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sodascouts
07-10-2008, 10:38 PM
I mentioned Ol' 55 in another thread and it reminded me of something I've read recently. A fan of Tom Waits believes that the song is about death - that it's from the perspective of a dead man watching his own funeral procession. While morbid, I can see what he's saying. What do you guys think?

To remind everybody, here's the lyrics:

Well, my time went so quickly
I went lickety-splitly
Out to my old fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly
Feelin' so holy
God knows I was feelin' alive

And now the sun's comin' up
I'm ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks

Stars beginning to fade
And I lead the parade
Just a wishin' I'd stayed a little longer
Lord, don't you know, the feelin's gettin' stronger

Six in the morning
Gave me no warnin'
I had to be on my way
Now the cars are all passin' me
The trucks are all flashin' me
I'm headed home from your place

And now the sun's comin' up
I'm ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks

Stars beginning to fade
And I lead the parade
Just a wishin' I'd stayed a little longer
Lord, don't you know, the feelin's gettin' stronger

Well, my time went so quickly
I went lickety-splitly
Out to my old fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly
Feelin' so holy
God knows I was feelin' alive

And now the sun's comin' up, yes it is
I'm ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Freeway cars and trucks
Ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Ridin' with Lady Luck...

luvthelighthouse
07-10-2008, 10:58 PM
While I can see his take, I don't think so.

The line "I'm headed home from your place "... to me, that's all about a guy leaving a sweet womans loving after a night of passion.

sodascouts
07-10-2008, 11:04 PM
To play devil's advocate... "I'm comin' home" could be about going to the afterlife and "your place" could be the earthly plain.

You're probably right, though. lol

Mrs Henley
07-11-2008, 04:51 AM
Uh, I don't it's about death.

TimothyBFan
07-11-2008, 07:15 AM
I remember reading something years ago to the same effect that it was indeed about a death of a young man. It sure makes sense to me if you read the lyrics. Just MHO.

Mrs Henley
07-11-2008, 07:19 AM
It sure makes sense to me if you read the lyrics.
That's true.

Mrs Frey
07-11-2008, 08:06 AM
Soda, before I give my opinion, I must thank you for posting those lyrics. I've been meaning to look them up on GFO for a long time, as I could never make out the second line of the first verse. Now I know it's "lickety-splitly"! I've never heard the expression before :blush: , so it's little wonder that I couldn't make it out. Thanks for putting me out of my misery! :D At least I can sing along with the song in full now! :wink:

Regarding the meaning, I shared LTLH's opinion of the song's meaning, until I read the fan of Tom Waits' take on it. It could well be about death. It makes a lot of sense. It could also be about a man leaving his lady love. It's open to interpretation.

Brooke
07-11-2008, 09:24 AM
I think you could take it both ways. As with many of the Eagles songs, the interpretation can be left up to each individual listener.

luvthelighthouse
07-11-2008, 10:11 AM
While I agree, it could be about death or leaving your lady... I think it may have been written with the intent to have a double meaning... just like the Eagles often do.

I love all songs w/double meanings. However, for whatever reason, I LOVE ol' 55, and I like the imagery of happiness... so I'm sticking w/the man leaving his lady view. :)

Mrs Henley
07-11-2008, 10:14 AM
I knew the song (the title) but never read the lyrics and never heard the song (Gosh..I'm a worse Eagles fan :brickwall: ) But know I did! :)

glenneaglesfan
07-11-2008, 10:46 AM
Thanks for posting that up, Soda. I've always interpreted it as you have, LTL, but looking at those lyrics with the image of a funeral, I can see that it could well fit. How interesting, if a little morbid.

MF, 'lickety-split' has always meant 'really fast' to me. I think Tom Waits may have invented 'lickety-splitly'.

rcknalwys
07-11-2008, 07:14 PM
what an interesting way of looking at the lyrics, I can see why it could be construed that way. But for me personally, I used to play this song when I was going home after a night with a very special man a few years back. Now everytime I hear it, I think of him. Funny, I never really appreciated this song until I heard it done live at the Millenium shows in Vegas.

Ive always been a dreamer
07-11-2008, 08:53 PM
I agree that it definitely could have a double meaning. Thinking of it being about death though sure puts it in a different light for me though.

