¤ milky moon ¤

I know no ones really talking about HOOM lately on here.

But I just noticed the cocaine metaphor at the beginning of Soft As Chalk that went right over my head until now. I always wondered about why she chose chalk of all things as a metaphor here for soft whispering? With the opening stanza "time was just a line (as in a line of coke) that you fed me when you wanted to stay" the chalk part makes more sense.

Not that I think she is being literal here about drug use. I think the subtle cocaine reference is used as a metaphor for the endorphin rush or high of love/desire that can give you the energy to stay up all night. This also makes more sense of the "sanatorium" reference later that she uses to describe her current state of depression or withdrawel post-love affair, or (post-break up, separation, or whatever).

While the album is full of references to alcohol and drunkenness, including the mention of of the light as "dim as rum" in Soft As Chalk, I never noticed any other drug reference before this cocaine one. Did anyone else notice this before? Are there any other obvious drug references in her songs you've noticed?

Hi Headless: they're interesting points. I hadn't noticed them before, but I do think you're right that the words could've been chosen quite deliberately to hint at that suggestion. As you say, I don't think it should be taken as a hint that Joanna herself had used, but I do agree that she may well have considered the various connotations of selecting the (perfectly natural) words 'chalk' and 'line' together.

As for other drug references, I can't think of any, although occasionally a friend has commented 'what was she on when she wrote that?' when I've read out lines from some of her songs (ef Sadie, Sawdust & Diamonds).

There used to be a comment online somewhere which inferred all manner of debauched goings on, including drug use, from "Flying a Kite". I laughed at the obvious one drawn from the title, but found the rest of the comment ludicrous. I don't find yours ludicrous, though, Headless_Caboose.