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20 Dec 22 - 11:13 AM (#4159777) Subject: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Richard Bridge There are various innocuous explanations of the meaning of this song all over the internet, but they just don't ring true to me. It seems to me totally obvious that the song covers much of the same territory as the Velvet Underground "Waiting for the man". Comparably bowdlerised explanations of Lou Reed's Sweet Jane (a weed song if I ever heard one) multiply. Conversely I happen to believe that 8 miles High was actually about an aeroplane flight! Views? |
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20 Dec 22 - 06:04 PM (#4159802) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Georgiansilver "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" is a folk-rock song written by Bob Dylan and first recorded during The Basement Tapes sessions in 1967. The song was recorded in December 1967 and first released in January 1968 as "Mighty Quinn" by the British band Manfred Mann[4] and became a great success. It has been recorded by a number of performers, often under the "Mighty Quinn" title. |
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20 Dec 22 - 06:10 PM (#4159803) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Richard Bridge Yes GeorgianSilver, I know that. Seeking insight not parroting. |
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20 Dec 22 - 07:39 PM (#4159815) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Reinhard Other readers, like me, might not be familiar with the song, so thank you GeorgianSilver for giving us details. I also don't understand your comparison of the song with the Velver Underground one's as I don't know what *that* is about. Explanation please. |
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20 Dec 22 - 10:55 PM (#4159824) Subject: ADD: I'm Waiting for the Man From: Joe Offer Well, Richard - if you ask about a song on Mudcat, it's likely that other people will be interested in other aspects of the song - so we consider all songs fully, not necessarily according to the specifications of the thread originator. I'M WAITING FOR THE MAN (Lou Reed) [Verse 1] I'm waiting for my man Twenty-six dollars in my hand Up to Lexington, 1-2-5 Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive I'm waiting for my man [Verse 2] Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown? Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around? Oh pardon me sir, it's furthest from my mind I'm just lookin' for a dear, dear friend of mine I'm waiting for my man [Verse 3] Here he comes, he's all dressed in black PR shoes and a big straw hat He's never early, he's always late First thing you learn is that you always gotta wait I'm waiting for my man Oh, work it now [Instrumental Break] [Verse 4] Up to a brownstone, up three flights of stairs Everybody bodies pinned you, but nobody cares He's got the works, gives you sweet taste Ah, then you gotta split because you got no time to waste I'm waiting for my man [Verse 5] Baby don't you holler, darlin' don't you bawl and shout I'm feeling good, you know I'm gonna work it on out I'm feeling good, I'm feeling, oh, so fine Until tomorrow, but that's just some other time I'm waiting for my man Walk it home [Outro] Oh, it's alright Huh huh Source: https://genius.com/The-velvet-underground-im-waiting-for-the-man-lyrics Take a look at the notes at this link. Here's part: “I’m Waiting for the Man” visually describes the experience of buying heroin from a dealer, specifically $26 worth near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 125th Street in New York City. “I’m Waiting For The Man” marks the beginning of a common motif that runs throughout The Velvet Underground & Nico, as the subject of heroin appears in several tracks afterwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99og_g7rXnA |
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20 Dec 22 - 11:07 PM (#4159825) Subject: ADD: Quinn the Eskimo (Mighty Quinn)(Dylan) From: Joe Offer I don't see Quinn posted here, so here are the lyrics. QUINN THE ESKIMO (The Mighty Quinn) (Bob Dylan) Ev’rybody’s building the big ships and the boats Some are building monuments Others, jotting down notes Ev’rybody’s in despair Ev’ry girl and boy But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here Ev’rybody’s gonna jump for joy Come all without, come all within You’ll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn I like to do just like the rest, I like my sugar sweet But guarding fumes and making haste It ain’t my cup of meat Ev’rybody’s ’neath the trees Feeding pigeons on a limb But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here All the pigeons gonna run to him Come all without, come all within You’ll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn A cat’s meow and a cow’s moo, I can recite ’em all Just tell me where it hurts yuh, honey And I’ll tell you who to call Nobody can get no sleep There’s someone on ev’ryone’s toes But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here Ev’rybody’s gonna wanna doze Come all without, come all within You’ll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn Copyright © 1968 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1996 by Dwarf Music I've always thought of "Quinn" as an upbeat, optimistic song. Don't see any reason to think of Quinn as a drug dealer, but it's clear that Velvet Underground is referring to a drug dealer in "Waiting for the Man." Here's the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinn_the_Eskimo_(Mighty_Quinn) |
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21 Dec 22 - 02:04 PM (#4159876) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Tattie Bogle Well, I bought the Manfred Mann version when it came out, and I must confess that I didn't ruminate on the lyrics at all - probably the only bit we all knew was the chorus, and joined in with, lustily, but we just loved the overall sound of it! Had the same experience with other bands, e.g. ABBA - loved their sound, but hadn't a clue about the lyrics of most of their songs until I went to an ABBA singalong night, when all the lyrics came bouncing across the screen for people to join in! |
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21 Dec 22 - 05:54 PM (#4159883) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Mysha So, what did I miss? How does a mighty Eskimo connect to a drugs dealer? Mysha |
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21 Dec 22 - 06:50 PM (#4159891) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Mr Red I like my sugar sweet But guarding fumes and making haste who knows what Dylan wrote, he don't waste time explainin'. But there was a tune that some Jazz musicians wrote, in rehab, if my memory serves. Names escape me, but this would have been the 70s probably, or before. "Last call for coffee" and it weren't no Java, fer sure. |
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22 Dec 22 - 03:34 AM (#4159905) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Dave the Gnome Could it be, like some other songs of the era, meaningless. Dylan is a clever wordsmith but doesn't always make sense! |
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22 Dec 22 - 05:09 AM (#4159914) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Richard Bridge "Snow". "Dose". "Jump for Joy". |
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22 Dec 22 - 11:35 AM (#4159924) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Doug Chadwick Looking at the lyrics that Joe posted above, I see "jump for joy" and "doze", but not "dose". I don't see "snow" anywhere. Is it implied by Quinn being an Eskimo? According to Wikipedia, Bob Dylan is widely believed to have written the song "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" in tribute to Anthony Quinn's performance as Inuk in the 1960 movie, "The Savage Innocents". DC |
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22 Dec 22 - 01:29 PM (#4159929) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: The Sandman Could it be, like some other songs of the era, meaningless. Dylan is a clever wordsmith but doesn't always make sense! quote you have hit the nail on the head, or as dylan said quote
Have forsaked the courtyard 52 gypsies Now file past the guards In the space where the deuce And the ace once ran wild Farewell, Angelina The sky is falling I'll see you in a while See the cross-eyed pirates sitting Perched in the sun Shooting tin cans With a sawed-off shotgun And the neighbors, they clap And they cheer with each blast But farewell, Angelina The sky's changing color And I must leave fast King Kong, little elves On the rooftop they dance Valentino-type tangos While the make-up man's hands |
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23 Dec 22 - 02:46 AM (#4159974) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: GUEST,Dave Hanson ' shuts the eyes of the dead not to embarass anyone farewell Angelina the sky is embarassed and I must be gone. Dave H |
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09 Jan 23 - 04:12 PM (#4161900) Subject: RE: Origins: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) From: Lighter As I recall, a street name for Quaalude in NYC ca1971 was "Mighty Quinn" - presumably because it was strong stuff and started with "Qu." |