The Tribal Mind: Thinking of you and wondering why

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Who We Are

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by David Dale
The word "shibboleth" has come to mean a platitude or slogan or statement of belief which fails to stand up to close examination. Examples of shibboleths passed down to us from the 20th century include that Diana Spencer was murdered by MI5, Harold Holt was taken by a Chinese submarine, the real shooter was on the grassy knoll, Gough Whitlam was the victim of a CIA plot, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds was written to promote drug-taking, and Pauline Hanson represented the silent majority. Today I want to tackle the most annoying shibboleth in popular culture -- that the song MacArthur Park is a model of pretentious incomprehensibility.

The only mystery about the lyrics of MacArthur Park is why people keep saying they are a mystery. It shouldn't be necessary to explain them, but their author, Jimmy Webb (who also wrote By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Up Up and Away and Wichita Lineman), is performing at Sydney's Enmore Theatre next week, giving a new generation of disc jockeys the opportunity to joke about cakes left out in the rain and passion flowing like rivers through the sky.

I have never spoken to Webb, but I have visited MacArthur Park in central Los Angeles (mistakenly pronounced "MacArthur's Park" by Richard Harris after a few whiskies). When I saw it, there were no birds like tender babies or old men playing checkers by the trees. The inhabitants were mainly homeless people and drug dealers. Clearly the environment was more salubrious when Webb was inspired to make it a metaphor for lost love.

Amidst the park's greenery is an amphitheatre that looks like an inverted wedding cake. That's all you need to know.

Verse one is a flashback about the beginning of the affair. Being pressed in love's hot fevered iron like a striped pair of pants sounds uncomfortable, but no songwriter has come up with a fresher way to describe sexual obsession.

Then we reach the chorus that causes all the trouble: "MacArthur Park is melting in the dark, all the sweet green icing flowing down. Someone left the cake out in the rain. I don't think that I can take it, 'cos it took so long to bake it, and I'll never have that recipe again."

The narrator has returned at night to the park where he used to meet his sweetheart. Through his tears, it looks like a wedding cake dissolving in the rain. The romance which took so long to develop is over, and he doesn't think he'll ever love like that again.

The narrator cheers up later in the song, and concedes that he will find other lovers and hot passions (possibly in a plane). But he'll always wonder what went wrong with the park-based relationship.

What could be simpler?

If you have a different view about what MacArthur Park means, or you'd care to nominate other great shibboleths of the 20th century, click on "Comments" ...

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

Sounds ok to me.
Id be interested in your take on THE YARD WENT ON FOREVER

by barney on March 31, 2008 at 12:04 AM

Myhts: (1) John Dillinger's most private part is pickled in a jar at the Smithsonian. (2) The story of the guy who slipped his date a dose of Spanish Fly and found her in the morning impaled on the floor-mounted gear shift of his car. (3) The one about Richard Gere and the gerbil. This one is always--always!--attributed to a friend of the narrator who worked at the hospital where it was removed.

by Tom Mustin on March 31, 2008 at 03:51 AM

Mr. Dale:
I was drawn to your article by my long-held belief that the lyrics of "MacArthur Park" were indecipherably cryptic. I think that your explanation, regarding the meaning, is as good as any at dispelling any remaining esoteric qualities the song may have had. I have no shibboleths to share with you, however if you pay attention to American politics, particularly our presidential primaries, you may be inclined to pen your own version of a very popular Jimmy Buffett tune which you may entitle "Changes in attitudes, changes in platitudes".
Steve

by Steve Japuntich on March 31, 2008 at 04:06 AM

Mr Dale,
I neither know nor care what the lyrics to Macarthur Park mean, but I do know what shibboleth means, and it�s not what you say. My dictionary says it means: (1) a peculiarity of pronunciation, or a habit, mode of dress etc., which distinguishes a particular class or set of persons; (2) a test word or pet phrase of a party, sect etc.
I think you mean myth, not shibboleth. But why use one syllable when three will do, eh?

