Common “third persons” getting in the way of relationships include careers, former love interests, and addictions.) When they are not together (when they are “two alone”) they probably forget about this third person repeatedly getting in the way of their relationship. In this lyric it could be they are more than the sum of the parts or it could be that they cannot be happy together because they quarrel and the quarrel is personified as the third “person.” A quarrel seems to be the cause of this rift. Thus two voices could easily sound like three when both hit the notes that ring together. Vocal and instrumental harmonies resonate to create more voices to the ear. They are three together (The concept of being more than the sum of parts is very important in music. They are two alone (when they are apart they are individuals, not dependent on each other) They are one person (soul mates with identical interests) The chorus phrases are sung with both of them in mind… Or even hello? (…did she want him to come for her?) Even knowing the eventual anguish will come every time he does it, he heartlessly continues to dream of her)ĭid he hear a good-bye? (did she really mean ‘goodbye’ or…) Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams (By thinking of her all the time even the beautiful memories have become torturous bad dreams for him. He thinks that chasing after her would appear pathetic, which he truly is)Īt the empty place inside (He wonders if he will ever have a love that will completely fill the void she has left in him) He cannot chase her without looking desperate, which he truly is. Wordlessly watching he waits by the window (He waits for her to do something. Those last thoughts are of her saying her final goodbye.) In attempting to fly in his dreams he breaks his stride when the inevitable final thoughts of the dream come. Only to trip at the sound of goodbye (This is how we know the two know each other. He runs trying to catch the dreams thinking he could if he could fly.) Wishing he could fly ((he daydreams about her. Gasping at glimpses of gentle true spirit he runs Also note that in the song, awaiting is pronounced “uh WAITING” to emphasize the consonance with ‘word.’ For an instrument it would be considered a “grace note.”) At this point any word from her would be welcome to release the emotional tension between them. As the lyrics progress we learn that this waiting situation has gone on far too long. He knows it is impossible to contact the harlequin but is trying to pass the mental message.)Īwaiting a word (…perhaps the word will come from a messenger, a mutual friend, either with a message or to take a message from him. Helplessly hoping her harlequin hovers nearby (He is hoping she has sent a messenger to contact him and talk. We enter these lyrics with the observations of a man in a broken relationship…
And by standing or sitting on walls and tall props, a harlequin appears to hover above the action in a play.
A harlequin may interact with a character but the character can never interact with the harlequin.
Sometimes the harlequin is used to pass messages between characters. The harlequin can act out those thoughts in pantomime for the audience. The harlequin is an important character in a play because it indicates to the audience what the actor is thinking to him/her self. As such it might be the earliest form of special effects. Dressed in bright diamondboard fabric, a harlequin stands out as imaginary in every sense. A harlequin is the personified imagination of a character in a play. We also need to know what a harlequin is. That relationship inspired many of his lyrics including “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” It seems obvious but still we have to wonder if “Helplessly Hoping” is one more product inspired by that relationship. You will understand the depth of these lyrics when you know that Stephen Stills had a tempestuous relationship with folk singer Judy Collins.
GASPING AT GLIMPSES OF GENTLE TRUE SPIRIT PLUS
It is the vocal harmonics that make the song impossible for an individual to sing and sound like all three voices plus the harmonics at once. It becomes very easy listening when sung with the haunting harmonics of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. ✍️ Correct Lyrics Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck.General CommentThis tribute to literary elements is masterful as poetry in that within just a few lines it tells a surprisingly complex story in meter and heavy alliteration. Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreamsĬertain to tell you confusion has its cost