http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZv8wZE3azs
Go to this site, listen and think- how do specific lyrics of this song link to Daisy Buchanan as a character? For example, how is she a 'fake, but a real fake?'
Comment below.
By the way, this is an awesome band. Much better than Aerosmith.
With the title of the song, 'Woman of the World', it can be a symbolism of where Daisy is in the eyes of Gatsby and also in the eyes of society. As Gatsby strives to receive acceptance as a part of the 'old rich', he epitomizes Daisy more than his affections for her. Thus, she can be compared as being 'the world' to Gatsby, as he does absolutely anything - being involved in crime, weekly parties etc to be noticed and hence slowly accepted into the American aristocracy.
ReplyDelete'She's a fake, sure, but she's a real fake', in comparison to Gatsby who can be regarded as a 'fake fake' Daisy could be real in the sense that she is effortlessly and genuinely rich;, and unlike Gatsby, who puts on an entire act - he has an objective behind the walls of his lavish opulence, and this is what deems him as completely and utterly fake. Daisy, like the flower itself has white petals and a yellow middle, and shows that she is a fake in the sense that she seems pure and innocent , but in the inside, she's yellow - which could be seen as fake gold. It symbolizes her superficiality and her own characteristic nature. For instance, her child Pammy, is mainly for show, she barely even acknowledges her at all. She even speaks to her in an exaggerated and seemingly empty manner.
Hence Daisy is fake because her seemingly pure, naive and innocent nature is a facade to mask her true personality, and that is, of superficiality.
'Maybe I'll suffer just to be her lover'
'Just to be part of her world'
....'Maybe I'll kill her just to thrill her, if she don't kill me first'
This is a parallel to what Gatsby does for Daisy, he 'suffers' for her, and especially so towards the end when Daisy kills Myrtle. He suffers by keeping for her a watchful vigil, for taking the entire blame. This could be a symbolism of how torturing Daisy is - through her fickle-mindedness and shallowness, she is unable to decide between Tom and Gatsby. In this way, by being caught in the middle, she causes suffering towards Gatsby. It also conveys an obliviousness, he has to suffer just to be her lover, which ultimately shows Daisy's carelessness and also her inability to sustain loyalty.
'Oh, those hypnotic eyes attract'
A symbolism of Daisy's nature - she attracts with the captivating allure of her physical beauty, rather than attracting with her inner personality which perhaps shows her lack of character and her seductive nature. She is powerful in the sense that she attracts just by her physical presence and hence does not require personality.
"When she was just a girl
ReplyDeleteShe became a woman of the world"
This could be talking about how Daisy was born into ("just a girl") an established family with wealth (old money). Women at the time were thought of to be less superior than men, and were easily influenced by money. In this respect, Daisy was a "woman of the world", in that she was the image of a typical woman in the Roaring Twenties - obsessed about money. The lyrics could also be talking about how she's nothing special, just another typical woman in search of wealth.
"Small-talked her way round just the sort"
This suggests how perhaps Daisy had no real substance to her, but her only real means of 'getting around' people or achieving what she wants is by flaunting what she has: wealth, charm, sexual appeal, status, and so on. She knows how to manipulate others because she perhaps knows the way the world works, in that others were just as hungry for money as she is. This idea links back to the lyrics "woman of the world" in that Daisy knows just how to manipulate people in doing what she wants, because she knows how superficial people can be - she understands the superficial makings of the people around her and is therefore a "woman of the world".
"Of playboys' playground"
Daisy is intent on indulging in the money of wealthy men and enjoying herself. The word "playground" could suggest that these men are rich, but that is all they are, like Tom. It suggests how men like Tom are still mere kids who simply toy around with other people and enjoy themselves, but is protected by their status and wealth.
"...she'd once dreamed about"
Daisy's aspirations are simply to enjoy herself and indulge in the wealth of men, and that is all she desires.
"Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her"
Could this be in Gatsby's perspective? Gatsby is uncertain as to whether he loves Daisy or not, but what he is sure of is that he is jealous of perhaps her old money and established standing. While he himself has had to toil away for his wealth, Daisy was born into what she has, and so Gatsby is jealous of her. "Maybe I love her" could also be interpreted as DESPITE loving her, Gatsby is still jealous of Daisy. OR perhaps his jealousy towards her (because of her old standing, old money, status, etc.) is what makes him love her - he is attracted to everything she has that he doesn't.