Tribal Mind replies: In terms of the word's denotation, you're right. I was talking about the connotation the word has developed, extended from your definition number (2). The "party, sect, etc" embracing these pet phrases is the baby boomer generation.

by Steve Cornelius on March 31, 2008 at 05:16 AM

Tom - I think yours are urban myths rather than shibboleths; to be a shibb, the belief needs to be widely known and shared.
I'd suggest as a shibboleth the idea that MSG is bad for you. Glutamate (or glutamic acid) is a naturally occurring substance, appearing in all food. As an additive, it is widespread, and the additional amount supposedly added in chinese restaurants would not affect anyone. There is no scientific evidence that it has any allergic effect. But when you think about other types of restaurants trying to spread something damaging about chinese restaurants, so as to increase their own business, the myth makes lots of sense...

by Glen on March 31, 2008 at 05:46 AM

David - what about Fleetwood Mac's The Chain?
Not sure its a shibboleth, but it does fall into the 'what the hell are they on about' category. Its my favourite Fleetwood Mac song, but totally bonkers.....
Anyone out there know what this song is about?

by Chelley on March 31, 2008 at 06:11 AM

A shibboleth is "a platitude or slogan or statement of belief which fails to stand up to close examination"? Back to Sunday school for you, Mr Dale, for a bit more Bible study!
Shibboleth is from the Hebrew shibboleth, "stream, flood," from the use of this word in the Bible (Judges 12:4-6) as a test to distinguish Gileadites from Ephraimites, who could not say 'sh' but only 's' as in 'sibboleth'.
By extension, the word has come to mean a word or pronunciation that distinguishes a particular class or set of persons from another; a word or saying identified with a group or cause; a slogan; a catchword; or a custom, practice, behavior, etc. regarded as distinctive of a particular group.
But you may be from the Humpty Dumpty school of language:
'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'

by Rowan McGillicuddy on March 31, 2008 at 07:41 AM

Does anyone seriously still think Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shot that killed JFK? Really??

by Greg Thiele on March 31, 2008 at 07:57 AM

Ok. Can you explain one of the other great mysteries of the 60s. What do the lyrics of A Whiter Shade of Pale mean?

Tribal Mind replies: Nothing. But the imagery sounds good.

by John Homersham on March 31, 2008 at 07:59 AM

Pretentious? Moi? was one of the many memorable lines from Fawlty Towers. Equally, the music industry is full of the pretentious and pompous: Paul McCartney, U2, INXS, Michael Jackson to name just a few.
Jimmy Webb's heavily orchestrated music can also be pretentious at times, but in the heirarchy of Shibboleths, Jimmy is only an amateur.
The real crime is committed when a bunch of unconnected musical super-egos get together, preferably in the name of charity, to show the world that they are actually caring and sharing individuals, even if of the mega-rich variety.
Yes, I'm talking about the 1985 classis We Are The World, penned by the formerly mentioned Michael Jackson and is side-kick Lionel Richie.
The song, if you remeber, goes "We are the world, we are the children...." ad nauseum.
The super egos involved in this monumental blooper include artists such as Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder. They should have known better.
Perhaps you could forgive the lesser ranked participants, Kim Carnes, Shelia E, Cindy Lauper and Lindsey Buckingham for falling for a high profile gig, but how did they persuade Dan Ackroyd to appear?
In the name of charity (USA for Africa), these well-fed artists whose egos inevitably led them to believe that they were indeed the world, belted out an appalling song to raise money for drought relief in Ethiopia, while presumably sipping designer water throughout the recording.
The Shibboleth in this case is that these middle-agers aren't and weren't the world, and in fact were never its children. It was bleedingly obvious right from the start.
The idea for We Are The World came from the equally appalling 1984 song Do They Know It's Christmas, penned for the similarly styled Band Aid project by Bob Geldorf and Midge Ure. The common link here is that the well-meaning and saintly Bob Geldorf appeared on both songs.
Do They Know It's Christmas is deserving of a column of its own, based upon its plainly wrong premise that a mainly Moslem country would somehow care whether or not it is Christmas. But that's a whole other story.
Confoundingly, We Are The World was a huge hit internationally, and actually made it to Number One in Australia, reinforcing our charitable beliefs, if not our musical taste.
Charity is always to be praised, whether or not it is in fact done for charitable reasons. But charity shouldn't be used to justify musical disasters such as We Are The World.
The more cooks, the bigger Shibboleth.

by Alan Gilmour on March 31, 2008 at 08:16 AM

One of lifes mystery to me is what Billy Joe Mcallister and the girl threw off the Tallahatchie Bridge

by don on March 31, 2008 at 08:40 AM

It was the third of June, another sleepy dusty delta day when Billy Joe and his girlfriend threw a baby off the bridge (being they were unwed and all - now let me get back to picking cotton and my brother bailing hay)

by rowan mcgillicuddy on March 31, 2008 at 08:56 AM

This has nothing to do with shibboleths, but the words MacArthur Park rang a nostalgic bell with me.
My late wife, Jerry Germaine, met Mrs MacArthur (the General's wife) and their small son in a Brisbane park in 1943.
The story is posted at http://www.bdb.co.za/shackle/articles/macarthur.htm
Perhaps it could be published in the Herald on Anzac Day.

by Eric Shackle on March 31, 2008 at 08:56 AM

Yeah Yeah, but what is Bohemian Rhapsody all about??

