Jerry Garcia's Gomorrah - A Jaynesian Interpretation

Discussion of the influence of Jaynes's theory on works of fiction, film, and in popular culture.
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logictweek
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Jerry Garcia's Gomorrah - A Jaynesian Interpretation

Post by logictweek »

I was listening to the Jerry Garcia Band tune Gomorrah the other day and realized that the lyrics might be open to a Jaynesian interpretation. Here's a good rendition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ozgPJZ7WUA

The relevant passage starts at around the 1:40 mark.

Usually when biblical themes crop up in Grateful Dead/JGB lyrics I simply appreciate that they can make smart literary references. But this tune does take a novel sort of psychological slant and gets into Lot's head a little bit.

Here are the lyrics:

Just a song of Gomorrah, I wonder what they did there
Must've been a bad thing to get shot down for
I wonder how they blew it up or if they burned it down
Get out, get out Mr. Lot and don't you turn around.

Who gave you your orders, someone from the sky
I heard a voice inside my head in the desert wind so dry
I heard a voice tellin' me to flee the very same voice I always believe
Say alot of trouble comin', but it don't have to come to you
I'm telling you so you can tell the rest what you've been through.

But don't you turn around, no, don't look after you
It's not your business how it's done, you're lucky to get through
You're a good upstanding man, a credit to the flock
But if you don't face straight ahead you could not take the shock
Blew the city off the map, left nothing there but fire
The wife of Lot got turned to salt, because she looked behind her.
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Re: Jerry Garcia's Gomorrah - A Jaynesian Interpretation

Post by Moderator »

It's fun finding these connections... People don't normally like to talk about hearing voices so it's always interesting when it comes up somewhere.
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