What is Sable on Blond about?

[sorcerer999]

P.S. I also think this thread is getting WAYYYYYYY off topic, and if that's my fault, I apologize.

I didn't think making a joke about a lyric was going to get people talking about masturbation.

Back to the SONG "Sable On Blonde" please...

[SisterNightroad]

[DauphineMarie]

To me, this song just screams Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It's a story within the realm of Arthurian legend, as has more to do with this song than the actual story of King Arthur, in my opinion. Though the Excalibur reference is there, I think Sir Gawain goes more in-depth. Look up the book online, I'm sure you can read it, and it's very short.

"Learn to be a stranger" through "what was it that fell" is personal to Stevie, and has to do with her quote from that interview about learning to not rely on others.

"One fallen leaf like the feather that it was. Was it freedom by choice or baby, was it love?"

This a reference to the story when he decided to take Arthur's place in a challenge against the Green Knight, so this is like a parallel between Stevie's life of doing things because she loves someone and she feels obligated (Fleetwood Mac), not because she really wants to.

"Well, have you come to see that my face is not seen
Ooh, outside my frost covered windows
Oh, and just how deep do you hold that dream
In your hands each night this time"

This is a reference to an affair. On his way to the duel at the Green Chapel, he stops at a manor house and is taken care of by the master, a lord or something, whose wife tries to seduce him, and every morning she secretly tempts him after the lord leaves, to which Sir Gawain refuses. Finally on the last morning, she tempts him with this green girdle which he eventually accepts, for protection. "How deep do you hold that dream" references the girdle, and how he holds on to it in fear of his life, same as Stevie would to anything that resembled her life before she moved into that new house that she hated. The whole reference to the affair/temptation might be talking about Stevie and anyone else she might have loved during this time, or before, which in the liner notes says 1982, I think.

The next parts are about Stevie, of which I can't really relate anything, except for that "To be brave, save the stranger" which loosely talks about Sir Gawain sacrificing himself for King Arthur, who is far above him in rank, and almost inaccessible. Stevie, on the other hand, has to give up part of her life, probably a person, so that she can move on with her life and literally save herself. Sable is a dark fur, and blonde is light, so "dark upon light, because it hurts too much" could be about her different careers and how they each change so often and often contrast with each other. Besides this, when she says she went into her closet with her blankets,her radio, and her writings, I like to imagine she lay down and one of her beautiful fur coats fell on top of her glorious blonde perm and she was struck with inspiration.

In the end of the story, the Green Knight is actually the lord of the manor, and the entire quest was the doing of Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's sorceress sister, who wanted to test the Knights of the Round table, and also scare Queen Guinevere. This is my favourite song from the Wild Heart, and definitely in my top 10 Stevie songs ever. It speaks of such strong imagery, and like someone mentioned earlier, reads like a dreamy, medieval fairy-tale. Anyways, sorry this is so long, but I have theorized about this for years, and I'm glad someone asked about it, because I feel as if I need to share.

[FuzzyPlum]

Interesting people have lots of medieval references/interpretations. Though sable fur is very dark brown in Ye Olde English times sable represented black on coats of arms.

[singertobe]

Originally Posted by SisterNightroad

My thoughts exactly

[SisterNightroad]

Now that I've recovered from the shock caused by some of the post of this thread, I'd like to share that this song always made me think about the famous da Vinci's painting "Lady with an ermine":



The ermine is a symbol of purity and incorruption because, he explained: " The ermine out of moderation never eats but once a day, and it would rather let itself be captured by hunters than take refuge in a dirty lair, in order not to stain its purity."

[The Juggler]

It seems like some people here put more thought in than Stevie

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by The Juggler

It seems like some people here put more thought in than Stevie

For sure! Interpreting her mishmash musings into literal cohesion. Stevie would be very amused by this. It's a entertaining creative outlet unto itself.

[KarmaContestant]

I've always thought Excalibur was a reference to some guy's wang that she missed at the time.

[SpyNote]

At the time, there were comparisons to "Dreams." Mick also played drums on it.

Here's a little more on "Sable on Blond," from The Wild Heart press release:

“I wrote this when I came off the Bella Donna tour, one of the most exhilarating and beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. And I moved into my new dream house, but it was more of a nightmare because it was cold and empty. I only had my piano. There were no phones, and I was alone, freezing, with nothing. It was like going from heaven straight to hell without stopping off for a burger on the way. I was devastated. I moved into my closet with my quilt and pillows and my writing stuff. My clothes were hanging in my face, and I took my little stereo in there, and that’s where I lived. But the song really is about learning to live with Stevie; learn to be a stranger, learn to live in silence, learn not to call on everybody else to get you out of everything or make everybody else pay for what you’re going through because you’ve chosen this life. Like Arthur learned from Excalibur, you do not ever call on your most precious magic unless you are literally out of other choices.”

