Analyze these lyrics

[TimothyBFan]

I've thought about starting a topic like this for awhile but last night, while listening to the ipod in the tanning bed, a song came on and I thought to myself, WTH? That makes no sense to me! I know not all lyrics have to, or are even meant to, make sense. I thought we could put some of the stranger lyrics we've all wondered about here and see how others may interpret them.

The one that got me last night was Athena by The Who. I admit I'm not a Who fan, and don't even really know why this is on my ipod (for hubby perhaps). The first couple verses I kinda get, but the 4th verse blows my mind. Here it is....


Consumed, there was a beautiful white horse I saw on a dream stage
He had a snake the size of a sewer pipe living in his rib cage
I felt like a pickled priest who was being flambed
You got me requisitioned blondie

The first couple of verses I think Athena is a woman he's in love with and is telling her just how much. 3rd verse-maybe she's left him and so he's fretting about it. But then the above verse.... who the heck knows?

Any Who fans out there that know anything about this song?

[MikeA]

I know nothing about the song, but did find this in Wikipedia

Pete Townshend wrote this song after an encounter with actress Theresa Russell. He promptly fell in love with her, and his frustration of being rejected is contained in this song. In this context, associated with an issue with a film director, it became a subplot of the much later The Lifehouse Chronicles. Townshend initially changed the title to "Athena" to disguise who the song was really about.

And, very interesting outtake on the interpretations which do not cover the lyrics you were interested in but interesting none-the-less (I'm not even sure that Townshend made that statement or if it was just comment made by the one posting the critique)

The truth is that the song “Athena” is written about my poster “Athena.” The poster has the picture of an atomic mushroom cloud on it. When the poster is held upside down the photo reminds me of a woman’s wedding dress. That is why the lyrics go “She’s just a girl, She’s a bomb.”

[sodascouts]

I think he was probably on hallucinogens when he wrote that! lol