Heartless Challenge?

[SuzeQuze]

What do you think Stevie means by that line in Gold Dust Woman? A sexual conquest? Just a thought, others...?

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

What do you think Stevie means by that line in Gold Dust Woman? A sexual conquest? Just a thought, others...?

No, I didn't think of it as a sexual conquest, more like an inner vanquish, a decision that is self-defeating whether you realize it at the time or not. I mean, live the rock star life, be bigger than life on stage. The challenge is to keep it going. You take cocaine to meet that (heartless) challenge and in doing so, you "pick your path" and just have to pray hard that it doesn't destroy you.

To me, the heartless challenge had more to do with the previous lyric about taking the spoon and digging your grave than it did with the next lines about picking your prey and making them cry. I don't think the lovers were that much of a challenge for the GDW. I think they came easily. They fell in her path. She didn't have to pursue them and more than conquering them, I see her as simply discarding them.

I think keeping herself going with so little to hang on to, but thinking that rocking on could make her feel full -- I think that was her challenge, an empty one, because the reward she found wasn't much of one.

Michele

[jwd]

Originally Posted by michelej1

No, I didn't think of it as a sexual conquest, more like an inner vanquish, a decision that is self-defeating whether you realize it at the time or not. I mean, live the rock star life, be bigger than life on stage. The challenge is to keep it going. You take cocaine to meet that (heartless) challenge and in doing so, you "pick your path" and just have to pray hard that it doesn't destroy you.

To me, the heartless challenge had more to do with the previous lyric about taking the spoon and digging your grave than it did with the next lines about picking your prey and making them cry. I don't think the lovers were that much of a challenge for the GDW. I think they came easily. They fell in her path. She didn't have to pursue them and more than conquering them, I see her as simply discarding them.

I think keeping herself going with so little to hang on to, but thinking that rocking on could make her feel full -- I think that was her challenge, an empty one, because the reward she found wasn't much of one.

Michele

Can't top that. Well said, and of course I agree.

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by michelej1

No, I didn't think of it as a sexual conquest, more like an inner vanquish, a decision that is self-defeating whether you realize it at the time or not. I mean, live the rock star life, be bigger than life on stage. The challenge is to keep it going. You take cocaine to meet that (heartless) challenge and in doing so, you "pick your path" and just have to pray hard that it doesn't destroy you.

To me, the heartless challenge had more to do with the previous lyric about taking the spoon and digging your grave than it did with the next lines about picking your prey and making them cry. I don't think the lovers were that much of a challenge for the GDW. I think they came easily. They fell in her path. She didn't have to pursue them and more than conquering them, I see her as simply discarding them.

I think keeping herself going with so little to hang on to, but thinking that rocking on could make her feel full -- I think that was her challenge, an empty one, because the reward she found wasn't much of one.

Michele

Yep.. I gotta go with this one too.. and very well stated Michele! Those were my thoughts too! It was SOOO funny as we were coming home from the movies last night, and all of a sudden, GDW comes on the radio, on our classic rock station. We NEVER hear that song played... What a nice suprise!!

[CharmedHour]

Originally Posted by michelej1

No, I didn't think of it as a sexual conquest, more like an inner vanquish, a decision that is self-defeating whether you realize it at the time or not. I mean, live the rock star life, be bigger than life on stage. The challenge is to keep it going. You take cocaine to meet that (heartless) challenge and in doing so, you "pick your path" and just have to pray hard that it doesn't destroy you.

To me, the heartless challenge had more to do with the previous lyric about taking the spoon and digging your grave than it did with the next lines about picking your prey and making them cry. I don't think the lovers were that much of a challenge for the GDW. I think they came easily. They fell in her path. She didn't have to pursue them and more than conquering them, I see her as simply discarding them.

I think keeping herself going with so little to hang on to, but thinking that rocking on could make her feel full -- I think that was her challenge, an empty one, because the reward she found wasn't much of one.

Michele

Very well said! I couldn't agree more.