Re: Something Trivial-but interesting

["Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I don't know man, I think you're stretching here.
> You think Roger's that dumb not to be familiar with that cliche'?

He's familiar with the cliche' alright; he's just using it incorrectly.
What he really means to say is: "What a sight I must've been."  As in,
back in the day, I was really rough, unmolded, wild.  Like the kids of
today - who, like Daltrey, will eventually turn out alright.  I thought
that was rather obvious.  Hardly a stretch.

> While I agree in the second verse he's talking about his toughness, 
> there is a distinct gap, a difference in feel and tone, between the 
> fist where he talks about age and "sight for sore eyes" and the second.  
> He's convening two separate thoughts here.

Now who's doing the stretching, Plastic Man?

> One, that at sixteen he was a looker, as apposed to the old codger he's
> become ;-).
> Two, while a looker, he was a tough cracker.

Boo!  Boo!  Bad interpretation!  Boo!  Boo!  I think the giveaway is the 
clause "I must've been."  If Daltrey were talking about being beautiful
as a youngster he would've just said, "What a sight for sore eyes I was at
the time."  But doesn't that smack of too much self pride?  When have you
ever heard Daltrey comment on being a dashing youngster?  Never!  He only
talks about how he was a thug, a fighter, a thief, & a gang member.  A 
mean SOB.

"What a sight for sore eyes *I must've been.*"  I think it's fairly obvious
he's attempting to say that as a youngster he must've been quite a sight -
*in the negative context,* not the *attractive* context.

> "Sight for sore eyes, I must have been".
> Says to me, he's talking about someone else's visual perspective of him.

Yes, that's right!  But he really means to convey that the "visual perspec-
tive" of him at a young age was disconcerting & alarming!  Not posh &
pretty.
Your interpretation goes against all that Daltrey stands for & all that he's
described about his childhood.

> Showing modesty.  Youth and beauty.

He was a fucking hoodlum!!  A hooligan!!  Youth & beauty?!  

You're just winding me up, Jeff from VT!  I know it!


- SCHRADE in Akron