> Almost every artist borrows from other, older sources. It's how the source > material is used that counts. 'Silky Veils of Ardor' has bits of lyrics > from several old folk songs but Joni rearranges them and weaves them into a > completely new work that is uniquely her own. The same with 'Slouching > Toward Bethlehem.' I would not call this plagiarism or lack of > originality. >
i always thought there was something familiar about 'silky veils of ardor.' i remember a particular line in the song, which escapes me now, that i knew came from another song. i remember hearing that song later and that light bulb appearing like a halo over my head. a similar experience happened with 'moon at the window' from WTRF. there is the line " people don't know how to love, they taste it and toss it, turn it off and on like a bathtub faucet " ( ooh,ooh...) the love/faucet idea is from an old jazz standard, which also escapes me, i am almost certain it is on a billie holiday recording in my collection. ( gosh ! alot of stuff seems to be escaping me today. i must be riding another one of those pesky little air pockets in my brain ! ) this whole thread about borrowing reminds me of the idea that the best art is based on what has come before it and that nothing is totally original but just a reworking , a new way of seeing or expressing age old ideas. just a thought... dream on, dream on, dream on, warren keith p.s. did anyone catch cassandra wilson on bravo ? it was outstanding, i would love to see joni on one of the installments !