And rckn, how lucky you were to go to one of the millennium shows. Wow - I didn't know you went to that! :jealous:

rcknalwys
07-12-2008, 11:30 AM
Dreamer, I was so lucky getting to go to both shows in Vegas. I had such a great time there, despite losing every dime I had on the slots the first day I was there! I was able to take some pics but lost them when my house burned down. Jackson Browne was fantastic and the 2nd night David Crosby was brought on stage. I sat on Timothy's side, and although the seats were a long ways from the stage, I had a great view. I can hardly wait to see them again.

sodascouts
07-12-2008, 12:24 PM
Oh, how cool! And they played so many special songs that night. Lucky you (except for the slots! lol)

Freypower
07-12-2008, 06:59 PM
I think the song's lyrics are too literal to be about death, unless 'God knows I was feelin' alive' is supposed to be heavily ironic.

Ive always been a dreamer
07-12-2008, 07:14 PM
Well rckn - as I said, you were certainly lucky to see those. I would have gladly surrendered all my quarters to the slot machines to see those shows. :wink:

And FP, when I interpret the song being about death, I assumed that line referred to the singer feeling so alive prior to dying.

DonFan
07-12-2008, 11:06 PM
Well, I don't think Ol' 55 is about anything but driving home from a night of lovemaking as the sun is rising, and remembering what a lovely night it was.

Rkcn, you are indeed lucky to have seen both millennium shows. I remember desperately wanting to do something fabulous to celebrate the millennium, but our daughters were small, we were new to the neighborhood and didn't know anyone, and we couldn't afford to go anywhere, so we basically just stayed in and watched TV to see how other people celebrated all over the world. :sigh: I remember watching the short interview with the Eagles earlier in the day, and watching the clips from their show on CNN later. All this was before I re-discovered my passion for their music, and now I am busily trying to make up for lost time. Anyway, I know the shows must have been fabulous and it was definitely a trip to remember.
And I am sorry you lost your house to fire later. You have really been through a lot, haven't you?

rcknalwys
07-13-2008, 12:26 PM
I have been through a lot DonFan, and fire seems to have followed me around as I have had 3 other fires. But that particular fire took everything and was devastating emotionally. I was blessed to be part of a group that sent me cds to replace many of the ones I lost, for which I will be forever grateful. Just being able to listen to the guys...especially Timothy, really helped.

I have been able to relive the Millenium shows through other people's photo's and always love to see them. I had to send home for money for the rest of my stay LOL! I was lucky enough to get a package deal for a round trip flight and 3 night stay in Vegas very cheap and went by myself. So for everyone who has to go alone....do it!

Mrs Frey
07-18-2008, 06:37 AM
MF, 'lickety-split' has always meant 'really fast' to me. I think Tom Waits may have invented 'lickety-splitly'.

Thanks for clarifying, GEF! :D

Mrs Frey
07-18-2008, 06:44 AM
I have been through a lot DonFan, and fire seems to have followed me around as I have had 3 other fires. But that particular fire took everything and was devastating emotionally. I was blessed to be part of a group that sent me cds to replace many of the ones I lost, for which I will be forever grateful. Just being able to listen to the guys...especially Timothy, really helped.

I have been able to relive the Millenium shows through other people's photo's and always love to see them. I had to send home for money for the rest of my stay LOL! I was lucky enough to get a package deal for a round trip flight and 3 night stay in Vegas very cheap and went by myself. So for everyone who has to go alone....do it!

I'm so sorry for your losses, Becky - I can only imagine how devastated you must have been after losing everything. I know what it's like to lose things, but not to that extent. Thank God you had such good friends who were so generous towards you. I'm sure they will be richly rewarded.

It's wonderful that you were able to see the Eagles at the turn of the century. Fantastic! I'm ashamed to admit that I was barely aware of them at that time. As DF said about herself, I've certainly tried to make up for lost time. A year and a half after becoming an Eagles fanatic, I still can't get enough of them.

sodascouts
12-02-2008, 12:32 PM
I know that this is an old topic but I wanted to note that whether or not the song is really about death, at a funeral I attended recently, I couldn't get it out of my head (especially since he died very suddenly, in the morning). Such an interpretation makes it really fit that mood of both regret that the time on earth is over mixed with hope for the afterlife. If you look at it that way, it's not so much morbid as bittersweet.

