The wife has been complaining that she has not understood some of my recent Substack posts (she’s not the only one — Ed). The mother-in-law has been a little more subtle, referring to one post as “cryptic”.
Well, my answer to these complaints and observations is a very simple and two-fold one. I have no idea as to what I am doing and this blog is called Handzel’s Hogwash — for a reason.
Talking of unfathomable things, I recently rediscovered the Bee Gees song “World”. My Dad enjoyed listening to some Bee Gees stuff. Not really the disco era, but later than that. And that eventually prompted me to explore their earlier material, which can be quite moving and melancholy.
Anyway, the lyrics go like this:
Now, I’ve found, that the world is round
And of course, it rains every day.
Living tomorrow, where in the world will I be… tomorrow?
How far am I able to see?
Or am I needed here?
Now, I’ve found, that the world is round
And of course, it rains every day
If I remember all of the things I have done
I'd remember all of the times I've gone wrong
Why do they keep me here?
Now, I’ve found, that the world is round
And of course, it rains every day
Now, I’ve found, that the world is round
And of course, it rains every day
Now, I’ve found, that the world is round
And of course, it rains every day
And now, I've found, that the world is round
See below for the tune, which is rather pleasant, I think.
***YOU WANNA TELL ME WHAT THE HECK THESE FALSETTO NUTBLOCKS ARE ON ABOUT? COS I AIN’T GOT A CLUE DERRICK.***
Let’s try and unpack what these lunatics are warbling on about.
Now, I’ve found, that the world is round
(This may be a moment of maturity, shedding innocence, or child-like beliefs. No more tooth fairies.)
And of course, it rains every day.
(With young and full adulthood, the full horrors of the world come into full view. Rain could refer to troubling events, behaviour, times. As I have said before on this blog, life is an endless litany of disappointments and tragedies punctuated by fleeting moments of happiness.)
Living tomorrow, where in the world will I be… tomorrow?
(Perhaps the narrator is still maturing, or finding their place, role, vocation, purpose. Or maybe the narrator has accepted that they cannot control anything, apart from their own behaviour and thoughts.)
How far am I able to see?
(Is this a reference to laying out plans, charting a course?)
Or am I needed here?
(Here, indecision appears to be the over-riding factor in this verse. The story-teller is unsure as to what they should do)
If I remember all of the things I have done
(Does this mean that the narrator cannot recall of the things they have done?)
I'd remember all of the times I've gone wrong
(This may be a recognition of guilt)
Why do they keep me here?
(I like to think of this as the narrator wondering why his or her guilt keeps them where they are. Not in a physical sense, but in terms of their psychological or spiritual state. They know they have done wrong in the past, so why have they not abandoned that evil? Why do they still do things that are wrong? Why can they not change their ways?)
At the end of the song, the lines below are repeated three times:
Now, I’ve found, that the world is round
And of course, it rains every day
(Is the storyteller still applying the same meaning these words? I’m not so sure. Perhaps he or she is coming to the realisation that knowing the truth of a matter, the truth of reality, is a comfort in itself. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” )
So, there you have it, some skewed and highly subjective exegesis of some lyrics.
For more where that came from, stay tuned to Handzel’s Hogwash. The only blog out there that can identify all the NUTBLOCKS who lurk in our midst.
Progress report:
My new novel, The Fragment from The Shroud, is painfully, yes, **PAINFULLY** close to completion.
The Anchorite, my next novella, awaits further editing.
Take it easy. And thanks for reading.