The following is incomplete and remains a work-in-process. Updates will be posted from time to time.
Waiting for the Sirens’ Call and The Odyssey
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Introduction
The title of New Order’s album Waiting for the Sirens’ Call contains an unmistakable allusion to the best-known incident in The Odyssey, when Odysseus has himself bound to his ship’s mast and puts wax in the ears of his men so that he can safely hear the song of the sirens, which, without these precautions, would have meant certain death for all.
More generally, WFTSC and The Odyssey are both filled with numerous wondrous journeys to exotic lands.
The parallels between WFTSC and The Odyssey do not end there. Everyone will recall that this would not be the first time that New Order have dealt with the subject of a soldier returning from war to find that at home he is believed to be dead. Love Vigilantes covered the same ground.
What follows is an attempt to identify some of the additional parallels between these two illustrious works of world literature.
The parallels between WFTSC and The Odyssey are not, for the most part, in the nature of a one-to-one correspondence between a particular track on the album and a specific episode in the epic. Instead, generally, the parallels take the form of individual lines of the album’s lyrics making reference to aspects or moments of the poem. If the question of whether there are genuinely parallels between the two works is viewed as depending on clear and sustained parallels between entire tracks of the album and specific episodes of the poem, then it may be that the following material will not be found persuasive.
The best known previous “modern” work that took The Odyssey as its model was James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. One parallel between WFTSC and Joyce’s Ulysses relates to the question of “styles.” In Ulysses, Joyce adopted a variety of writing styles, in an effort to make the “style” of each episode match the content of that episode. There are a variety of “styles” on WFTSC as well. The clearest examples of stylistic variety are track 5, I Told You So, track 8, Jetstream, track 9, Guilt Is A Useless Emotion, and track 11, Working Overtime. Some listeners have found some or all of these styles on WFTSC distracting. Perhaps if they understand that there is a thematic reason for this stylistic variety, they may be more forgiving.
One final introductory note. New Order does not have the reputation of releasing “concept” albums, with the possible exception of Technique (1989). However, with the release of WFTSC and the clear parallels between WFTSC and The Odyssey, the question is retrospectively raised as to whether perhaps some or all of their previous albums may also have been concept albums. This is the band, after all, that followed the enormously successful compilation of singles and B-sides that was titled Substance (1987) with an album that they chose to call Technique (1989). One would not expect a band as subtle and intelligent as New Order to do a concept album in an obvious way.
Contributions to the following material have been made by many members, including BIGINOIL, Huntsman, Gnu Odor, OldMonkey, and others.
Track 1 (Who’s Joe):
Since this is the opening track of the album, it would be expected that this track would be important for any thematic interpretation of the album. That expectation is amply fulfilled.
a. The initial click.
Many listeners hear what sounds like a click at the beginning of track 1. Among those who hear this click, most probably consider it to be an unfortunate production error. An alternative interpretation has been proposed by one member, who proposes that the click is intended, and has thematic meaning. He suggests various possible meanings for this click: a light being switched on, fingers being snapped, a twig snapping in a forest. A light being switched on or fingers being snapped would be conventional signifiers of a starting moment. A twig snapping in a forest is not such a conventional signifier of a beginning, but in light of the convention in ancient epic poems of beginning the story “in medias res,” in the middle of things, that view as well would be very apt.
b. The bell.
This track begins (0:15 to 0:45) with the sound of a bell. An initial possible interpretation was that this was a funeral bell, announcing the funeral of the hero, and I continue to believe this aspect is one element of the bell. However, it has been suggested that this bell is in fact a ship’s bell. It would certainly be appropriate that a poem about voyaging would begin with a ship’s bell. It has also been suggested that the ship’s bell is summoning Odysseus and his men from on-shore carousing to the start of their long journeying. In addition, of course, this bell summons listeners to the start of the journey we experience in listening to WFTSC.
c. Who IS Joe? And who is speaking to him on this track?
It has been suggested that the name “Joe” is meant to suggest that the track is addressed to an “average Joe,” an everyman, a reminder that Odysseus is a mere mortal, with no superhuman powers or other god-like attributes. There might also be a reference to “G.I. Joe,” a reference to the fact that Odysseus is a warrior, among other things.