The chorus is made up with sort of contrasting lyrics, like how there's a statement, followed by a sort of reply to that statement(?). It sounds like a group of people or two people having an argument with each other, and perhaps the "She's a fake!", "On the make!" and "Just you wait!" is the lower class' opinion on Daisy(?). Or, it could just even be the general public/society who understand that she's "fake" or superficial. I think the replies ("sure, but she's a real fake", "making up for lost time", "hey, give the girl a break") are from Gatsby, who believes himself to be in love with her. It suggests how Gatsby is reluctant to believe the opinions of society who insists that she is only after him for his money. OR, another interpretation is that the beginning statements are Gatsby's own supressed beliefs, but he chooses not to believe himself. For example, he says "She's a fake!" in that deep down he knows that Daisy is superficial, but his reply ("She's a real fake") suggests how he tries to fool himself into believing that she isn't. The chorus could be an inner-argument Gatsby has with himself, his beliefs and his emotions.
"She's a fake!
ReplyDeleteSure, but she's a real fake"
I'm not quite sure but this could be suggesting how although a popular opinion is that Daisy is happy because of what she's got (money), in reality, she isn't. Underneath this facade of a perfect, rich, flamboyant life, Daisy's relationships and meaningless days make her miserable. For example, the relationship between her and her own daughter is weak: Daisy doesn't seem to care enough about her daughter. Also, her marriage is in ruins with all the affairs going on between Tom and Myrtle, as well as her and Gatsby. So basically, Daisy is perhaps not as happy as people make her out to be with her money and all.
"On the make!
Making up for lost time"
I think the second bit "Making up for lost time" is Gatsby's way of reassuring himself that Daisy is only with Tom because he himself was not there to marry her first. He went to war and left Daisy behind, and in this time, she married Tom. This "making up for lost time" could either be suggestive of Daisy's intention to marry Tom only because Gatsby was not there, OR it could also be suggestive of how what Gatsby is doing - flaunting his wealth, earning all this money, etc. - is an attempt to get to Daisy, and in doing so, "[make] up for lost time".
"...give the girl a break,
And a fifty dollar bill will see to that"
I think these lyrics are talking about Daisy's superficial nature, in which MONEY is what makes her happy, and keeps her content. It's her only means of comfort. Another interpretation is that Gatsby is using/flaunting his wealth as an attempt to lure Daisy in, and he is well aware that her 'weakness' is money and posessions, but despite knowing that Daisy is after him for his money, Gatsby continues to try to win her over with his wealth. Linking on to what I said earlier about how the chorus is an inner-argument Gatsby has with himself, it is apparent that perhaps in the end, his beliefs that she is superficial wins.
"Maybe I'll suffer, just to be her lover"
I think this is relevant to The Great Gatsby in that in the end, Gatsby's ultimate fate is that he dies, and this "suffer[ing]" is derived from his love for Daisy (with the whole car accident and Myrtle's death and Wilson's revenge and stuff). Gatsby has also "suffer[ed]" by having to work endlessly to become rich, to attract Daisy's attention. He has had to take long measures to have the money he has now, just to be with Daisy ("just to be her lover").
"Maybe I need her, because I want to be her"
This is the same concept as "Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her", which is that Gatsby is attracted to Daisy because she has what he doesn't - old money, status, etc.
"Oh those hypnotic eyes attract"
I think this could be referring to how not only Gatsby, but other men are attracted to Daisy because of her physical appearance and beauty, rather than anything else (substace, intelligence, etc.).
"You cannot stop it, so why the devil do you try?"
I think that this could almost be from Tom's point of view. If it was, it would sort of be suggestive of how Tom believes that there is no way Gatsby can get in the way of Daisy and himself. He thinks there is no point in even trying, because in the end, Tom is the one who was brought up with old money, not Gatsby, and therefore it is to his belief that superficial Daisy ultimately only has eyes for himself.
Omg this took me forever. No more, please :(
suppressed* oops
ReplyDelete*continuation of my previous comment* Daisy is a fake, but a real fake - could also be interpreted as Daisy is REALLY fake. Her comments come vacuously and she is shallow and empty-headed, that is, indefinitely part of her. Gatsby, on the other hand is a FAKE fake - he isn't really fake, in fact, on the contrary he is one of wisdom and sensitivity (e.g: sensing a relationship blossoming between Jordan& Nick), and if it were Daisy, she wouldn't realize it at all.
ReplyDeleteThe upper class, like the Buchanans are stereotyped and already deemed as being fake, and in order for Gatsby to be part of this class, he too, has to be fake like them.
Another significant aspect is the line "small-talked her way round just the sort of playboys' playground" I think that the 'playboy' here relates to Tom, as seen through his infidelity, Tom represents the ultimate playboy who doesn't really see a committed marriage of something important. Yet, despite being shallow and empty, she is also blinded by love and reality. She isn't at all aware, that Tom is a playboy and that Gatsby is the one who probably 'truly loves' her, because she is too attracted to wealth and obsessed with materialism to realize that.
'That ain't enough to feed the cat' the cat, is obviously Daisy, and nothing is enough to please her - Gatsby tries all ways but no avail ("serve up the rats and super rats")because Daisy is too hard to attain. This might show that she too, like the upper class has the same mentality that the 'nouveau riche' can never gain acceptance into society.
