The Use of Allusion in "Sad Cafe"
In the song Sad Cafe, the literary device of ALLUSION is used three times, in verses 2, 3 and 4. What are these three allusions, and how are they used in this song?
First of all, it is important to understand what an allusion is, and how it is used in speech, and more importantly in literature.
What is an Allusion?
Allusion - noun
An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference; the practice of making allusions, especially as an artistic or literary device. "In his speech he made an allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet."
Allude - verb
To suggest or call attention to something indirectly; to hint at something; to refer to some person, situation or thing without naming it directly; to make an allusion. "He alluded to the current crisis several times, but never mentioned it directly."
An allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, concept or event of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. Allusion calls to mind the ideas and emotions associated with a well-known event, person or published work. Those ideas and emotions then contribute to what the author conveys, so that a wide range of ideas can be brought in with just a few words. By and large, the use of allusions enables writers and poets to simplify complex ideas and emotions, to convey a broad meaning in very few words. The readers comprehend the complex ideas by comparing the emotions of the writer or poet to the references given by them.
Allusions are contingent on the reader knowing about the story or event that is referenced. In traditional Western literature, allusions to figures or events in the Bible and from Greek mythology were very common because those were fundamental parts of every educated person's background knowledge. In East Asia, on the other hand, the use of allusions from classical Chinese poetry, literature and history is common, and in Islamic countries Quranic allusions abound in everyday life.
Understanding Allusions
Because allusions make reference to something other than what is directly being discussed, you may miss an allusion or fail to understand it if you do not know the underlying biblical story, literary tale or other reference point. Fortunately, today it is easy to look these things up so when someone references something you do not understand, you can easily turn to the Internet to learn enough to grasp the allusion for yourself. But the first thing that is necessary is simply to recognize what an allusion is being used.
The Use of Allusions in "Sad Cafe"
Now, what are the three allusions in the song Sad Cafe? Appropriately, being in the lyrics of a song, they are allusions to other songs, and they support and extend the primary theme. Here is the FIRST allusion. In the second verse you can find this line:
Oh, it seemed like a holy place,
protected by amazing grace.
Most native English speakers reading this, or hearing these lines, would immediately recognize the two words Amazing Grace as referring to the song by that name. These two words would normally never be used together except in the context of that song. Not only is the title of this song so well known, but the melody itself is one of the most recognizable. This is a classic example of literary allusion.
First of all, it is important to understand what an allusion is, and how it is used in speech, and more importantly in literature.
What is an Allusion?
Allusion - noun
An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference; the practice of making allusions, especially as an artistic or literary device. "In his speech he made an allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet."
Allude - verb
To suggest or call attention to something indirectly; to hint at something; to refer to some person, situation or thing without naming it directly; to make an allusion. "He alluded to the current crisis several times, but never mentioned it directly."
An allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, concept or event of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. Allusion calls to mind the ideas and emotions associated with a well-known event, person or published work. Those ideas and emotions then contribute to what the author conveys, so that a wide range of ideas can be brought in with just a few words. By and large, the use of allusions enables writers and poets to simplify complex ideas and emotions, to convey a broad meaning in very few words. The readers comprehend the complex ideas by comparing the emotions of the writer or poet to the references given by them.
Allusions are contingent on the reader knowing about the story or event that is referenced. In traditional Western literature, allusions to figures or events in the Bible and from Greek mythology were very common because those were fundamental parts of every educated person's background knowledge. In East Asia, on the other hand, the use of allusions from classical Chinese poetry, literature and history is common, and in Islamic countries Quranic allusions abound in everyday life.
Understanding Allusions
Because allusions make reference to something other than what is directly being discussed, you may miss an allusion or fail to understand it if you do not know the underlying biblical story, literary tale or other reference point. Fortunately, today it is easy to look these things up so when someone references something you do not understand, you can easily turn to the Internet to learn enough to grasp the allusion for yourself. But the first thing that is necessary is simply to recognize what an allusion is being used.
The Use of Allusions in "Sad Cafe"
Now, what are the three allusions in the song Sad Cafe? Appropriately, being in the lyrics of a song, they are allusions to other songs, and they support and extend the primary theme. Here is the FIRST allusion. In the second verse you can find this line:
Oh, it seemed like a holy place,
protected by amazing grace.
Most native English speakers reading this, or hearing these lines, would immediately recognize the two words Amazing Grace as referring to the song by that name. These two words would normally never be used together except in the context of that song. Not only is the title of this song so well known, but the melody itself is one of the most recognizable. This is a classic example of literary allusion.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.
So what does the song Amazing Grace mean, and how does it fit into the context of Sad Cafe? Let me give a little background first.
The song Amazing Grace was written in the year 1772 by an Englishman named John Newton (born 1725, died 1807). Newton's father was a merchant and a ship-master, and he joined his father's ship as an apprentice at the age of 11. After a difficult life at sea he eventually became the captain of a ship himself, and it was a slave ship.
