Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Music Monday – Suite Madame Blue

October 31, 2016

Today’s choice is one that is timely now that elections are coming up. The song is “Suite Madame Blue” by Styx. It was written by Dennis DeYoung to honor America’s Bi-Centennial and it gave a different perspective on the 200 years since 1776. (Remember though that the Spanish actually came here first and settled in the Florida, California, and Southwest areas of the US. It wasn’t until 200 years later that the pilgrims came here.)

This is a good time to reflect on our past and our future. The world is very small now – we can jump on a plane and land in Japan in around 12-16 hours – a lot shorter than the months it would’ve taken hundreds of years ago. People of every land mix with everyone else and it is a grand thing. We can learn from each other and love each other but if we don’t learn to do those things, and we keep promoting hate, then the world our children and grandchildren will inherit will be a dismal one indeed. Still, even in a Culture of Death as JPII the Great put it, we can do little things each day with great love (as St. Mother Teresa put it) and propagate a culture of life, love, and happiness for all.

That said, let’s get to the song. Again, I loved it the first time I heard it. Yeah, I know I say that a lot, but all my favorites are that way. I don’t warm up to songs – I either like them or I don’t. I expect most of us are that way. I’ll get into the lyrics here in a sec, butfirst let me say that the music is genius! The word “suite” in the title refers in music to a composition with several parts or movements that are thematically and tonally linked. So, Suite Madame Blue starts out with just guitars and then builds to a climax of full on rock when you get to the bridge and then at the height of the song, crescendos with guitars and drums and then we ride the roller coaster on down to the beginning guitars and synth again. Okay, now that I’ve set it up, let’s listen.

Time after time I sit and I wait for your call
I know I’m a fool but what can I say
Whatever the price I’ll pay for you, Madame Blue

Once long ago, a word from your lips and the world turned around
But somehow you’ve changed, you’re so far away
I long for the past and dream of the days with you, Madame Blue

At first, the words seem to be about a young man thinking of a woman he loved, maybe a woman of the night, but because this is a song about America, we see that it’s about the call of a new land to people in other lands who hoped for a better life. Many did not find streets paved with gold, but factories and poverty and still trying to find a better life. However, most stayed and didn’t return to their mother lands and made something of their new lives here.

Then we see the lover remembering the old days when the relationship was strong and nothing could separate them – all was bliss. Then, things changed and the past is really gone. Here again in terms of a country – America was different and new once. New government, freedom for all (still working on that), and a chicken in every pot. Yeah, mixing idioms – sue me.
Now, 200 years later, it’s all changed and messed up and we long for those golden years again.

Suite Madame Blue, gaze in your looking glass
You’re not a child anymore
Suite Madame Blue, the future is all but past
Dressed in your jewels, you made your own rules
You conquered the world and more …………..heaven’s door

Here we ask America to look in her mirror and realize the past is gone and she’s growing older – things aren’t the same as they were. I like the lines “dressed in your jewels, you made your own rules” because it refers to how America was kind of an expdeiment of sorts for the times – the people were involved in the making of this country. Also, I like to think the line “heaven’s door” is referring to the moon landing in 1969 – heaven’s door indeed for that time! Don McLean in American Pie put it thusly, “And there we were all in one place, A generation lost in space, With no time left to start again”. Yeah, I feel like that too a lot more now than I ever did before. Cue the awesome bridge!

America….America…America..America..
America….America…America..America..
America….America…America..America..

Red, white, and blue, gaze in your looking glass
You’re not a child anymore
Red, white, and blue, the future is all but past
So lift up your heart, make a new start
And lead us away from here

It’s now been 451 since St Augustine, Florida was established. And 240 years old since declaring our independence. The past is gone, the country isn’t young (although we still are by Old World standards), maybe we’re in adolescence now and thus the growing pains? It’s a scary, uncertain time right now. So, let us take Styx’ words to heart – let’s be brave, start anew and let’s get away from where we see we could be heading.

I’m going to end with the wise wisdom of JP II again because right now we (all of us on this planet) need to hear them: “I plead with you – never, ever, give up on hope; never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid!” Amen!

3 comments
Comments

On November 1, 2016 at 2:42 PM, Matt said:

Let's not forget Prelude 12, the Siruis to Suite Madam Blue's Eye in the Sky. Good shit.
Also, Japan is ~9-11 hours away, make the world a handful of hours smaller.
Also also, I see you've started the blog train. Challenge accepted?

On November 2, 2016 at 8:54 AM, java_queen said:

Oh yeah, I've heard that piece - it is good! Well, it would be about 9-11 hours in a perfect world without delays and without starting from the middle of the country. :-P And yes, let's do this blog thing!

On November 2, 2016 at 3:33 PM, Matt said:

Oh, right. I guess I've only flown from the left coast.

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