Now that you guys mention the
naked limbs in "Pussywillows, Cat-tails.." w/o consulting lyrics tables myself, I wonder if he took an opposite turn here. That is to say, Gordon. and the phrase
naked limbs..and wheat bins (thins..lol), to the end of being ...shall we say ...less provocative than we think ?
As opposed to double-entendre being of course more provocative than first-listen as the norm on the dual-meaning end of lyrics mis-heard, where if we are
infact hearing "
naked limbs" correctly, AND despite it seeming a summer-time or spring song. If, however, in the context of shivering, and wood-fires a blazin'... I wonder if all of what I've said thus far leads to this:
"
naked limbs" could in fact be a reference to a common term people who work with trees in anyway frequently use the term "denuded trees/vegetation" - even in -groan-
mapping - "
denudedtrees" is the phrase used for the assumption of the aerial photos being flown at the right time of year - when there are no leaves, and you can see more of the ground, which is the goal.
So..... could he have meant all along, taking shivering, and wood fires a-blazin' into account....that he means a cold(er) time of year with leaves off of the trees, hence...my wondering, however unlikely, to use a techie term reserved commonly to forestry, landscaping, and mapping, that he's possibly MEANING when indeed singing "
naked limbs", that its cold enough out (shivering) that there are no leaves on the trees e.g. anytime other than late spring thru mid-autumn, and in fact the trees are "
denuded" which of course every student tee-hees as least to themselves when they first hear it, but find it means nothing even remotely ..er..provocative.
He does mention the warm breath of spring as I recall, implying to me its cool out and they're shivering, but there's a hint of spring in the air ? 'cept pussywillows don't grow before trees get leaves do they ? Aw-heck...over analyses.. somebody slap me back to my senses ! lol
I know, in one sentence instead of the above lol... :
Could it be
cold enough out that the
trees have no leaves [are
de-nuded] and thats the simple meaning of
naked [tree?]
limbs in context of ...
shivering.. & ...
wood-fires a-blazin' ?
OK time for somebody to hit the gong, or put the big hook out on stage lol....hey it possible.......
I have
no doubt Lightfoot is an expert forester, Landscape Architect, and aerial mapper.
Thats my story, and I'm sticking to it, to paraphrase
RM
!
Is it not equally likely a double-entendre could work both directions ? NO. ok....