Those were the days when the trans-Atlantic slave trade was booming, and British ships would sail to Africa, purchase a load of slaves, transport them to the British colonies in North America and the Caribbean for labor in the large plantations there, sail back to England with other goods, and then repeat the same journey to Africa and North America. In order to achieve maximum profit, the owners of the ships installed multiple narrow and low decks into the ships' holds with very little headroom, so they could transport as many slaves as possible. The decks were so narrow that the slaves, who were chained together side by side, could not stand up, and in some ships they couldn't even sit up, for the entire voyage. Because of the filthy conditions and stifling heat, the lack of sufficient food and water, dysentery and other diseases, the mortality rate was very high, on average 15% to 30% of the captives died on each voyage. The journey from Africa to North America in the 18th Century typically took 30 to 50 days, and it is impossible for us to imagine the intense suffering of those hundreds of men, women and children chained together for the entire voyage on each ship.
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.
So what does the song Amazing Grace mean, and how does it fit into the context of Sad Cafe? Let me give a little background first.
The song Amazing Grace was written in the year 1772 by an Englishman named John Newton (born 1725, died 1807). Newton's father was a merchant and a ship-master, and he joined his father's ship as an apprentice at the age of 11. After a difficult life at sea he eventually became the captain of a ship himself, and it was a slave ship.
Those were the days when the trans-Atlantic slave trade was booming, and British ships would sail to Africa, purchase a load of slaves, transport them to the British colonies in North America and the Caribbean for labor in the large plantations there, sail back to England with other goods, and then repeat the same journey to Africa and North America. In order to achieve maximum profit, the owners of the ships installed multiple narrow and low decks into the ships' holds with very little headroom, so they could transport as many slaves as possible. The decks were so narrow that the slaves, who were chained together side by side, could not stand up, and in some ships they couldn't even sit up, for the entire voyage. Because of the filthy conditions and stifling heat, the lack of sufficient food and water, dysentery and other diseases, the mortality rate was very high, on average 15% to 30% of the captives died on each voyage. The journey from Africa to North America in the 18th Century typically took 30 to 50 days, and it is impossible for us to imagine the intense suffering of those hundreds of men, women and children chained together for the entire voyage on each ship.
Diagram of an 18th Century Slave Ship - Original document dated 1789.
During one particularly terrible storm at sea, Newton was fearful that the ship would sink and he prayed to God for forgiveness and that his life might be spared. This was the beginning of his change of heart. Eventually he realized that his life had never benefited anyone else and only contributed to the suffering of countless numbers of miserable slaves, and at the age of 30 he quit his work on the slave ships, and never sailed again. He eventually became an ordained minister, and became an ardent and outspoken supporter of the anti-slavery movement in England. The song "Amazing Grace" was written in 1772, and it speaks of the chance that everyone has to gain salvation and to change their lives, no matter how cruel or sinful they had been.
Amazing Grace became a popular hymn in England, and then during the 1800's it spread widely in America, among both white and black populations, and it was especially popular with anti-slavery groups. In the 20th Century it became the standard piece of music played at the funerals of policemen and firemen (which is often depicted in American movies), and it gained greater popularity during the period of social protest, antiwar and civil rights movements of the 1960's.
The 2006 American-British film titled Amazing Grace, directed by Michael Apted, depicts the campaign against the slave trade in the British Empire, and recounts the experiences of John Newton in the slave trade, his subsequent religious conversion, his writing of the poem Amazing Grace, and the influence he had on the anti-slavery movement .
Amazing Grace became a popular hymn in England, and then during the 1800's it spread widely in America, among both white and black populations, and it was especially popular with anti-slavery groups. In the 20th Century it became the standard piece of music played at the funerals of policemen and firemen (which is often depicted in American movies), and it gained greater popularity during the period of social protest, antiwar and civil rights movements of the 1960's.
The 2006 American-British film titled Amazing Grace, directed by Michael Apted, depicts the campaign against the slave trade in the British Empire, and recounts the experiences of John Newton in the slave trade, his subsequent religious conversion, his writing of the poem Amazing Grace, and the influence he had on the anti-slavery movement .
Trailer for the Film "Amazing Grace"
Now it can be seen how these two words "Amazing Grace" can function as a very effective literary allusion, and bring to mind a whole complex of meaning and connotations, including the ideas of social injustice, oppression and the hope for freedom and justice, the promise of bringing about change for the better, and above all else, its association with the idealism and social movements of the 1960's.
The SECOND literary allusion can be found in the third verse of Sad Cafe:
Oh, expecting to fly, we would meet
on that beautiful shore in the sweet by 'n' by.
This is a reference to another well-known song, "In the Sweet By and By". This song was written in 1868, not long after the end of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. This well-known hymn evokes the hope of escape from the suffering of this world, the promise for a better life in the next world, and the prospect of meeting long-lost loved ones again. The refrain of that song says, "We shall meet on that beautiful shore in the sweet by and by". You might notice that the text of Sad Cafe says, "we would meet . . ." There is an interesting difference between the two. Can you catch the contrast in meaning?
The SECOND literary allusion can be found in the third verse of Sad Cafe:
Oh, expecting to fly, we would meet
on that beautiful shore in the sweet by 'n' by.
