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Cleaning My Gun
Topic Started: Sunday, 20. November 2016, 20:44 (108 Views)
Stanko
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Hi, I think every song deserve its own topic so I do my humble effort in that way every time I have a reason to come up!

Anyway,
what do you think of the verse "Tap the storm glass now and then"?
Why would someone tap the storm glass? Maybe just because one doesn't have anything else to do but bore himself?
... always at your boots, the mud behind the byre with its clammy hold ;-)
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suprlinda
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Hi, Stanko. Here is another example of needing the previous line to make things clear. "I keep a weather eye on the horizon, tap the stormglass now and then." He is keeping an eye on the weather, and the "stormglass" refers to a barometer. You have to tap it every now and then because the mercury in it will stick to the top of the column and you won't get a true reading. Always kind of problematic if you are depending on the barometer to alert you to a storm coming in! :P
A pack of dog jackals and a rabble of ravens
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Stanko
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Thanks Linda, I meant to respond before but we were down :-)

Yes, but If I got it right, he is watching for the goons to come actually, more likely than for a weather literally? That is the reason why I thought a weather issues is out of place here, perhaps if a "storm glass" could be a way to continue figurative speech in showing how he is over cautious about "their" unwanted visit?
... always at your boots, the mud behind the byre with its clammy hold ;-)
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suprlinda
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Sorry I didn't get right back to you. I have been out of town visiting family during a national holiday here.

You may be correct about Mark's use of weather figuratively, but remember, he starts out "I keep a weather eye on the horizon." That line could go either way, but at the start of the third verse which contains the lines we have been discussing, he says "Remember it got so cold ice froze up the tank, We lit a fire beneath her just so she would crank." That sounds like a water tank from a well to supply them with water. He certainly seems to be recalling bad weather from another, bad time. I'm not sure how this might relate to another meaning, unless the bad weather is equatable to having "goons" come in and start to break the place up.

He seems to want to be ready for whatever happens, be it bad weather or some rowdies who want to make trouble, so he keeps a weather eye out, a tire iron in the corner and is cleaning his gun.
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Stanko
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I hope you had a great time.

Thanks, yes, now I actually do believe it really refer to the both.

Just to add when you came to mention it - the line "just so she would crank" probably refers to an engine or a car needs some "help" if you want it to start when it gets that cold!


:wave:
... always at your boots, the mud behind the byre with its clammy hold ;-)
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suprlinda
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I still think the "crank" refers to the well's ability to draw water. I can't think of any other kind of tank that might have some sort of engine other than from a well, unless it was a gas tank on a car. In that case, I would hope you didn't build a fire to thaw the gas lines out! When it got too cold, the pipes probably froze up, so they thawed them out with a fire (probably outside). The tank would be for both storage and to maintain water pressure. The place has a kitchen and a dishwasher, so it needs quite a bit of water, especially if it has a non-human dishwasher!

Of course, other kinds of engines do need help sometimes when it gets too cold.
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Stanko
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Thanks Linda.
Yes, the water system with a pump is definitely an option, but l believe that the verse could only refer to an engine (not to the car necessarily) but to a engine I believe. It could be an engine of whatever it was though, perhaps a power generator?
Presumably it's not so hard to thaw the water out but to start the engine - which could really be more difficult - and using "She" in the context suggest the same - that it's refer to an engine.
I'm led by the "got so cold" which I consider it must be somewhat more below 0C, more likely something about -15C or even more bellow where even regular engines with an antifreeze liquid would have some problems...
More further, I know that the every diesel engines has its heater for start when it is cold albeit it would not be of help necessarily if it's too cold. In Russia, Siberia, for example, I saw they would be running those engines and CARS AS WELL (lol) non-stop during the winter months due to they would not be able to start it if they stop!

Anyway, "don't count me out", take this only as a digression - it's just me sharing my thoughts.
:huh:
:wave:
... always at your boots, the mud behind the byre with its clammy hold ;-)
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Stanko
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Throwing HOT WATER in -41 Degree Russia Weather
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dbpsvjwyzV4
:lol:
... always at your boots, the mud behind the byre with its clammy hold ;-)
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ponysoldier12
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damn i love this song.....a poster from you tube says you have to hear a few strokes on that guitar to know that is mark ....wow trade mark , mark hahahahahaha
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