the Jesus line & Gloria

[barbara nagler <birena>]

     "melting in a pot of thieves", the second line of Gloria-- in either
version, the "Jesus line" segues into it. Jesus-as-revolutionary consorted
and identified with those considered "low-life".  I think either version
works that way-- and also, the cocky little androgyne persona being
created here identifies with Jesus-- both of them in the thief pot--
contributing to both his/her seductive arrogance and Jesus' mindblowing
humbleness.  

    Also, the thieves probably referred more consciously to the "artistic
thievery" Patti used to talk about, and maybe the act of taking an old
song (Gloria, Land of a 1,000 dances) and playfully jamming on them,
melding it with her own work to produce something new.

     I don't care a lot which version is used.  For the recording, the
older line works better aesthetically, IMO-- nothing to do with religion
or politics-- just more likely to be what this character, sauntering
proudly and probably uninvited into parties and seducing "Gloria" with a
glance through a window, would have said.  The second version requires
more imagination and probably a little more weight on Jesus the
revolutionary, in the balance, but I imagine that Patti provides that 
verbally when performing it, and if were ever officially recorded again
(or maybe it has been?) it would probably be live, which would be
wonderful. 
 

      Some more little tangents from the big tower clock, more related to
religion:

     I was writing to someone on the list about the group Miranda Sex
Garden-- to describe briefly, they sing madrigal style music in angelic
voices, to instrumentation that combines harsh gritty rock guitars and
bass with a mixture of medieval and classical instruments, bagpipes, pipe
organs, etc.   One of the first things I noticed while listening to them
and wondered why I never had before, was the strong resemblance between a
lot of rock guitar and bass chord changing and chiming tower bells, the
way they can shift with a kind of poignant dissonance-- maybe from the
wind distorting the sound in the case of the bells-- don't know enough
about either to write authoritatively!  And also how well some other
instruments associated w/the church, like the pipe organs, fit with a lot
of rock from about the late 60s on.  Anything big, sonorous, like a force
of nature, a northern ocean rushing into sea caverns.  Sometimes I think
there's a great release of mystical energy that in the northern hemisphere
was appropriated by church politics-- erasing the artificial division
between sacred and profane.   In the case of Gloria, making it ecstatic
fun-- no matter which first line is used it's mystical in the best sense. 


     One more thing, specifically a Catholic reference-- I'm no great
authority here either, not having been Catholic since about age 6 when my
mother pretty much left it permanently-- having been ex-communicated
already for having married a divorced non-Catholic, speaking of
anti-mystical church politics.  Real mysticism is generally a threat to
authoritative structures and scrutinized heavily by them.   Based on some
research I've done for story-writing, midnight is when you get pulled out
of bed, in a monastic community, by the sound of bells, to begin the cycle
of Matins prayers.  "Gloria" is also a part of the Catholic liturgy.
Again, whether or not it was consciously meant that way, I see this song
partly as releasing energy that may have been locked up in dogmas that
esp. discouraged intense mysticism in women, or anyone who appeared to be
going "off the deep end" and beyond control by the hierarchy.  & Gloria as
the feminine/female aspect in each man & woman, is redefined from sickly
shackles to a source of energy-- "Made her Mine"
  
                                         Irena


     p.s. on the R&RN debate, I think that everyone is being stunningly
HONEST and that as long as that's the case, mind and emotion boggling as
it may be, each has a major piece of "the truth"-- If someone can go with
their own real perceptions and still see totally eye-to-eye with-- Patti
in this case, great; if not, have to go with your own current truth, which
I am sure she would applaud more than abject "Yessing" anyway.  You all
argue with a conviction based on real experience and feeling.