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Lyrics to "The Pretender": Why this choice of words?
u/jsalley avataru/jsalley
• Lyrics to "The Pretender": Why this choice of words?

Middle of "The Pretender":

Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor

My question: why the word SOLEMNLY.....?? Seems like a strange word for children waiting on the ice cream truck. Why not:

And the children gleefully wait for the ice cream vendor

And the children happily wait for the ice cream vendor

And the children patiently wait for the ice cream vendor

Why did JB choose SOLEMNLY..?? What picture was he trying to paint for us?

My Jackson Browne True Confession
u/JustFollowingOdours avataru/JustFollowingOdours
• My Jackson Browne True Confession

I live in a mid-sized Canadian community and have always enjoyed the music of Jackson Browne, since the Running On Empty album. Of course once discovering that album when it was released in '77 listened to everything before and after.

I was shocked when I learned that he was bringin his solo-acoustic tour to our city (13 years ago). He struggled through the concert, sucking lozenges to ease the sandpaper texture his throat must have felt like, but he made it through the concert, much to the appreciation of the crowd.

After the concert I purchased some merchandise... a cloth grocery bag with the "Saturate Before Using" design from the album cover.

Fast forward a few weeks and I get my credit card statement and there is some weird charge on there that I don't recognize. Like, really weird.

I contact the credit card company and they reverse the charge and issue me a new card. Months later I somehow figure out that the weird charge was from the purchase of the JB souvenir and the company on the credit card statement was actually a charity that received a portion of the proceeds.

Money was tight at this time in life and I delayed and delayed making good on the credit card charge reversal... until last week. Last week I went to the JB website, looked up charities that JB supports or is affiliated with and made a donation to Playing With Change... and wouldn't you know it... the next day on my Facebook feed appeared Jackon Browne playing Doctor My Eyes via Playing For Change.

My conscience is now clear.