“I’ll look for you/And I’ll get you home”“Wherever you go/Whatever you do/I’ve got to find you”“I’ll look for you/And I’ll take you there”
At least one review has noted a possible homoerotic aspect to this track, in light of the fact that the male singer addresses a male character with love and a caring, protective attitude. Although New Order’s many gay fans would undoubtedly be pleased with such an interpretation, it is probably not correct. The more genuinely gay moments on the album come later.
At the start of The Odyssey, Odysseus’s son Telemachus goes in search of his long-absent father. The most likely speaker on this track is thus Telemachus, addressing the father that he is searching for.
Another possibility is that the speaker is Athena, Odysseus’s protector among the gods. If Athena is the speaker on this track, this would not be the first time that Bernard Sumner has adopted a female persona in a New Order track; the other obvious example is 1963.
“There’s a storm in the sky passing over”
There are numerous storms in The Odyssey, part of the pattern of events that prevent Odysseus from getting home.
“You’ve got eyes like an old wounded soldier”
As noted above, Odysseus is a soldier, returning home from the Trojan war.
Bernard Sumner has made the statement that Who’s Joe is about a tramp. Odysseus in fact repeatedly disguises himself as an aged beggar. Most notably, when he first arrives back home, his protector the goddess Athena transforms him: “I’ll dim the fire in your eyes, so shiny once” (13:458) (Fagles translation).
“They cry tears to be lost in the wind”
A reference to the tears shed by Odysseus, particularly while he is with Calypso, at being kept so long away from his home, his wife, and his son.
“They say you don’t care any more”
For those in Odysseus’s homeland, if they are not in the group that believes he must be dead, surely there are some who believe, and even say, that, having been gone this long, he doesn’t “care any more.”
“You had your heart broke by a woman”
A reference to Calypso, who breaks Odysseus’ heart by keeping him from going home.
d. The sound of a great creature breathing.
At the very end of track 1, starting at 5:30, there is a sound that resembles the sound of a great creature breathing. Perhaps this is a reference to Scylla.
However, an alternative interpretation for this breathing sound has been suggested. In a newspaper interview at the time of WFTSC’s release, Bernard Sumner discussed his love of boats and said “when you sleep on a boat it feels like the earth is breathing.” Under this view, the great creature that seems to be heard breathing at the end of track 1 would be the earth itself. The image of the earth breathing is a strong one. Could the sounds heard at the end of Who’s Joe be a reference to the sound of waves lapping against the hull of a boat? If so, the rhythm would be the sound of a beast not quite at peace.
Track 2: (Hey Now What You Doing)
“You’ve gotta lift that heavy load”
This may be a reference to Sisyphus, one of the many dead seen by Odysseus in his visit to the land of the dead, doomed forever to push a boulder up a hill (11:681-689).
“You’ve gotta get back in control”
During Odysseus’s long absence from home, his home in Ithaca has effectively been taken over by suitors seeking to marry Odysseus’s wife Penelope, in the belief that Odysseus must be dead. When Odysseus eventually makes his way back home, it is necessary for him to “get back in control,” by getting rid of the suitors.
“Banging on an open gate”
This is unquestionably one of the most memorable lines on the album. In terms of personal relations, the reference is to a situation where one person attempts to take by force or violence something that would be freely given if asked for, such as another person’s affection or love. It has been suggested that the “open gate” here refers to the gates of Troy, which were breached not by violence but by trickery, opened freely by the inhabitants of the city to admit the Trojan horse. It has been pointed out that, strictly speaking, the Trojan war preceded the action depicted in The Odyssey, and that is of course true. Nevertheless, the Trojan war was of course the reason Odysseus was away from home in the first place, and there are certainly references to the war in the Odyssey.
“You took it from your shoulder holster”
A reference to a weapon. There are many weapons in The Odyssey.
