OT "Windy"

[Laurence Horn]

The tradition of songs being about a person (especially a woman) and
an inanimate object (whether car, guitar, or force of nature) at the
same time is an old one, of course.  A particularly vivid (or, one
might say, outrageous) example is the Rolling Stones' song "Brand New
Car":

I got a brand new car
And I like to drive real hard
I got a brand new car
And I'm feeling good so far

Take her on the highway for a little spin
I want to see the kind of shape she's in
And I got a brand new star
Jack her up baby, go on, open the hood
I want to check if her oil smells good
Mmmm...smells like caviar

Give her some stick
Push her too far
Right to the brink

Hear the motor running
Yeah, she's right in sink
Tell me if she's thirsty
Would she like a drink
And I'm stopping at this bar

Slinky like a panther
You can hear her purr
Touch her on the seat
Go on, feel the fur
And I got a brand new star

Feel the juice
Foot to the floor
Take some abuse

I got a brand new car
And I drive her in the dark
And I got a brand new car
I think I'll stop and park


LH

At 2:41 AM -0400 10/21/09, Eric Nielsen wrote:
>It could be about a person and the weather at the same time. Sara Storer has
>a song about a river and a woman-both named Katherine.
>
>http://www.tabs-database.com/sara-storer/Katherine-chords.html
>
>Eric
>
>On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 7:58 PM, Jonathan Lighter
><wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>>  Subject:      Re: OT "Windy"
>>
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
>>
>>  According to Wacki, writer Ruthann Friedmann claimed it was originally
>>  about
>>  a guy!  The Association changed it!
>>
>>  But, you know, it's really about a girl who also shapeshifts into the
>>  weather.  When you're, like, high?  I know this is true because it's what I
>>  want to believe.
>>
>>  JL
>>
>>
>>  On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 7:38 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>>
>>  > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  > -----------------------
>>  > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>  > Subject:      Re: OT "Windy"
>>  >
>>  >
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >
>>  > I was less than serious when I hinted at a hurricane.  But if the
>>  > song in question is the one discussed by Wikipedia --
>>  > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windy --
>>  > then it dates (according to them) from 1967, before this particular
>>  > hurricane.  Of course, they are wrong in saying it is about a woman,
>>  > rather than the weather, as many on this list assert.  8-)
>>  >
>>  > Joel
>>  >
>>  > At 10/20/2009 11:37 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>  > >Seems like there was a Tropical Storm Wendy in the Pacific in 1974.
>>  > >
>>  > >JL
>>  > >
>>  >  >On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net>
>>  wrote:
>>  > >
>>  > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  > > > -----------------------
>>  > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > > > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>  > > > Subject:      Re: OT "Windy"
>>  > > >
>>  > > >
>>  > >
>>  >
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > > >
>>  > > > At 10/20/2009 08:54 AM, James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com>
>>  > wrote:
>>  > > >
>>  > > > >OT:  I beg to differ that the song "Windy" refers to the weather
>>  > > > >rather than a person.  It has certainly never been clear to
>>  > > > >me.  Note that the first word of the song, referring to Windy, is
>>  > > > >"Who", and there are lines like "For Windy has stormy eyes".  Yes,
>>  > > > >this may be anthropomorphic imagery, but the result is ambiguity,
>  > > > > >perhaps deliberate.
>>  > > >
>>  > > > What year was the hurricane named "Wendy"?
>>  > > >
>>  > > > Joel
>>  > > >
>>  > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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>>  > > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >--
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>>  > >Platypus"
>>  > >
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>>  >
>>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
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>>  >
>>
>>
>>
>>  --
>>  "There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
>>  Platypus"
>>
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