"The train" By Abie Rotenberg

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  • #615941
    ubiquitin
    Participant

    I like this song, but have a question on it.

    Just as a reminder it is a song about “riding a train” which is a mashal for life.

    Here is my question the mashal doesnt make any sense. I think since the nimshal is so obvious people automatically view it in terms of the nimshal. But a mashal has to make sense too.

    Some examples:

    “youll soon be going for a ride theres no place to run no place to hide”

    While this makes sense for life (the nimshal) the mashal doesnt make sense what kind of train cant you hide from?

    “you try to check your ticket but dont know what it means will you ride on velvet and dine on fine cusine or is a place to sit upon a worn out wooden seat with a slice of old and crusty bread your only food to eat.”

    Again while an apt description of life (the nimshal) I have never heard of a train with randomly assigned seats and tickets that are indecipherable, have you? Again the mashal doesnt make sense.

    And so on and so forth

    thoughts?

    #1090466
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    He made up a story of a train ride where the rider has no choice, and doesn’t know where he’ll sit.

    It’s not a true story, he made it up.

    #1090467
    Miriam377
    Participant

    Most of his Journey’s songs have double meanings.

    #1090468
    Avram in MD
    Participant

    ubiquitin,

    While this makes sense for life (the nimshal) the mashal doesnt make sense what kind of train cant you hide from?

    Just as we were born and live against our will, in the context of this song, I assume the rider is going to take a ride against his will.

    “you try to check your ticket but dont know what it means will you ride on velvet and dine on fine cusine or is a place to sit upon a worn out wooden seat with a slice of old and crusty bread your only food to eat.”

    Again while an apt description of life (the nimshal) I have never heard of a train with randomly assigned seats and tickets that are indecipherable, have you? Again the mashal doesnt make sense.

    It would make sense if someone handed him a ticket rather than purchasing it himself.

    #1090469
    ubiquitin
    Participant

    DY

    So you agree in the real world the mashal in this song is nonsense?

    #1090470
    Avram in MD
    Participant

    ubiquitin,

    Why are you labeling the song as a mashal? It seems more like a metaphor.

    #1090471
    Trust 789
    Member

    youll soon be going for a ride theres no place to run no place to hide”

    While this makes sense for life (the nimshal) the mashal doesnt make sense what kind of train cant you hide from?

    The cattle cars to the death camps?

    #1090472
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    Trust, that would make it an extremely depressing song/metaphor/mashal.

    #1090473
    ubiquitin
    Participant

    Trust 789

    The tune is to cheery for that plus “ride on velvet and dine on fine cusine ” On the way to aushwitz”

    Avram

    So the mashal is a person who has a ticket purchased for him and is thrown on a train against his will ok

    But the song goes on…

    “So you ask an older passenger,

    ‘How long will this ride be?’

    He says, ‘Sorry son, I can’t say, there is no gaurentee.

    It might be the next station, we’ll be there in no time.

    But maybe if you’re luckey,

    You can stay till the end of the line.'”

    so the lucky people get to stay on the train? Why is that lucky especialy if they have worn out seats and crusty bread?

    And then the song ends with the few (wise?) people who dont bother enjoying train since they are only “passing through”

    I get that a kashah on a song is proabably worse than a kasha oif ah maiseh. But the mashal makes no sense

    #1090474
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Do the mesholim of the king and his rebellious son and clever advisor make any more sense?

    Yes, it’s worse than a kashya on a maaseh. This is a kashya on a maaseh shelo hayah.

    #1090475
    sm29
    Participant

    im not the only one thinking of that, but i know it’s not about that

    #1090476
    ubiquitin
    Participant

    DY

    Yes the meshalim about king’s and sons generally make sense

    Besdies. You dont ALWAYS have to disagree with every post of mine. You seem to agree that the mashal doesnt make sense.

    Thats all. Its ok if we agree once in a while

    #1090477
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    You dont ALWAYS have to disagree with every post of mine.

    Yes I do.

    😉

    #1090478
    writersoul
    Participant

    It’s a lot easier to twist the mashal to fit the nimshal than vice versa.

    Like the man who draws the targets around the arrows… 🙂

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