Track 3: (Waiting for the Sirens’ Call)
This is the album’s title track, and is also considered by many to be one of the two most successful tracks on the album (along with track 10, Turn). Accordingly, one would expect this track to be particularly resonant to any thematic interpretation of the album. The track amply fulfills that expectation, with its focus on journeys and waiting.
“What does this ship bring to me/Far across the restless sea”
For the most part, the point of view on WFTSC is that of Odysseus. In these lines, however, it may be that the point of view is that of Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, waiting at home for any word or sign of him, and, when any ship appears from “far across the restless sea,” wondering “what does this ship bring for me,” does it perhaps bring her husband home to her.
“Drifting slowly from her course”
Odysseus has unquestionably drifted, against his will, from his course home.
“To the wall and through the door”
Another likely reference to Troy, the walls of the city, the “door” or gate of the city, and the Greek armies, including Odysseus, coming first “to the wall” and then “through the door.”
“I won’t desert you/I don’t know what to say/I really hurt you/I nearly gave it all away”
“I won’t desert you” is an appropriate line to be addressed by an absent Odysseus to his wife waiting for him at home; he is resolved to return home, no matter how many difficulties are placed in his way. “I really hurt you” is also an appropriate line, an apology for an extended absence that has not been chosen by Odysseus, but that has been a consequence of his actions, and that has unquestionably hurt his wife. “I nearly gave it all away,” nearly lost everything by reason of the length of his absence.
“Gotta catch the midnight train”
Of course there are no railroad trains in The Odyssey, but the reference to a “midnight train” suggests dangerous and surreptitious journeys, of which there are many in The Odyssey. It has been noted that there were other sorts of trains at the time of The Odyssey, such as caravans composed of carts or wagons.
“Travel with a document/ All across the continent”
It is not entirely clear if there is a precise parallel in the Odyssey for these lines, but the general notion of a messenger carrying an important document on a long and dangerous journey is certainly not foreign to the body of literature of which The Odyssey is a part. It has been noted that the concept of a “document” is somewhat foreign to The Odyssey, since paper had not yet been invented.
One possibility is that these lines refer to Hermes being sent by Zeus to Calypso to order her to let Odysseus go home. The message carried by Hermes may be the “document.”
“How many times must I lose my way”
This line may be a reference to the tasks or labors that are typically set for epic heroes to perform. This line is certainly descriptive of Odysseus’s lengthy wanderings.
Track 4 (Krafty):
Most listeners find the title “Krafty” somewhat mystifying. Many believe it is a reference to Kraftwerk. Another possibility is that the title refers to Odysseus’s best-known personal quality. Odysseus is commonly referred to as “wily,” in other words “crafty” or “krafty.” The Trojan horse was his idea, for example.
“I need a second chance”
After being away so long, Odysseus needs a “second chance” to make a life with his wife.
“Looking at the stars from underneath a tree.”
In the Nausicaa episode, Odysseus spends a night sleeping in a tree. Thus, one can imagine Odysseus “looking at the stars from underneath a tree” during this experience. “They’ve got violence, wars, and killing too”
There has been no lack of “violence, wars, and killing too” in the life Odysseus has experienced during his long absence from home.
Track 5 (I Told You So):
“It’s been ten long years since I’ve been home”
This line is one of the more strikingly clear allusions to The Odyssey on WFTSC. The reference is to the length of time Odysseus has been away from home, first, because of the Trojan war, and after that because of journeys and extended involuntary stays, such as a seven-year stay on Calypso’s island. Surely it is no coincidence that the style of I Told You So is a style that every listener would associate with “the islands.”
Actually, by the time Odysseus reaches home, he has been gone for twenty years, but at the beginning of the period of time depicted in The Odyssey, after the end of the Trojan War, he has been away from home for “ten long years.”
“You conned me with your feline tricks”
Probably a reference to either Calypso or Circe or both. However, it should be noted that Odysseus’s wife Penelope is also accused by the suitors of being cunning and full of tricks, promising to choose one of them when she finishes her weaving, but secretly unraveling every night what she has done during the day.
Track 6 (Morning Night and Day):
Presumably every listener recognizes that this track is about addictive substance abuse. In one episode of the Odyssey, Odysseus and his men visit the land of the lotus-eaters. “Lotus-eating” is of course a term that remains in common usage as a reference to substance abuse.
