Mrs Bartolozzi. WTF?
She's singing about some lady washing her family's dirty clothes through a reflected momment of some time in her past. As if she's in some kind of sad daydream. The concept is a good one I guess for a concept album, but the delivery is hilarious!

The album is a great album and ends beautifully.

But when I listen to this song I can't stop cracking up.

WTF?????


washing machine. washing maaaaacccchhhheeeeennnnn!!!!!

I think it's about loss. Maybe the death of her husband or something.

Murder ballad perhaps?

If you think that's weird then you should get your hands on The Dreaming.
That album is really weird.

Cloudbuster said:

Or a simple, undiluted hot fucking pretentious mess. Yes. That's what it is.

VoicesCarry said:

Says the American Life fan. lol

Cloudbuster said:

No Kate song comes close to AL for hot fucking messery and you know it!

VoicesCarry said:

So why the diss? Does every song have to have a straightforward message?

It's open to interpretation and in my opinion songwriting at its finest. I love the ambiguity of it.

Cloudbuster said:

Because I think she can be hella pretentious sometimes, and this is one of those times IMHO. It is the sonic equivalent of modern art. washing machine. washing maaaaacccchhhheeeeennnnn!!!!!

It is a great comedy song for me, though
[Edited 5/29/06 7:42am]

VoicesCarry said:

Well, that's cool. In an interview recently she said that she loved how the song resulted in lots of different responses.
Some thought it dark and disturbing, others thought it was hilarious. So, job well done, I suppose.

Cloudbuster said:

I wonder if Imago has Hounds Of Love

VoicesCarry said:

Every home should have one.

Cloudbuster said:

HUH? Really?

I remember it was that Wednesday
Oh when it rained and it rained
They traipsed mud all over the house
It took hours and hours to scrub it out
All over the hall carpet
I took my mop and bucket
And I cleaned and I cleaned
The kitchen floor
Until it sparkled
Then I took my laundry basket
And put the linen all in it
And everything I could fit in it
And all our dirty clothes that hadn't gone into the wash
And all your shirts and jeans and things
And put them in the new washing machine
Washing machine
Washing machine

I watched them go 'round and 'round
My blouse wrapping itself around your trousers
Oh the waves are going out
My skirt floating up around my waist
As I wade out into the surf
Oh and the waves are coming in
Oh and the waves are going out
Oh and you're standing right behind me
Little fish swim between my legs
Oh and the waves are coming in
Oh and the waves are going out
Oh and the waves are coming in
Out of the corner of my eye
I think I see you standing outside
But it's just your shirt
Hanging on the washing line
Waving its arm as the wind blows by
And it looks so alive
Nice and white
Just like its climbed right out
Of my washing machine
Washing machine
Washing machine

Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy
Get that dirty shirty clean
Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy
Make those cuffs and collars gleam
Everything clean and shiny

Washing machine
Washing machine
Washing machine

I read that this was a song about the character being in an erotic haze via the washing machine, but I guess you could interpret it a totally different way, too.

squiddyren said:

thats what i originally thought...but now im all sortsa confused.

sosgemini said:

It was suggested that the bit about folk traipsing mud all over the house was the police coming to investigate a crime scene. The washing machine (metaphor?) representing cleaning up after the event. Then the part about seeing someone out of the corner of her eye, possibly a reference to a lost loved one.
A widow keeping her husband alive by still washing his clothes?

I dunno, you tell me.

I'm sorry.

Ultimately I want my thread to be a conduit for sweet sweet love, but I see it's cuased alot of bickering.



Kate.



washing maccccchhhhheeeeennnnn!
:

Imago said:

You're forgiven by use of that word.

Cloudbuster said:

Imago said:

Well, fuck you, then.

Cloudbuster said:

Cloudbuster said:

I think that's exactly what it is.

my CD fell down the back of the book case before christmas I only got to hear it once or twice

Yes, "Washing macheeeeen," and "Swishy swashy" are too much for me.

But far worse is "3.14159....."

good cd, though.

NDRU said:

my lord i must be mental cause i love both those songs...

sosgemini said:

no, no. You just have different tastes than we do.



























you're mental becuase you defended Sinead O'conner's horrible tasts in album covers

sosgemini said:

I like them, too, except for those lyrics.

Imago said:

dont make me beat up your nephew "you".

VoicesCarry said:

What's wrong with modern art?

VoicesCarry said:

The riff between you and I about Janet is now mended by our mutual feelings about Kate

Imago said: