Very Best of Soul Asylum out 01/25 - String of Pearls

[spodiba]

I had never thought much about the 40 year time gap, but actually in reflecting upon it, it does make sense with the song, in that things are cyclical. It's kind of showing how every little thing becomes interrelated. The pearls at the end aren't necessarily the pearls from the beginning, at least if i'm thinking about it properly. I think part of the point of the story is how everybody is connected to everybody else, from the lowest (the prostitute) to the highest (the president), and how things repeat themselves. The story is a full cycle, and takes place over 40+ years I suppose, but does that make it any less? Sure no one in it is fleshed out, but no one in any song really is (except for maybe aqualung, but you don't need to know much about that guy to get the full picture).

Thinking about the song from a normal persons point of view doesn't necessarily make sense, but in what universe is Dave normal? I think calling him scatterbrained puts it very gently, and the song is fairly scatterbrained. It's all over the place, but in the end it gets back to where it started, and shows some form of order in the chaos. Not sure if my interpretation has any meaning whatsoever, but it's an abstract song, and I personally have always liked it.

Sure some of the lines were made for convenient rhymes, but come on, rhyming urinal and funeral is one of my favorite davisms ever! Although at this point I'd rather see Nice Guys in concert (just because i've always loved it, and have yet to see it), I don't know for sure if I'd put it above SoP or not. It's a tough one, and I think there really is a lot of love for SoP on this board from many of us.

Phil

OK, bolded parts - Phil, you stole the words from my keyboard.
And I'd add that it doesn't actually have to make sense, it's a song (by Dave, mind you), it's supposed to be fun, it's the interplay between the rhythm and the words that is so fun, it doesn't always have to make sense. I love it just because it doesn't make sense unless you add some kind of a personal interpretation to fill in the gaps in the logical sequence of events. Why does a song have to be logical to be good? If that's your only objection to it...

[blueharvest]

Why does a song have to be logical to be good? If that's your only objection to it...

You are absolutely right. Songs don't have to be logical to be good. The lack of logic that I pointed out was more to reinforce my second point, being that the song isn't saying much of anything at all. You aren't the first to say that it's a "fun" song. While I'm a huge fan of fun, I don't think "fun" in and of itself is enough to make a good song, especially a good SA song. Dave and the boys are capable of so much better and have proved it with 30 years worth of tunes.

Rock on compadres!

J

[zany]

1. J - i love your first 12 of your playlist. no time to ponder now but i think i'd pick 2 different last ones.

2. ok - it's not that i care that the pearl at the end isn't the one at the beginning. BUT for some reason it really bugs me that it's TRYING to come off that way if you don't listen super carefully. in the initial listens it sounds like it's the same pearl. then later when you realize it's not it's REALLY annoying (to me)! if it's not going to be the same one, then don't make it seem at first glance like it is. ok i know this is more an emotional argument than a logical one!

[spodiba]

You are absolutely right. Songs don't have to be logical to be good. The lack of logic that I pointed out was more to reinforce my second point, being that the song isn't saying much of anything at all. You aren't the first to say that it's a "fun" song. While I'm a huge fan of fun, I don't think "fun" in and of itself is enough to make a good song, especially a good SA song. Dave and the boys are capable of so much better and have proved it with 30 years worth of tunes.

Rock on compadres!

J

OK, this is where we disagree. I think that Pearls belongs up there with those very best of Soul Asylum. I understand why the illlgical connection bugs you, I do, but personally, I'm willing to overlook it. I don't know, it just doesn't bother me that much. We're just gonna have to agree to disagree

[blueharvest]

aye! it is agreed that we shall agree to disagree.

J

[dells]

I see the love/hate debate over String of Pearls is still ongoing, and has even invaded the thread's topic heading,lol.

I guess bottom line is, String of Pearls is just one of those songs that you either love/like it, or hate it.

My son is one that loves it. He's loved SoP since Dim Light came out, and he was about 7 yrs old then. He liked it already from hearing me play the CD so often, but I think it was hearing Dave sing it live at his first SA show that it truly captivated him and became his favorite SA song. I really don't know if he knew at the time how bizarre it was. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I think he did know how "out there" it was, and that's exactly what it was about it that appealed to him. I remember one time that he said he liked it because of it's weird story.

Steve is 23 now, and it's still one of his favorite SA songs, I think. I'll try to remember to ask him soon, although I'm sure he'll think we're all nuts for analyzing a song so much, lol

[blueharvest]

Wow Dells, that is pretty awesome. All of my lyric analysis and pontificating seem pretty pointless next to your simple, real-life anecdote. Not much else needs to be said after that. I guess the "eyes of a child" know best! I declare the String of Pearls debate over. Dells (and Steve) wins!

I hope you both continue to rock out to SA for centuries to come!

J

[spodiba]

I see the love/hate debate over String of Pearls is still ongoing, and has even invaded the thread's topic heading,lol.

My son is one that loves it. He's loved SoP since Dim Light came out, and he was about 7 yrs old then.
Steve is 23 now, and it's still one of his favorite SA songs, I think. I'll try to remember to ask him soon, although I'm sure he'll think we're all nuts for analyzing a song so much, lol

Hahaha, I was 7 too when LYDLS came out! And I'm not 23 yet, but still Pearls is one of my favorite SA tunes as well
And yeah, I also noticed this change in the thread's heading, but then I wasn't sure if the song was there before or if I was just going nuts, so i didn't mention anything
I agree with blueharvest dells, your story hit at the heart of the debate, so, yeah, there's nothing more to add to it

[CrazyLittleWoman]

Not re-opening the debate, just offering some potential explanation of the 40-year time-gap in "String of Pearls."

In some interview somewhere, Dave said that he had read some of the magic realism writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and that it changed his approach to storytelling in his songwriting. Since magic realism features strange shifts in time and illogical events (sometimes events that could not possibly happen in real life), it's possible that "String of Pearls" is an example of the influence of Garcia Marquez on Dave's songwriting.

Dells, I really liked your explanation about each little scene being a different "pearl." That's really the best explanation.

So he turns the corner and from his car that one must assume is riding at at least 20 mph he manages to spot the light reflected off a pearl. Don't know about you, I've seen light reflect off diamonds, glass, gold, silver, but I have never seen light reflect off of a pearl. Pearls do not sparkle. Their sheen is rather dull. He picks up the pearl from the gutter. Now this is a gutter. On a road. You want me to believe that this pearl is big enough that it didn't simply fall through the grate?

The pearl is shiny and big enough not to fall down the grate because it's FAKE.

Lisa is a streetwalker. She can't afford REAL pearls. After she gives Rick the Pimp his cut, the poor girl barely has enough money left to keep herself in crystal, ammo for her pistol, and fish food for Silver the goldfish. [See "Eyes of a Child."]

Back on topic: It seems really strange to have a "The Very Best of Soul Asylum" CD that doesn't include "Stranger" and "Closer to the Stars." Those tracks seem essential to an SA Best Of list.

Does the release of a "Very Best" compilation mean that the record company is trying to jog people's memories about the band right before a NEW CD comes out? Or is that just wishful thinking?

[spodiba]

Does the release of a "Very Best" compilation mean that the record company is trying to jog people's memories about the band right before a NEW CD comes out? Or is that just wishful thinking?

I never thought of this. I like the way you think. I agree, there could be more to it than meets the eye