I think I'll have it played at my funeral reception (not the funeral itself. Everyone just wants to get out of funerals, not sit there listening to a bunch of songs. One hymn - "Because He Lives" - that's it). At the reception afterwards, when folks are sitting around commiserating about the loss of the awesomeness that was Nancy (lol), then they can break out Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. I'll have to leave a playlist. ;)

eaglesvet
12-02-2008, 01:11 PM
Well, I had never seen this thread before...who would have thunk it? In reading the lyrics with death in mind, I guess it could fit that whole picture...but I always thought it was about a guy leaving a girl's bed and driving home early in the am. Actually, somewhere I read or heard a snippet of interview from Glenn saying that was the imagery he loved thinking of or identified with or something to that effect. I can listen to that song over and over--I love it! It does bring back some good memories from the soundtrack of my life back in college:heybaby:.:grin:.

EagleLady
12-02-2008, 01:43 PM
Well Glenn knew all about sweet loving back then didn't he? :nod: ;)

eaglesvet
12-02-2008, 02:40 PM
Most certainly!

sodascouts
12-02-2008, 02:51 PM
I would agree that Glenn wasn't thinking about death when he recorded it. And personally I find the image of a guy driving home after a special night with his lady a nice one was well. I'm just saying that the alternative interpretation works, too. Who knows what was in Waits's mind?

ticky
12-02-2008, 03:14 PM
I would agree that Glenn wasn't thinking about death when he recorded it. And personally I find the image of a guy driving home after a special night with his lady a nice one was well. I'm just saying that the alternative interpretation works, too. Who knows what was in Waits's mind?

Exactly, plus, music, like art, only means whatever we think it means. To one person it could be a very sensitive metaphor for death, to another it's a wonderful imagery of a moment from a man's life. It's very subjective and individualized. To me, it's a great image of a guy leaving his girlfriend and regretting it after a wonderful night that he had been looking forward to. BUT I can see the other as well *G*

eaglesvet
12-02-2008, 08:53 PM
I wonder if anyone here goes to see Tom Waits in concert, if he will do any storytelling before his songs. Then maybe we can find out what he had in mind...

Just Another Hired Hand
12-02-2008, 10:21 PM
I hope ol 55 is an old chevy and not an age...cause if it's death I'm gettin' close!

sodascouts
11-14-2012, 07:02 PM
I still can't get the association with this song and death out of my mind, to this day! It's so gorgeous, though, that I love it.

Houston Debutante
12-01-2012, 02:18 PM
Love this song, especially the way the duet vocals are, but never thought about a connection to death. Even if you think it's about death it's uplifting, he seems to be going to heaven. Interesting interpretation.

Ive always been a dreamer
12-01-2012, 10:37 PM
Although I agree that the interpretation about death is valid, but whenever I listen to this song, I really don't get that vibe from it at all. Honestly, I'm kinda glad that I don't. :wink:

Prettymaid
12-01-2012, 11:40 PM
Nah, he's just on his way home after getting lucky. ;-)

EaglesKiwi
12-04-2012, 02:30 PM
And in the chorus.. all of them got lucky! :hilarious:

Interesting to read back through this thread and get the different interpretations of this song. For me it will always bring images of the boys with grins on their faces after the legendary third encores. :nahnah:

Grey Sadler
12-06-2012, 09:12 PM
I'm going with the "leaving the girlfriend's place" interpretation!
I would also like to hear Mr. Waits' interpretation of this...to me it comes across as "Mr. Old School in the Old Car is in the way and getting flipped off by the other drivers on the freeway" :)

I like the touch of the pedal steel...had to actually look up Al Perkins!
Does anyone know if this is one of the two songs they recorded in London with Glyn Johns? To me it sounds like more of the "country rock" that he wanted them to do...

Ive always been a dreamer
12-07-2012, 12:52 AM
GS - I believe the songs from On the Border that they recorded in London with Glyn Johns were The Best of My Love and You Never Cry Like a Lover.

sodascouts
12-07-2012, 05:59 PM
Those are the only two OTB songs produced by Johns according to the liner notes.