Fishstick's Journal: When they break down the door....

I grew up listening to "Celebration Day", among many other Zepplin songs, but never registered this lyric until this morning as I was listening to the radio driving in...

She hears them talk of new ways
To protect the home she lives in,
Then she wonders what it's all about
When they break down the door.

This struck a chord -- so much so that I had celebration day playing in my head all day. I talked to one of my cow-workers who said songs stuck in your head often mean there is something on your mind that the lyrics bring to mind. One way to get rid of the stuck song is to read out the lyrics aloud and then ponder what subconscious thought you might have wafting through your transom.

It turned out to be simple. I must have been watching some news program over the weekend where Ashcroft was talking about the Patriot Act.

She hears them talk of new ways to protect the home she lives in (discussion of the measures in place to help in the "war on terror").

Then wonders what it's all about when they break down the door (sounded like a good idea at the time to expand law enforcement's powers to fight domestic terrorism, only to find out that those powers are now turned on you as the police raid your home without a warrant).

Idunno - just the way my brain's interpreted this, I guess. Anyway, the song is unstuck now.

Her face is cracked from smiling,
All the fears that she's been hiding,
And it seems pretty soon ev'rybody's gonna know.
And her voice is sore from shouting,
Cheering winners who are losing,
And she worries if their days are few
And soon they'll have to go.

*My, my, my, I'm so happy,
I'm gonna join the band,
We are gonna dance and sing in celebration,
We are in the promised land.

She hears them talk of new ways
To protect the home she lives in,
Then she wonders what it's all about
When they break down the door.
Her name is Brown or White or Black,
You know her very well,
You hear her cries of mercy
As the winners toll the bell.

* Chorus

There is a train that leaves the station
Heading for your destination,
But the price you pay to nowhere has increased a dollar more.
Yes, it has!
And if you walk you're gonna get there
Tho' it takes a little longer,
And when you see it in the distance
You will wring your hands and moan.