"You cannot stop it so why the devil do you try" - stop it refers to Gatsby's desire for Daisy more than anything else. He cannot stop her for choosing to leave with Tom anyway but he tries to win her heart and bring her back to the way they were before. The reason for this, could be Daisy's alluring beauty and her wealth that she possesses, but despite the way Tom treats her in the brutal and reckless manner, she follows him and is still lured to him.
I think that in Gatsby's perspective, Daisy carries an element of hopelessness because despite his increasing desperation, she can't seem to make a choice. She is strung along both ways, and in the end, she allows Tom's words to lull her back to his side. It also has a self-blame to it too - why the devil do you try? It is a representation of the fatality of courting Daisy and the hopes and dreams of reaching the fruit of the American Dream, if linking back to the themes of the novel.
She is too consumed in herself and material wealth to realize a single thing.
“When she was just a girl she became a woman of the world”
ReplyDelete-This could suggest how Daisy was born with money from a wealthy family and how there weren’t many like her with such wealth and personality around. She gained early fame due to the wealth and her attractive characteristics ie)voice.
“Soon there wasn’t room enough for her in between the bosoms of her family”
“She popped the cork, got on the Greyhound to New York”
-This could mean Daisy was under a lot of pressure because she had so much things others didn’t have and there were high expectations of her. So she ‘popped the cork’ which means to have an outburst of anger (rebelled). The ‘popped the cork’ literally means she could have popped a bottle of champagne or something which could represent prohibition and conspicuous consumption as illegal alcohol was expensive then. ‘Greyhound’ also could show conspicuous consumption as cars were rare at that time.
“Of playboys’ background she’d once dreamed about”
-This suggests the flapper lifestyle Daisy desired and her desire for happiness. This also could mean she has restrictions of what she can do despite so much money as she has a daughter and there is also Tom...?
“I’m jealous of her”
“Woman of the world”
-Gatsby may be jealous of Daisy’s wealth and her ‘old money’ and everything else about her because she has everything he wants and he is everything to her. She is the idealized woman to him. Daisy is better than everyone else-she is sort of an woman out of the reach as Daisy rejects Gatsby’s offer and leaves with Tom and Tom can’t win her heart with money.
CONTINUED*
CONTINUING ON*
ReplyDelete“She’s a fake”
“Sure, but she’s a real fake”
-This shows the hollowness of the rich and superficiality of Daisy as she is shallow and empty despite her fancy background. This also shows that again Daisy is a woman out of everyone’s reach. She is a fantasy/dream.
“Just you wait”
-This represents Gatsby and his ‘new money’ trying to impress/win Daisy and get her. He hosts up these amazing parties every Saturday for her-but she never comes.
“Serve up the rats and super rats”
“Maybe I love her”
-Mr Wolfsheim could be one the rats. So basically I think the rats are the people that kind of trick Gatsby to more money like him as a bootlegger. Because he wants to impress Daisy with so much money he gets money fast illegally and people like Mr Wolfsheim are not helping him with Daisy they are blocking her from him as Gatsby does truly love Daisy but also not really as he thinks he does but he only idealizes her even more-disconnecting him and his thoughts of her from reality. This is why ‘maybe I love her’.
“Maybe I’ll suffer, just to be her lover”
“Just to be part of her world”
-This explains why Gatsby doesn’t drink and party but he hosts up these grand parties every week and sacrifices himself (rumors) and his money because he wants Daisy to know he exists and he is doing this ‘just to be part of her world’.
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About the tone of the song, it sounds bitter and melancholy at the same time (This might just be a personal opinion but it kind of sounds old.) and also somehow regretful. Maybe this is how Gatsby feels when he sees the green light far ahead and of his life sometimes. Well, Daisy is fake in a way, but so is Gatsby as he lies to everyone saying he is from the West and he went to Oxford (actually he did but only like for a short period of time) and he keeps on trying to build up the ‘old money’ image. But he is also human as he has a purpose to all of this. He is doing this for Daisy because he loves her and they separated because of the war and he still loves her...
The call and response structure emphasizes on the fakeness and hollowness of Daisy and how really corrupted she is/or she could be. Nick might be saying this from the novel as he is sort of the only person with a clear view despite some biased moments. Gatsby can’t say this as he is too much obsessed with her to face the reality.
"When she was a girl, she became a woman of the world"
ReplyDelete- as Daisy was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she is born with wealth and reputation without having to work for it. it also shows how important wealth and status was during the 1920s of America.
