<<I know that we can all guess what "that serpent" is, although Joni would probably deny it, as she did with "boom boom pachyderm." But what is an Ethiopian wall, aside from a wall in Ethiopia? Is this a reference to poetry or literature that I'm not getting? >>
I don't think it's necessarily a phallic reference, Bob, although it certainly can be interpreted that way. She makes reference in the song to the story of Adam & Eve: "Wash my guilt of Eden Wash and balance me" (this couplet follows her mention of the serpent) as well as other neo-religious references throughout. So the "serpent" can also be interpreted as the serpent in the Adam and Eve story; that is, the man is "pinning her with the serpent" or blaming women for the temptation and fall of man. The "Ethiopian Wall"...from what I understand, it's believed that the origins of man, at least the earliest cultures, were developed in this area, so I think it could be interpreted as saying that the man is forcing her to return to the (presumed) Biblical origins of man and rubbing THAT in her face too, much the same with the moon reference. What a great song...probably her most cryptic. Bob NP: Collective Soul, "Where The River Flows"
