Oh, English people....

[tenaya]

I've been youtubing Tull to answer a question about tonight's concert and one thing led to another and now I'm trying to figure out the meaning to the song, One White Duck.

One poster had this to say, "I have read elsewhere that a knick-knack of 3 white ducks in flight together, which hangs on the wall, is a traditional symbol of a happy family in England."

Have any of you heard of this?

If anyone is interested in hearing the song, it's quite beautiful (acoustical with only string instruments) if enigmatic and from a time in Ian's career where his voice was outstanding, powerful, rich and full of nuances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2CCa-Vsav0

Is that a harp in there at one point?

Thanks!

Comments

[graculus.livejournal.com]

I don't know about white ducks, because I'd say white duck=dinner more than ornament over here (since the white ducks we have are Aylesburys, which are a domestic variety bred for eating and are not wild) - the kitsch collection of three flying ducks on the wall used to be mallards, not white.

[sg1scribe.livejournal.com]

Yep, I agree with graculus. The duck wall ornament is made up of three mallards, although maybe there are white duck variations. I'm not sure it is a symbol of a happy family, either. I think it has more to do with Brits lacking in style and taste ;-) Of course, now it has become something of an iconic statement, which just proves that no matter how bad something is originally, eventually someone will declare it to be art!

[sg1scribe.livejournal.com]

PS. We didn't have flying ducks in our house, but we did have a bronze plate featuring a old-fashioned ship in full sail, and yes, at one time we had a plastic ice bucket shaped like a pineapple. I still regret throwing that out when my mother passed away as they go for a quite a few quid on ebay these days!

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

LOL! Yes, there's money to made off of bad taste.

We had a picture of President Kennedy on our living room wall. Then later Dad put up a framed portrait of Richard Nixon, so there you go. I'd rather have the ship!

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Oh, you trendsetters! ;)

The worst we ever had was some of that rainbow glass and a big picture of a shire horse ploughing engraved on a metal plate (which I think my mum might still have!).

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. I remember seeing mallards on a wall but never white ducks. I think that supposition must be wrong. It must be a red herring. *g*