"Soon there wasn't enough room for her in between the bosoms of her family. She popped the cork, got on the Greyhound to New York"
- This relates to Daisy when she married Tom Buchannan and went to live with him. The lyrics of the song represent how she needed to start her own life/family and therefore there wasn't enough space in her own family/house to do that so she left in order to accomplish that. The popping of the cork and the Greyhound might suggest conspicuous consumption as cars were extremely rare and alcohol was prohibited
"Small-talked her way round the sort of playboy's playground she'd once dreamed about"
- This matches Daisy extremely well as it shows that Daisy was able to charm (i would say manipulate but i don't think Daisy has sufficient braincells to do that :/ ) her way through her voice (as Nick mentioned how people could "follow" her voice and that is was charming). "Small-talked" also seems to imply that she didn't talk much cos she didn't have to (and also she can't really due to the insufficient braincells as mentioned earlier) and that she uses her wealth and reputation to get around and influence people and to get whatever she wants. The playboy's playground suggests that Daisy uses her beauty and charm to make sure she gets what she wants among the rich men. it also suggests that the world full of women is a playground for men and that these rich men do not see women as human beings but of things to play with and then discard when they get bored.
"Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her"
- i was going to say that this was Gatsby speaking but then Gatsby thinks of Daisy of almost an angel that does not commit sins or has any flaws, but the singer clearly shows that he knows something is wrong with this girl and thus the "maybe". The jealousy might be of her wealth and power or of her ability to charm people almost effortless.
"She's a fake!"
- This is said by a different voice which might represent Nick? Questions mark due to the fact that Nick doesn't really try to warn Gatsby about not chasing after Daisy (except from the time when Gatsby said that he could turn back time and relive the past). This is almost like a premonition or a warning for "Gatsby" (even though he doesn't listen).
"But she's a real fake"
- I don't understand this but it might be compared to Gatsby who is a fake fake as he lies about his past and uses illegal means to get power and wealth and he doesn't really have any relations and all the people at his party don't really know him at all. His reputation is built on lies. Real fake linking to the point about Gatsby being a fake fake might show that her wealth and status are genuine and not based upon lies. and it is also ignoring the warning from above
"Just you wait! Hey, give the girl a break"
ReplyDelete- this is another warning but is once against turned a deaf ear to
"Heh, that ain't enough to feed the cat"
- the cat might be Daisy as cats are often referred to as females. this might show that Gatsby tries extremely hard but to no avail as he has not succeeded in making Daisy love him and accept him. Even if she does accept him, it is for his fake money and his lies and illegal bootlegging and not for who he really is.
"Maybe I'll suffer just to be her lover. Just to be part of her world"
- This is definitely referring to Gatsby as he lies about his past and risks being caught by selling alcohol during prohibition just so that he will be on par with Daisy (even though she's stupid and not worth his time -.-) and seem to have the "old money" that she has in order for her to accept him into her society. This shows the difference in class in America and how the upper class look down on all other classes except their own and how people have to be rich to be recognised and known in society at that time
"Maybe I need her, because i want to be her"
- Gatsby being jealous and wanting Daisy's "old money" instead of his own fake "old money".
"Hypnotic eyes meet"
- this might show the charm and attractiveness (i.e. physical beauty) of Daisy might attract/influence/lure men into her "female trap"(wow that sounded so gross). Not just Gatsby but other men as well.
"You cannot stop it, so why the devil do you try?"
- this might be Gatsby telling all the judging eyes and people that his love for Daisy is unending. This is shown at the end of the story when Daisy hit Myrtle and he still took the blame for him. And even when Daisy started siding with Tom after finding out that Gatsby was a bootlegger and lying to her about his past, he would still take the blame for a crime as severe as murder. He even waits for her to make sure that Tom doesn't hurt Daisy
I think that this song is scarily close to the story of the Great Gatsby. This song represents Gatsby really well as it shows how he tries really hard to be as good as Daisy (status and money wise) but to no avail.
P.S. Mr Pollicutt, this song is really boring. I fell asleep after listening to three secs of it. Aerosmith can kick its butt anyday.
When she was just a girl
ReplyDeleteShe became a woman of the world
Soon there wasn't room enough for her
In between the bosoms of her family
She popped the cork, got on the Greyhound to New York
Small-talked her way round just the sort
Of playboys' playground she'd once dreamed about
As Daisy is “old money” , when she was born, everything is there for her, everything she needs and wants is there, so that makes her “a woman of the world” Everything seems to revolve just around her. And since human’s want is unlimited, that explains the next sentence “soon there wasn’t room enough for her” this relates to Daisy because when Gatsby went to war, she instantly went and look for a richer guy instead of waiting for him. This also links to the next line “She popped the cork, got on the Greyhound to New York”
Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her
She's a woman of the world
This might show how Gatsby is quite jealous of what Daisy processes as Gatsby has to be a bootlegger to be rich but Daisy was born rich, and therefore does not need to do anything and just sit there and enjoy whilst Gatsby work hard.
