by Larry Fyffe
Hecate, in ancient mythology, watches the crossroads at night; she represents the dark side of Diana, the latter being the bright moon-goddess, sister of Apollo, the sun-god.
The following song lyrics warn everyone of the Gothic witch of the night:
Don't go out tonight Well, it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise (Creedence Clearwater Revival ~ Fogerty)
Construed it can be that the narrator in the song lyrics beneath considers himself a relative of Hecate; yet more closely related to the flaming-haired Apollo – the sun-god of Mount Olympus who’s associated with music:
Can you help me walk that moonlight mile Can you give me the blessing of your smile I'll bring someone to life, use all my powers Do it in the dark, in the wee, small hours (Bob Dylan: My Own Version Of You)
In the lyrics below, the narrator’s stuck in a Mobile-like town where people complacently accept being compelled to fight in a war that those from rich families are able to avoid:
Well, if I had a dollar For every song I sung Every time the band played While the people sat there drunk You know I'd catch the next train Way back to where I live Oh Lord, stuck in a Lodi again (Creedence Clearwater Revival: Lodi ~ Fogerty)
https://youtu.be/yA7iGxV6rt4
The narrator in the song lyrics below ponders the fundamental nature of human beings, the dis-ease, that causes them to resort to war; even powerful Apollo on Mount Olympus didn’t initially want to get involved in the Trojan War, but he does.
And, of course, you don’t count the dead when the gods are on your side:
I wish I had a dollar for everyone that died within that year Got'em grabbed by the collar, and plenty a maid shed a tear Now beneath my heart, it sure put on a squeeze Oh that Legionaire's disease (Delta/Cross Band: Legionaire's Disease ~ Bob Dylan)
In Greek/Roman mythology, the god of thunder, lightning bolts, and rain is Zeus, the oft angry ruler of the sky, and the father of Apollo:
Long as I remember, the rain been coming down Clouds of mystery pouring confusion on the ground Good men through the ages trying to find the sun And I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival: Who'll Stop The Rain ~ Fogerty)
Alluding to a nursery rhyme:
Oh, don't let the rain come down My roof's got a hole in it, and I might drown (Crooked Little Man)
And to a romantic-inclined ‘seize-the-day’ poet:
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay (Dylan Thomas: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night)
In the following song lyrics, surrealistic images built from the matchsticks of words correlate with the shortness of life:
The cloak and dagger dangles Madams light the candles In the ceremonies of the horsemen Even the pawn must hold a grudge (Bob Dylan: Love Minus Zero)
Chrissie Hynde: Love minus zero. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=255339095764842
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