Tribal Mind replies: The fears of a man about to be executed for murder, expecting to be tortured in hell.

by Mick on March 31, 2008 at 08:58 AM

The song we are familiar with is a 6+ minute part of a longer 20+ minute suite according to descriptions I once read. When I looked for a version of the larger suite, I could find no recording of it. While your interpretation matches my own, I wonder what the full piece added?

by Joe Guyton on March 31, 2008 at 09:23 AM

Can't comment on the true meaning of shibboleth, but I can comment on MacArthur Park, which was one of those songs that drove me nuts when I was a teenager hooked on good quality rock. The success of this song meant lots of airplay and endless groans from me and my mates when it came on. Ditto 'This is Your Song'.
If you want a good shibbo-myth, try the invention of radio. I know this slips back into the 19th century, but it was only fully cleared up in 1943. It was not Marconi.

by Trivalve on March 31, 2008 at 10:25 AM

Rowan,
If your theory is correct, doncha think Daddy would have commented on her newfound slimness as she passed the black-eyed peas? Her having been knocked-up and all. And there seemed to be a newborn chile in the house until sometime last week?
For me, the mystery remains....dang!

by Trivalve on March 31, 2008 at 10:47 AM

by don on March 31, 2008 at 08:40 AM
This is really spooky cause I asked my husband the exact same thing last week! It was obviously something that caused him to top himself...
As for McArthur Park - I hated it then and hate it now - revolting.

by Shoopie on March 31, 2008 at 11:06 AM

Well, I agree with the explanation of "MacArthur Park" - not least because it tallies with my own interpretation! I'd always quite liked the song, but like most, was a bit perplexed by the lyrics. However, I think the overblown arrangement of the Richard Harris version is to blame for most of the confusion. When I finally heard Webb's own simple voice-and-keyboards version a few years ago, it was revealed as a fairly straightforward and touching song of love and regret. As you note, the chorus was still a bit confusing, but your explanation certainly helps there.

by Mark on March 31, 2008 at 11:19 AM

>One of lifes mystery to me is what Billy Joe Mcallister and the girl threw off the Tallahatchie Bridge>
There was a very, very bad 1970s film based on the song (also titled "Ode to Billy Joe", I think) which gave a different interpretation from those posted so far. Can't remember the precise details, but they shoud be available at sites like the Internet Movie Database.
Wonder what ever happened to Bobbie Gentry?

by Mark on March 31, 2008 at 11:26 AM

I believe the use of the word "shibboleth" is incorrect
here. A shibboleth is a kind of passphrase, word or
some act or ritual by which it can be determined whether a person is an "insider" or "outsider" of a group, club, cultural, popular, religious or otherwise.
It has a biblical origin and in general it was said
to "say shibboleth" and the way the person responded
with the word, was to identify them as correctly
being a member of the group or not.
I think the original author may well be looking
at "urban legend" or a similar point.
Anyway, everyone in the know (shibboleth)
understands MacArthur Park is about the song writer's first experience with LSD, unlike the Beatles
song which isn't. ;)

by rachel on March 31, 2008 at 11:57 AM

I will pass on the metaphor debate, but MacArthur Park certainly gets my vote as among the most awful songs I've ever heard. The narrator's pain is as nothing compared to mine every time I'm forced to hear it. Pehaps if they'd found someone to sing it who could actually hit the notes...

by Andrew on March 31, 2008 at 12:01 PM

I don't understand why the Author does not explain what the lyrics mean. Maybe the author does not know.

Tribal Mind asks: Which author?

by Paul on March 31, 2008 at 05:30 PM

"The song we are familiar with is a 6+ minute part of a longer 20+ minute suite according to descriptions I once read."
I wouldn't call it a suite but most of the songs on the Fifth Dimension's first album were written by Jimmy webb and deal with the end of a relationship. Maybe a song cycle?