She's a fake sure but she's a real fake
On the make making up for lost time
This might suggest that even though Daisy seems really happy with all her wealth, a rich husband and a huge mansion, but lies under all of these, is basically nothing. She has nothing inside of her head to help her to be happy. Without her money and charm, Daisy is nothing; she does not have sufficient knowledge to go in life as she’s dependent on money from a really young age. Also, it is quite ironic that Gatsby is also a fake, he tries really hard to fake who he is but Daisy doesn’t have to because he can’t, its her nature, she cant help it but being a fake and shows it outside because she got nothing else to say.
And a fifty dollar bill will see to that
That ain't enough to feed the cat
Serve up the rats and super rats
Well they just get fatter while she fades away
As 50 dollar bill is a big sum of money at that time, and it can’t even feed the cat, the cat might represent Daisy herself as her wants is unlimited and no matter how rich you are, you can never satisfy her. And also the word “fatter” might means that if someone doesn’t do something about this, Daisy will continue to be so full of herself and her inner personality will fade away, leaving behind just a dead body with no soul.
Maybe I'll suffer just to be her lover
just to be part of her world
I is here to represent Gatsby as he is suffering right now trying to be fake to get Daisy. In the Amrican society at that time, the only thing that determines a human is how much money he/she owns. Because of this, Daisy left and Gatsby is force to do illegal things to win her heart back.
Maybe I need her, because I want to be her
This suggest that Gatsby is tired of pretending all the time, and one of the reason that he wants Daisy back is to get rid of his “new money” status and take advantage of Daisy’s old money. Gatsby is indeed jealous at Daisy as she doesn’t need to fake who she is, but he does.
Repetition of “a woman of the world” emphasizes how important Daisy is to Gatsby, she’s all he is ever wanted and he wants to make her the center of the world.
“When she was just a girl
ReplyDeleteShe became the woman of the world”
I think this is related to that Daisy is born in a rich, old-money family. She has everything ever since she was born. It also shows the inequality between people some are super rich and become “top of the world” without any trying and some are just normal people, forever belong in the lower class.
“Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her
She's a woman of the world”
Gatsby might be jealous of Daisy because of her position in the old-money society which Gatsby has worked really hard to be a part of. Ironically, Daisy hasn’t had to do anything because she was born with that position in her hand.
”She's a fake! sure, but she's a real fake”
I agree with the idea that Gatsby is a fake fake. From outside he looks like he is purposeless, throwing wild parties every week to show of. But he actually does all those things to achieve his target. While Daisy from outside is a woman without anything to do because she already has them all. And it is true that she really doesn’t care about anything even her daughter, she treats her daughter as a decoration which she brings out whenever she feels like. However, it can also be understood as both Daisy and Gatsby are “fake” as in rich people trying to show off and but they aren’t what they look like to be. However, Daisy is a real fake as she is from the old-money, which is where most “fake” come from. While Gatsby is a fake fake since he is in the new-money, he cannot be as fake as Daisy is.
“And a fifty dollar bill will see to that
Heh, that ain't enough to feed the cat
Serve up the rats and super rats
Well they just get fatter while she fades away”
In this part, there are like two different people singing. One is accusing Daisy and one is adding more to accuse her building up layers of judgments made on Daisy. “fifty dollar” shows the materialism side of Daisy that she cares nothing less than money. They admit the fact that Daisy is very “expensive to get”. The cat here represents Daisy, as to impress her Gatsby has to spend a huge amount of money. And sadly it doesn’t seem to be enough for her. “the rats and super rats” are the guests who come to Gatsby’s party. They make use of Gatsby for their own entertainment. The super rats may refer to the guy who even lives at Gatsby’s house. When these people keep coming for a free ride, on the other hand, Daisy doesn’t show up and becomes more distant from Gatsby. In the end, Gatsby ends up losing Daisy to Tom. The tone is sarcastic and mocking.
“Maybe I hate her, 'cause I didn't create her
It's human nature, girl”
This shows Gatsby’s desire to have Daisy from Tom. He is jealous of Tom since he is Daisy’s husband and can afford Daisy a wealthy life that every women dream of. Maybe what he hates is the fact that legally Daisy belongs to Tom not him. “human nature” he just want the woman he loves belongs to only him.
“Maybe I'll kill her, just trying to thrill her if she don't kill me first”
Gatsby is willing to do anything just to impress Daisy. He becomes a bootlegger in order to earn big money to impress Daisy. He might have even kill people to achieve his purpose. show how dangerous that Gatsby’s love for Daisy can be. This also suggests how shallow and blank Daisy is, she is only thrilled when seeing money and wealth. She doesn’t appreciate anything else. Furthermore, it’s her recklessness and ignorance has led to Gatsby’s death.
“Oh those hypnotic eyes attract”
Gatsby is attracted by daisy’s appearance and her wealth but not her personality.
“You cannot stop it, so why the devil do you try?”
Gatsby cannot resist himself from Daisy. He keeps trying to get closer to Daisy’s cruel world. He ends up being killed for his love.
