Athena

[Vacc116@aol.com]

   Given the context of the cd and the use of Athene in classical mythology,
I always took the song to be more about man's relationship with war rather
than one man's relationship with a woman. Even though Pete isn't American,
this song was written during a time when America may have been close to
entering a major war with the Soviet Union and most Americans would have
supported such a war. The sickness of actually wanted a war is compared to
the sickness of wanting a woman even though your relationship with that woman
is nothing but destructive. Maybe in someways our lives can be settled by
war, winning a war give a country a great amount of pride and comfort, and
maybe somepeople can find comfort in a bad relationship because it's better
than being alone.I retrospect, maybe it's easy to see that the
war/relationship would have been wrong- "My heart felt like a shattered glass
in an acid bath. I'd top myself to give her time, she didn't need to ask. Was
I a suicidal psychopath?!?" --"How long can children remain?"
  These are just my thoughts, not sure if it works or not, that's how I see
it though.

P.S. Pete played guitar on Elton John's "Town of Plenty" on the Reg Strikes
Back cd cica 1988.

     vac