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by SpyNote

“I wrote this when I came off the Bella Donna tour, one of the most exhilarating and beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. And I moved into my new dream house, but it was more of a nightmare because it was cold and empty. I only had my piano. There were no phones, and I was alone, freezing, with nothing. It was like going from heaven straight to hell without stopping off for a burger on the way. I was devastated. I moved into my closet with my quilt and pillows and my writing stuff. My clothes were hanging in my face, and I took my little stereo in there, and that’s where I lived.

This is a classic example of the over-the-top, constructed dramas Stevie tends to perpetuate -- casting herself as a suffering artist, dealing with hardships more akin to a poverty-stricken person struggling just to survive. Her idea of a hellish nightmare is vastly different from the suffering of people living in the barest of margins.

Alone, freezing, nothing? She was a successful,wealthy, indulgent rock star who had the world in her hands. What was her problem? Trouble getting to a furniture store? Issues with the phone and heating companies? Lacking the ability to plan ahead, or going to a grocery store or restaurant?

It's very hard find empathy or make any sense of her perceived predicament. She was a spoiled girl who has never had to face dire hardship. Even when she and Lindsey were the hippie youths, trying to establish themselves in the music industry, she had a corporate daddy there to save her ass.

[michelej1]

And I'm sure her "closet" was as big as most bedrooms, but I do have to laugh at the part of going to hell without even stopping for a burger on the way. She is priceless.

Michele

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I always thought her reference to Excalibur was a pet name for her lovers penis (or what she named her strap on).

Sable on blonde were the colors of the bushes laying on top of each other. Yep, that is my interpretation.

but I thought you had turned in your fan card forever when you were so appalled by the video for "Lady"

[teedeerocks]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

[/I]

This is a classic example of the over-the-top, constructed dramas Stevie tends to perpetuate -- casting herself as a suffering artist, dealing with hardships more akin to a poverty-stricken person struggling just to survive. Her idea of a hellish nightmare is vastly different from the suffering of people living in the barest of margins.

Alone, freezing, nothing? She was a successful,wealthy, indulgent rock star who had the world in her hands. What was her problem? Trouble getting to a furniture store? Issues with the phone and heating companies? Lacking the ability to plan ahead, or going to a grocery store or restaurant?

It's very hard find empathy or make any sense of her perceived predicament. She was a spoiled girl who has never had to face dire hardship. Even when she and Lindsey were the hippie youths, trying to establish themselves in the music industry, she had a corporate daddy there to save her ass.

My thoughts exactly-she doesn't have a clue as to what hardship is.I guess she thinks everything is hellish if she doesn't have her assistant or somebody else there to kiss her butt and actually has to lift a finger or rely on herself without calling on "Excalibur".Poor little rich girl......I say this as a huge fan and not a Stevie hater BTW, but sometimes she is ridiculous and too often plays the victim

[twinmatrix]

Originally Posted by SisterNightroad

Now that I've recovered from the shock caused by some of the post of this thread, I'd like to share that this song always made me think about the famous da Vinci's painting "Lady with an ermine":



The ermine is a symbol of purity and incorruption because, he explained: " The ermine out of moderation never eats but once a day, and it would rather let itself be captured by hunters than take refuge in a dirty lair, in order not to stain its purity."

Off-topic, but I despise ermines.

"It's nature" and all that crap,
but I think it's disgusting on so many levels that the male ermines have sex with the female ermines WHILE THE FEMALES ARE STILL BABIES.
They literally have sex WITH BABIES. Deaf, blind and without hair. Yuck. Imagine if we did that.

Originally Posted by teedeerocks

My thoughts exactly-she doesn't have a clue as to what hardship is.I guess she thinks everything is hellish if she doesn't have her assistant or somebody else there to kiss her butt and actually has to lift a finger or rely on herself without calling on "Excalibur".Poor little rich girl......I say this as a huge fan and not a Stevie hater BTW, but sometimes she is ridiculous and too often plays the victim

Omg you guys. You realize emotional hell is relative, right? She could have had just as much emotional pain as a poor African child or some Chinese beggar.
Even depression makes you feel like hell without any reason. You can be rich, successful and partnered; depression will still make you feel like you want to die.
Heck, even WITHOUT depression you can feel horrible for no reason.
You simply can't compare mental pain between people.

Don't hate on Stevie for being able to put her emotions into words so beautifully. x