January 13,.1968
The N. C. Essay
Page 2
What the Beatles Say ?
I must disagree with Richard
Goldstein's 'interpretation of the
Beatles’s song, "Happiness Is A Warm
Gun." The entire selection defi
nitely connotes the use of heroin.
According to the popular phras
eology, a "gun" is a syrine which a
mainliner (addict) uses to shoot
(inject the heroin). Throughout the
song there are inferences of addic
tion. " I need a fix 'cause I'm
goining down " needs very little ex
planation. Addicts need to shoot
when they physically require it and
begin to feel "down".
The line four times repeated is
"Mother Superior jump the gun". To
an addict, the pusher frequently be
comes a mother figure. One recalls
the addict in "A Hatful of Rain" re
ferring to his pusher as "Mother".
The reference to Mother Superior is
obvious also. The syringe often
takes the place of the cross and the
pusher often become the Christ fig
ure, seemingly able to relieve the
addict of his pressures and burdens.
Thus heroin becomes a religion.
The last verse is in the same
vein. Lennon and McCartney say that
" When I hold you in my arms, and I
feel my finger on your trigger, I
know that no one can do me no harm".
It is perhaps in the last verse that
one truly senses what the song is
really about. When the addict feels
himself shooting up, he knows that
he will enter a euphoric world that
no one else may enter.
It is also interesting to note
that in the background, the back up
lines are "Bang, Bang, Shoot, Shoot".
The implications are fairly obvious.
Once again the Beatles have
commented on the existing social
conditions of youth today. They
have done it so subtly, however,
that even an expert like Richard
Goldstein could not perceive it.
Micheal S. Kimmel,
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pa.
THE N. C. ESSAY STAFF
Editor
Co-editor & Review
Feature Writers
Dance Editor
Misic Editor
Political & Editorial
Typists
Proofreader
Design Editor
Business Manager
Advertising Manager
Production
Art
Advisor
Tony Senter
Lynn Bernhardt
David Wood
Mark Walsh
Sandra Williams
Celia Sparger
D. Williamson
Harold Ingram
Pat Yancey
Carol McCurdy
Becky Troxler
Ruth Critchley
Tess Morton
Polly Crocker
Marcia Steel
Jeanne Jennings
Lorna Frady
Anthony Fragola
Dance News
WALLACE TO RETURN
FOR MASTER CLASS
The modem dancers will again
be pleased to have Carol Wallace
teaching master classes to them this
week. Miss Wallace has taught at
NCSA two previous times during the
summer sessions.
Miss Wallace was a member of
the Pauline Koner Company for three
seasons. Her choreography has ap
peared in New York by several compa
nies. Also manu productions in Wil
liamsburg, Virginia such as Macbeth
and the Fantasticks have been chore
ographed by Miss Wallace.
Currently Miss Wallace is on
the Modem Dance faculty of the Col
lege of William and Mary.
Two dancers recently took steps
upward in their dancing professions.
They are Ellen Parker, a former NCSA
student and Marilyn Snyder a present
student at NCSA. They both have re
ceived contracts to join the Pennsyl
vania Ballet Company. Congratulations
to these two promising young dancers.
Crafts
f J'HJ"' Finishes
THRUWAY SHOPPING CENTER LOWER MALL
WELCOME TO
The Wagon Wheel
Restaurant
A18 Waughtown St.
10 A.M. - Midnight
7C>PAY5 CO^)CfR^>S A HNt)
WROM CMiep a icse^.
/
we
WAS mo\
AW THIS MAM WHOM e[/6R^O)e CAUeP
A mR eeme miuemr
/
PR0^PefJTOF
The uunep
6TAT5S. ^
AWP HIS I^He IS mi H0B6Rrr
raARP
AMP w ro BeLem)epmjTooR
FROM 7H(5
16 iOHAT, eimie ?
Va>'R5 A
LOSeR..