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ReplyDelete"When she was just a girl she was a woman of the world"
ReplyDeleteAccording to Jordan Baker, Daisy was very popular and since then became the spot of attention for young men and officers from Camp Taylor. That is why the phrase 'a woman of the world' was used.
"Soon there wasn't room enough for her"
"Small talked her way round just the sort"
"Of playboy's playground she'd once dream about"
The three lines of lyrics links to how Daisy had chose to ignore Gatsby and was married off to Tom Buchanan instead. Tom Buchanan as we know is a playboy who spends his money and time in various entertainment field and is a man who prefer to have different women like Myrtle to his own wife. Daisy clearly did not marry Tom for love but for the money and assets that he possess.
"Maybe I loved her but I'm jealous of her"
Gatsby loves Daisy yet Daisy also made Gatsby jealous. He was jealous of her for not having the opportunity to descend from the line of 'old money'
"She's a fake. Sure but she's a real fake"
Gatsby is surely fascinated with anything that is associated with Daisy (except for Tom of course). At chapter 5 when they are united Gatsby has commented on Daisy's voice as "full of money". The physical and the outer appearance of Daisy has tricked Gatsby into thinking that she is in every aspects fascinating yet if he could get to know the 'real' her Gatsby would soon realise that she is as dull and reluctant to life like the other citizens of East Egg.
"Maybe I'll be suffer, just to be her lover"
"Just to be part of her world"
Gatsby has worked hard in his later years and even entered the bootlegers' society in order to achieve the wealth that he thinks would eventually lure and seduce Daisy to his side. It is a shame for Gatsby that he would have to end up as a bootleger entering the criminals' underworld just for Daisy. Gatsby has obviously suffered a lot during the process of making himself rich and is also heart broken when he knew that Daisy was married off to Tom.
"Maybe I'll kill her, just trying to thrill her if she don't kill me first"
In the novel Gatsby did not literally kill Daisy but instead 'suffocated' her as Daisy herself is so overwhelmed with what Gatsby possess and it is right to say that his 'wealth precedes him'. In the end, Gatsby is killed indirectly by Daisy as she killed Myrtle in car crash. This links perfectly with the lyric mentioned above.
Thank you Mr. Pollicutt for such a great song and for a fantastic band called the 'divine comedy'. Doesn't the band's name resemble the name of the epic poem 'the divine comedy' written by Dante?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete“When she was just a girl
ReplyDeleteShe became a woman of the world”
This can be understood as Daisy was born and raised in the wealthy family and even though “she was just a girl” she still had both power and money. Women at that time supposed to have no-voice in the society because they were thought to be weaker than men. Most women did not even go to work to make money, so was Daisy. However, she still had money to spend on her conspicuous consumtion.
“Soon there wasn't room enough for her
In between the bosoms of her family”
This might suggest the reason why Daisy was married to Tom because even though her family was rich, Tom was still richer. In Daisy’s family “there wasn’t room enough for her” which I think that her family’s wealth wasn’t enough to make her happy, so therefore she chose to be with Tom – the one that can make her satisfied with all her wants and needs.
“Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her “
This quotation leads us to the idea of old money vs new money. The character in the novel who’s most likely to say this is Gatsby. He could be jealous of how Daisy’s wealth came from her family (old money) and his money was new. He might be jealous of how Daisy did not have to worry about anything because she was born rich. She did not even have to build a Gothic mansion to show that she had old money, unlike Gatsby himself.
“She's a fake! Sure, but she's a real fake
On the make! Making up for lost time
Just you wait! Hey, give the girl a break”
This could be said by Fitzerald through Nick’s characteristic (?). Daisy is a “fake” because she let Gatsby take the blame (killing Myrtle). Also this implies the shallowness of Daisy because even though outside she seemed so rich and beautiful (like a perfect woman, all-man-dream), she’s still and empty-headed woman who said many non-sense, stupid things.
“Making up for lost time” suggests that Gatsby was trying to give Daisy all of his heart to make up for the time that he had to leave her for the first world war.
“Just you wait” shows that even though Gatsby acted rich, hosted lavish patries every weekend to wait for Daisy but she still did not show up.
“And a fifty dollar bill will see to that
Heh, that ain't enough to feed the cat”
Fifty dollars at that time is a big amount of money but still not enough to feed a cat, which in this case is Daisy.
“Maybe I'll suffer, just to be her lover
Just to be part of her world”
This implies Gatsby’s unrequired love towards Daisy and gives the idea that he can do anything just for her.
“Maybe I'll kill her, just trying to thrill her if she don't kill me first”
Well, for this quotation I think the one who’s saying is Nick. Nick observed the the whole story, from the way Gatsby tried to impress Daisy to the way Daisy let Gatsby take the blame and did not even attend to Gatsby’s funeral. Therefore, this is just a warning for Nick himself.