This is a reference to another well-known song, "In the Sweet By and By". This song was written in 1868, not long after the end of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. This well-known hymn evokes the hope of escape from the suffering of this world, the promise for a better life in the next world, and the prospect of meeting long-lost loved ones again. The refrain of that song says, "We shall meet on that beautiful shore in the sweet by and by". You might notice that the text of Sad Cafe says, "we would meet . . ." There is an interesting difference between the two. Can you catch the contrast in meaning?
The normal meaning of the adverbial phrase "by and by" is "in the future, soon, eventually". But in this song, especially with the addition of the adjective "sweet", it is used as noun phrase and refers to heaven and the next life. Please note the difference in usage. "I'll see you by and by" just means "I'll see you after a while", but "I'll see you in the by and by" would specifically imply "in the next world".
The THIRD allusion is to another song, or actually several other related songs. We can find this in the fourth verse where it says:
Now that glory train,
it don't stop here no more.
The allusion here is more complex than the previous two. The key here is the term "Glory Train". Again, as in the case of the phrases "Amazing Grace" and "Sweet By and By", it would be very unusual for anyone to say "Glory Train" other than in reference to a very specific context. There is a song titled "Glory Train" which contains the refrain "I'm gonna ride that Glory Train, that Glory Train to freedom." And there is another song called "This Train", which contains the repeated refrain "This train is bound for glory, this train." And there is a third song called "That Glory Bound Train". All three of these (and several other variations) have a long tradition as gospel songs in the US South. The term "Glory Train" carries a double meaning - on the one hand, in the religious sense, it is a metaphor for the community of believers and the journey to heaven, but it also refers historically to the "Underground Railroad" by which escaped slaves in the US south were able to find their way to freedom in the north. So we can see that this allusion again brings us to the concepts of social injustice, oppression, and the desire to gain freedom and equality, themes that were fundamental to the social protest movements of the 1960's in the US.
The THIRD allusion is to another song, or actually several other related songs. We can find this in the fourth verse where it says:
Now that glory train,
it don't stop here no more.
The allusion here is more complex than the previous two. The key here is the term "Glory Train". Again, as in the case of the phrases "Amazing Grace" and "Sweet By and By", it would be very unusual for anyone to say "Glory Train" other than in reference to a very specific context. There is a song titled "Glory Train" which contains the refrain "I'm gonna ride that Glory Train, that Glory Train to freedom." And there is another song called "This Train", which contains the repeated refrain "This train is bound for glory, this train." And there is a third song called "That Glory Bound Train". All three of these (and several other variations) have a long tradition as gospel songs in the US South. The term "Glory Train" carries a double meaning - on the one hand, in the religious sense, it is a metaphor for the community of believers and the journey to heaven, but it also refers historically to the "Underground Railroad" by which escaped slaves in the US south were able to find their way to freedom in the north. So we can see that this allusion again brings us to the concepts of social injustice, oppression, and the desire to gain freedom and equality, themes that were fundamental to the social protest movements of the 1960's in the US.
This Train Is Bound For Glory (Live)
by New World Son |
This Train Is Bound For Glory (Live)
by Terry McMillan |
As I mentioned, this last allusion is a complex one. In addition to the references to the "Glory Train", there is another well-known song titled "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore", by Elton John. This song deals with some of the main themes of Sad Cafe, such as coming to grips with getting older and losing one's optimism and idealism, no longer being the center of the "action", maybe becoming irrelevant to the times. Elton John's song starts out with the words:
You may not believe it
But I don't believe in miracles anymore
And when I think about it
I don't believe I ever did for sure
He tells us that
I used to be the main express
But then he goes on to admit that
This train don't stop,
This train don't stop,
This train don't stop there anymore
This parallels the story in Sad Cafe, where the protagonist tells us that he "thought we could change this world with words like love and freedom", but in the end he admits to his loss of faith, his pessimism and fatalistic attitude. Just like in the Sad Cafe, Elton John says that he used to think he was the main actor ("the main express"), in the center of things, but now he realizes that the times have passed him by, and "this train don't stop there anymore".
You may not believe it
But I don't believe in miracles anymore
And when I think about it
I don't believe I ever did for sure
He tells us that
I used to be the main express
But then he goes on to admit that
This train don't stop,
This train don't stop,
This train don't stop there anymore
This parallels the story in Sad Cafe, where the protagonist tells us that he "thought we could change this world with words like love and freedom", but in the end he admits to his loss of faith, his pessimism and fatalistic attitude. Just like in the Sad Cafe, Elton John says that he used to think he was the main actor ("the main express"), in the center of things, but now he realizes that the times have passed him by, and "this train don't stop there anymore".
By looking carefully at the lyrics of the song Sad Cafe we can see how important the use of literary allusions are in a poetic composition. The inclusion of these few words (amazing grace, in the sweet by 'n' by, glory train) in the song broaden the range of implied meaning significantly, for those who recognize the allusions. And how much is lost otherwise, if these allusions are not taken into consideration.