Song Meaning
These lyrics open with a striking image, describing figures as "Odalisques, odalisques" with "feet pomegranate-stained." This immediately conjures a scene of exotic beauty, perhaps a past of luxury or even sacrifice. The repetition of "Odalisques" emphasizes this rich, almost sensual, initial impression. It's a vivid, slightly mysterious introduction to the subject.
The first stanza then suggests a past relationship, noting, "We bartered for, bought you / Back in the years / Ah, then we knew you." This implies a time of possession or a deeper, more direct understanding that might have faded. This tension between past ownership and present observation creates a subtle undercurrent of longing or nostalgia, hinting at a transformation from a known, tangible entity to something more elusive.
Suddenly, the perspective shifts dramatically. The figures are elevated to "Queens of the air," named after mythical Greek goddesses like "Aithra, Iole / Eos and Auge." Here, the craft works by transforming the grounded, exotic figures into ethereal beings, "Taking new beauty / From the sun's evening brightness." This imagery of "Gyring in light / As nymphs play in waters" paints a picture of graceful, almost divine movement, contrasting sharply with their earlier pavement-treading.
The most powerful craft element arrives with the abrupt conclusion: "Then down on our doorsteps / Gretchen and Dora." This sudden grounding from mythical queens to common, domestic names is a masterstroke. It highlights the duality of the subject, suggesting that the same entity can embody both ancient, divine grandeur and familiar, everyday presence. This shift makes the lyrics effective by creating a sense of wonder at how the sublime can reside within the mundane, inviting the reader to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.
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