by zoot on March 31, 2008 at 05:59 PM

Thank you for explaining MacArthur Park lyrics. I've long loved that song even though I didn't understand it. Perhaps my affection for the song was really for the singer as I have nursed a secret passion for all things Richard Harris since Camelot. Don't know what it is about Irish drunks that does something (odd) to me. I even named one of my sons after the infamous Brendan Behan and he - son - took it seriously! My obstretitian did warn me at the time:(
m:)

by Mary Seul on March 31, 2008 at 07:15 PM

I agree that Mr. Dale has his wires crossed apropos the meaning of 'Shibboleth'. Even though, as he stipulates, his use of the word is in the sense of what it has come to mean, it is still not correct, because the current usage pertains to an outmoded or discarded set of beliefs rather than an incorrectly held conviction. As for the 'meaning' of the song in question (Macarthur Park), I can only quote Johnny Young 'There's a meaning there, but the meaning there doesn't really mean a thing'. Or, more correctly in this case, there's no meaning there and the meaninglessness there doesn't really mean a thing.
In fact, it was simply Jimmy Webb climbing aboard the psychedelia that was becoming de rigueur in those times. The greatness of the music transcends any librettic sins, though. Even Richard Harris calling the place 'MacArthur's Park' added an air of mystery to the ears of this then-seventeen-year-old who had no idea that there was really such a place as that in the title of the song.
My winner for the most inane and ineptly constructed song lyric of all time? It's a tie between Bobby Goldsboro's 'Honey' (1968) and Neil Diamond's 'Play Me' (1967). They are, respectively:
'See the tree how big it's grown, and friends
It hasn't been too long it wasn't big.
I laughed at her and she got mad, the first day that she planted it
Was just a twig.'
Honestly, that's what it says!
'Songs she sang to me
Words she brang to me.'
By comparison, MacArthur Park is a masterpiece of concise, clear songwriting.

by James McKinnon on March 31, 2008 at 09:11 PM

I have long railed against the American Republican Party(sect?) shibboleth that Ronald Reagan was solely responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union and the likes of Lech Walesa, Pope John Paul, Michal Gorbachov and Boris Yeltsin were just bit players .
As for 'MacArthur Park', It was common knowledge at the time that 'someone left the cake out in the rain' was a reference to hash cookies. Glory days.

by Steve Muldoon on April 01, 2008 at 06:37 PM

No, Steve. That [hash cookies] was just a 'shibboleth'.

by James McKinnon on April 02, 2008 at 06:31 PM

TM: while I admire your excursion to MacArthur Park to research the meaning of the lyrics... I feel I can perhaps clarify the mystery surrounding the lyrics "some one left the cake out in the rain" ... Whilst the amphitheater may look like an inverted wedding cake... I think the Webb was alluding to a quote from W.H. Auden. Auden, after ageing suddenly & having corrugated lines on his face, described it as if "some one left the wedding-cake out in the rain" So Webb perhaps feels that the pain of love lost will also etch lines in his face as if "some one left the wedding cake in out in the rain"

Tribal Mid replies: The art of great poetry is that, like an onion or an ogre, it has layers. Webb fits a multitude of meanings into a brief chorus.

by Kate on April 06, 2008 at 06:30 AM

"The art of great poetry is that, like an onion or an ogre, it has layers. Webb fits a multitude of meanings into a brief chorus." writes Tribal Mind.

Kate replies to TM's reply: Oh yes, he did and what a shame all that effort went into such a c**p song... even when sung by some one who can sing, it sounds like cats being strangled...

by Kate on April 06, 2008 at 08:26 PM

Great job on MacArthur Park. I wish I could be more erudite about it, but while being a Jimmy Webb admirer, I hated R. Harris�s �voice� so much I could never listen to it.
The shibboleth that irritates me is the supposedly complex and convoluted plot of Raymond Chandler�s book (and Howard Hawks� film) The Big Sleep. It amazes me how many people swallow the proposition that two old pros like that could be so sloppy. The boys themselves, most likely slightly tongue-in-cheek, have tended to perpetuate this myth, as has Wikipedia, for that matter. I guess it suits our postmodernist sensibilities. Now, while it is true that Chandler cobbled the novel together from three previous short stories, and so the seams show a bit, it is nevertheless a carefully crafted work, probably his finest after The Long Goodbye.
So what is the plot? Briefly, like The Long Goodbye it is about the nature of friendship. The plot advances via a range of criminal behaviour, but this is conventional window dressing. Underneath, the structure mirrors the difference between what General Sternwood appears to be asking Philip Marlowe to do - i.e. protect his daughter, and what he really wants Marlowe to do but is too proud (and possibly fearful) to ask out loud � i.e. find out why his drinking companion Sean Regan disappeared, something that hurt the old fellow deeply and movingly. The plot advances through Marlowe gradually intuiting that this was what the General really wanted. Once we place this front and centre as Chandler�s purpose in writing the book, the various twists and turns either fall into place or simply don�t matter and a unique work emerges. As does Marlowe�s unique sensibility.

by Adrian on April 09, 2008 at 10:50 AM

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