“We're making eye-contact
Oh those hypnotic eyes attract”
This might refer to the way Gatsby was attracted by Daisy’s look.
“You cannot stop it, so why the devil do you try?”
Gatsby’s strong love which he cannot withdraw. Eventually, he had to give up his life on Daisy.
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ReplyDeleteI really have nothing to say as all of the things I wanted to say have already been stated by you guys (I think I would only prodigally squander my time, this blog's storage capacity, and would ultimately be superfluous if I were to analyze the lyrics again [which is extremely similar to you guys' analysis].) All I got to say is that this song is an insipid and lackluster piece of cacophonous din - a sad antediluvian debacle of an attempt to create a euphonious and mellifluous song.
ReplyDeleteHowever, its lyrics do have substance when debating it in literature terms and can help us a lot with our knowledge of characters :)
“When she was just a girl
ReplyDeleteShe became a woman of the world”
This shows that Daisy was wealthy, also that she was old money, as she had money to start with.
“Soon there wasn't room enough for her”
Daisy can’t be satisfied with the wealth she had before she married Tom. So when she met Tom, she wanted the wealth Tom had. Also, later, she found out that Gatsby was wealthy as well, which made her confused to make a choice between the two men.
“Small-talked her way round just the sort
Of playboys' playground she'd once dreamed about “
This shows how Daisy attracts rich men to her, and get what she wants from the rich men.
“Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her
She's a woman of the world”
This shows how Gatsby was jealous of Daisy that she was born with old money, when Gatsby himself has to try so hard to look like one.
“She's a fake!”sure, but she's a real fake”
This represents that Daisy actually is only attractive. She doesn’t have anything in her head, and doesn’t know what she’s saying.
“And a fifty dollar bill will see to that
Heh, that ain't enough to feed the cat”
Daisy was already rich, but she married Tom because of his money. So the cat represents Daisy, and the fifty dollar bill representing Daisy’s wealth before she married Tom. This shows Daisy’s nature to never being satisfied. She always wants more money.
“Maybe I'll suffer, just to be her lover
Just to be part of her world”
This shows what Daisy is to Gatsby. Gatsby wants to be Daisy’s lover, and cannot live without Daisy. The suffering would be Gatsby earning money so that Daisy is attracted to him, and he is willing to do so because of his love towards Daisy.
“Oh those hypnotic eyes attract”
This would be the physical attractiveness Daisy has.
I agree with Hung Le that all of you pretty much said everything. But I'll just write this as a proof that I did my homework?!
“Woman of the world” This title can be what Gatsby thinks about Daisy as to him, she’s the “woman of the world”. Daisy is the world to him because everything he does is because of her, including his lavish parties, his splendid mansion or even being an alcohol bootleg and his attempt to convince everyone that he’s from the “old money”.
ReplyDelete“When she was just a girl, she became a woman of the world”: Daisy is well-known because of her beauty and her wealthy family, of being established from the “old money”. Unlike Gatsby who has to work (even what he’s doing is illegal) to gain his wealth, Daisy has everything but she does nothing.
“She popped the cork, got on the Greyhound to New York”: “popped the cork” shows that in the 1920s when alcohol is prohibited, wealthy people still enjoy drinking champagne. This highlights that law doesn’t affect the rich ones. “Greyhound” suggests conspicuous consumption as automobiles become very popular at the time.
“Of playboys' playground she'd once dreamed about”: I think the word “playboy” here can be seen as Tom. He has an affair with Myrtle which shows that he doesn’t care about his marriage, or about the fact that he’s married. Daisy is probably aware that Tom is a “playboy” (it’s just my opinion) but still she “dreamed about”. She loves Tom because of his wealth, status and the happiness from materialism that he brings to her. She’s blinded by the obsession of wealth.
“Maybe I love her, but I'm jealous of her”: Gatsby’s jealousy towards her because he wants everything that she has. She is established from the “old money”, she belongs to the higher class and they are what Gatsby’s trying to be, or at least trying to convince others that is who he is. She’s an ideal lover for him. Although Gatsby loves her, he is jealous of the status in society that she has, which makes her attractive to him.
.....
ReplyDelete“She’s a fake; sure she’s a real fake”: This shows the shallowness of Daisy and moreover, of the higher class. “Real” suggests that her background of “old money” and her status are real, but she’s a “real fake” because behind all the wealth and luxury, she’s empty and superficial (eg she has an ability of showing her affection towards everyone including her cousin Nick)
“… making up for lost time”: this line can be related to Gatsby. His reunion with Daisy is an attempt to erase the five-year-gap when he and Daisy are not together. He desperately wants Daisy back in his life and he can do everything for her. When he arranges their first meeting, he says “I don’t want to do anything out of the way!”. Gatsby wants to recreate the past, to be with Daisy again like they have never been separate.
