

But I love the symbolism in this!

Yes, that is what I meant about the second verse...or rather, one of the two interps I was asking your opinion about. I think that friend/confidant thing is good - especially as the friend is always the Insider - they know the real story of how it would be that lovers don't - ...wait - exactly what you said in your second sentence is what I was going to say. :p But also in addition to your reason of why she's the dangerous one (she spurned him), I think the first verse connotes that she's dangerous in general for any lover - that she's very desireable but they won't know what they're getting into - she gets everything she wants, and...well, essentially the meaning of the phrase Dark Angel (something beautiful and therefore the danger (dark) is hidden).
I also always thought "It don't show when you break up" meant the girl has a certain emotional freedom (heartlessness is not right, but along those lines), she can let go of lovers easily and come out unscathed, whereas her lovers will be very scathed (:laugh: )
Along with the "Insider" view of the danger she is in that you spoke of, he also knows the dangers the lover could be in, or someone who desires her.
Now then - do you think it is about Stevie? I never got the sense that Tom wanted to date her, but I definitely think the lyrics could be an apt description of her. :shrug: But I'm sure lots of women are like that. And as far as I can tell, he would definitely be an Insider in her life. It's also hard for me to imagine that anyone wouldn't want to date Stevie - but that is bias, and wasn't he happily married?

Hey Kiddo!
Thanks for the PM a few weeks ago..I tried to respond but it said your box was full (pun intended)!
I like my "white & gold" theory too!:nod: :D

Hi!
But then how would that interpretation go with the lyrics before it? If she was his masterpiece, his self control, and was going to become his legacy - he wouldn't really need "white" and "gold" as drugs. Quite the opposite, I would say.