“In my case, it was not my fault/ Other people made that call”
Some of the most strikingly contemporary lines on the album. “Other people made that call” may refer to the fact that Odysseus’s difficulties are largely due to events beyond his control.
Track 7 (Dracula's Castle):
Dracula’s Castle may be a reference to Cyclops’ cave. The common thread is feasting on human flesh, although in slightly different ways. Vampires are generally interested only in draining their victim’s blood, whereas Cyclops and his kind devour the victim whole. Cyclops devours several of Odysseus’s comrades before Odysseus blinds him with a sharpened stick in his single eye.
In book 24 of the Odyssey, after all of the suitors have been killed, as Hermes leads them to the land of the dead, they are likened to bats.
Track 8 (Jetstream):
“I need that engine’s push/ It’s gonna take me home to you”“Home with me”
The Odyssey is all about Odysseus trying to get home to his wife.
It has been suggested that Jetstream alludes to the Aeolus episode in The Odyssey, in which Odysseus is blown back and forth by strong winds.
It has been suggested that tracks 7 and 8, Jetstream and Guilt Is A Useless Emotion, represent the Scylla and Charibdis that a listener must get past in order to reach the reward of track 10, Turn. This suggestion was obviously presented by one of those listeners who does not care for the style of these two tracks.
Track 9 (Guilt Is A Useless Emotion):
“Thinking of the joy you bring when you do that thing to me/ You sure know a lot for a girl”
This track is obviously the gay moment on the album, although not explicitly so in the lyrics, except in the foregoing line, which suggests the speaker’s experience may not limited to “girls.” It is instead the style of the track that imparts a gay feel. It is not fully apparent what this gay element has to do with The Odyssey. Perhaps there is some connection with the Night-town episode in Ulysses, during which the Odysseus figure, Leopold Bloom, visits a brothel and is temporarily transformed into a woman. Or perhaps it is a reference to the fact that the goddess Athena, as she tries to help Odysseus get home, adopts various male disguises, including disguising herself as Telemachus, Odysseus’s son. Or perhaps it is simply a reference to the common view that sexual relations between men were not unknown in ancient Greece.
Apart from the gay subtext, the suggestion of casual sex in this track may refer to the liaisons between some of the female servants in Odysseus’s household and some of the suitors for Penelope.
“Maybe I’m losing my mind”
As part of the gay focus of this track, this is one of many Pet Shop Boys allusions (doubly, triply, or quadruply gay, since the reference is to their brilliant cover of Stephen Sondheim’s Losing My Mind, based on the version of this song that they produced for Liza Minnelli, daughter of gay icon Judy Garland).
Track 10 (Turn):
It would seem difficult to ignore the fact that this track is about someone coming home to a loved one after a very long absence, like Odysseus coming home to his wife Penelope.
“It’s a hard way to come home”
The track’s first line refers to coming home, and homecoming is the subject of the entire track. As noted above, The Odyssey is about Odysseus’s attempts to come home.
“The walls are tumbling down”
Another reference to the destruction of Troy, with its “walls. . . tumbling down.”
“The days turn into months and years”
A reference to the months and years of Odysseus’s absence from home.
“Across the hills and over the sea”
The foregoing words aptly describe Odysseus’s journeying.
“It’s a wild world out there”
It has been “a wild world” for Odysseus in his long absence from home and in his varied adventures.
“The sky is high, the road is long”
For Odysseus in his extended journeying, it is accurate to say “the road is long.”
“They’re falling like the leaves”
Another aspect of this track is death, with homecoming seen as a return to dust. In ancient epics and throughout literature, “falling. . . leaves” have been used as a metaphor for death.
Track 11 (Working Overtime):
“House music all night long”
Many listeners feel that listening to track 11 makes them feel as if they were in hell. I believe that this reaction to track 11 was intended. In The Odyssey, Odysseus visits the underworld, the home of the dead. It is not uncommon for a world of nightlife and all-night partying to be used as a vision of hell.
cuase i enjoyed it lol