“Heh, that ain't enough to feed the cat
Serve up the rats and super rats”
“the cat” can be compared to Daisy. Gatsby’s wealth and all what he does for her “ain’t enough” and he eventually cannot get Daisy back in his life again. This is because she belongs to a higher class than him. She is so hard to be attained as in chapter I, Gatsby “stretched out his arm”, “trembling” to the green light.
“Maybe I'll suffer, just to be her lover
Just to be part of her world”
Gatsby throws lavish parties but he has never enjoyed any of them. He detaches himself to the crowd, which implies that he’s disgusted towards those big parties. Again, the reason he hosts them is Daisy. He makes up all the lies about his background and involves in illegal bootleg also because of her. “Just to be part of her world” highlights the difference between classes in America at 1920s and how people from the lower class desperately want to be approved by the one with higher status.
“Oh those hypnotic eyes attract”: this shows the beauty and charm belongs to Daisy attract not only Gatsby but also lots of men. Also the eyes are “hypnotic” suggests that she is attractive only because of her physical beauty, her appearance, not her personality or intelligence.
“You cannot stop it, so why the devil do you try?”: Relating to the previous line “that ain't enough to feed the cat”, I think this line is questioning Gatsby. He belongs to the different class in society to Daisy and he knows that it’s not easy to get Daisy back like he could 5 years ago, but still he tries. It shows that the love of him to Daisy is pure and intense and it also builds the image of Gatsby as a dreamer.
A Woman of the world
ReplyDeleteIn the first to lines it says “When she was a girl she became a woman of the world” this relates to Daisy as it shows how when she got married to Tom Buchanan he and his money brought her to the high class society and she has enjoyed this a lot that she thinks that she is the best of the woman in the world when actually she doesn’t make sense when she speaks and she doesn’t. The next 2 lines “Soon there wasn't room enough for her
In between the bosoms of her family” shows that as soon as she has a first taste of this rich life style she wanted more and more and became greedier. the next 2 lines “She popped the cork, got on the Greyhound to New York Small-talked her way round just the sort” show that she has got ride of the cork which is a coat that famers where to prevent there clothes from getting dirty to the high luxury expensive coat from Greyhound which she has went to New York to buy. She used her money and only hear money to get herself around in the society. The last line of this paragraph says “Of playboys' playground she'd once dreamed about” this shows that she has always wanted to have fun in her life (this explains the “playboy” reference) and that she has finally found it in the bed of a rich husband. The next paragraph starts with “She's a fake sure, but she's a real fake
On the make making up for lost time” this show how she is untrue and that she uses her money to make an idea of her to other people and this is called materialism however this only works when you have a lot of money and this is what Daisy has. The next lines say “And a fifty dollar bill will see to that Heh, that ain't enough to feed the cat” this shows conspicuous consumption as she says that you need more then Fifty dollar to do things as the cat food isn’t even that cheap (this is what she thinks in her mind) she then follows on to say that this amount of money is only good to feed the rats which are qualified in this society as being filthy and they feed on other peoples deposits. The ending part of the poem make it even more relevant to the book as this narrator that at the end envies her and want to kill her to get her money could be Mrs Wilson which fits perfectly as she wants Daisy's place near Tom to also have his fortune so she could be ready to kill and as it is said before in the poem she envies Daisy so much and she thinks that she is a fake when she is a real woman who has lived through poverty and that she is smarter then Daisy in any point.
When she was just a girl
ReplyDeleteShe became a woman of the world
Soon there wasn't room enough for her
I think this part shows about the Daisy-she was rich from the birth and gained wealth without much effort-this explains how “she became a woman of the world” “when she was just a girl.”
And I think the third line just shows the limitless range of the human desires.
“She’s a fake, but she’s a real fake”
I think the word ‘fake’ may mean many things in relation to Daisy. It may show how Daisy is not a true member of the upper class, because she gained her money without her effort. Or it may show the hollowness of Daisy and her inadequateness for the upper class. But later she is described as a “real fake,” and I think it just means how attractive Daisy is-as in physical appearance. Even though Gatsby knows that Daisy is not a real-as in opposite of fake in its meaning-he believes that Daisy is nice because of her attractiveness.
“Maybe I love her, but I’m jealous of her”
I think this is about Gatsby and Daisy. In the novel, Gatsby was in love with Daisy, and gained a lot of fortune with his efforts. However, unlike Gatsby, Daisy obtained the wealth not with her effort but with nothing-she had the old money. This explains why Gatsby-“I” in the lyric-is jealous of her (Daisy).
“Heh, that ain't enough to feed the cat
Serve up the rats and super rats”
Well they just get fatter while she fades away
The cat in here may be considered as Daisy. Gatsby’s wealth seems not enough to suffice Daisy, a person who can not be reached. And the fact that Daisy, in the last chapter, choose to go with Tom shows how the cat or Daisy, “just get fatter while she fades away.”
Nice song. This myriad of comments are too overwhelming.