by Megadeth666 on Sat May 10, 2014 8:11 pm
Saturday In The Park
CHICAGO
When CTA (Chicago Transit Authority)began in the mid-to-late 60s, lots of their songs were protest oriented. With that as a preface, my take on Saturday In the Park is this: the song is a subtle comparison between a happy Saturday in a park with rides, vendors, musicians, etc., and a sad military funeral procession complete with flag-draped casket and riderless horse.
Think of the words. The verses are light. "Every day's the Fourth of July." The verses describe a fun afternoon in a city park. Then comes the bridge and the scene changes to a cemetery park. "Slow motion rider" (the riderless horse and the funeral cortege in slow march cadence---even the drum beat changes style to accentuate this); "fly the colors of the day" (the red, white and blue covering the casket); "a bronze man still can tell stories his own way" (two possibilities here; "a bronze man" could be a statue of some military leader with the plaque telling "the story his own way", or a high-ranking officer at the funeral with lots of medals and hash marks up the sleeve; he, too, tells the story his own way); then, if you are not convinced yet, the bridge ends with "listen children all is not lost, all is not lost". If this isn't a "Peace Now" call, I don't know what one is.
by Wiyakaska