MetaChat - WTF is Yellow Delaney?

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13 December 2007

WTF is Yellow Delaney? →[More:]
So I'm listening to Cat Stevens' Tea for the Tillerman this evening, and on the song Into White, he has a lyric about a "yellow Delaney" and a Google search proved fruitless as to the origin.

Any of you haidz know what or who a yellow Delaney might be?

On another note, this is a fine, fine album and I'll fight anyone who says no. You're basically listening to an entire album of great singles.

L "I am old, but I'm happy" T

post by: Lipstick Thespian at: 19:40 | 14 comments

WTF is Yellow Delaney?

He was a cowardly Irishman.

posted by jonmc 13 December | 19:45

Try "Yellow Delanie". A Google search didn't come up with much, but here somebody has the same question you do:

Now, I really like the melody of the song, and I actually don't mind the lyrics; they're about some fantasy, and that's obviously his intention. But I've always wondered who or what is a yellow delanie and why the drummer has a spider dancing on his eye. And is the chicken going to strike the spider, or what?

posted by Slack-a-gogo 13 December | 20:00

Slack-a-gogo - I think you're neato.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 13 December | 20:02

Right back atcha Lipstick Thespian, with a side of Yellow Delaney.

posted by Slack-a-gogo 13 December | 20:06

Is this a sex thing?

posted by mudpuppie 13 December | 20:31

'Cause if it is, I'd rather not know about it.

posted by mudpuppie 13 December | 20:32

No idea what it means, LT, but that is one of my all-time favorite songs. My folks still have the vinyl. Hearing the song sends me right back to some happy childhood times.

I'm very curious to find out the answer, too.

posted by lilywing13 13 December | 22:24

The thing is, we did a search and found that there's a painter, Beauford Delaney, who's known for a series of works done primarily in the color yellow, like self-portrait and yellow abstraction. Could Cat be referring to this?

posted by Miko 13 December | 22:25

I'm apologizing for lack of links, but I'm lazy right now.

"Delaney" on a baby name site turned up as "challenger from an elder tree grove" (and how weird a name etymology is that?), and there's a tree called "yellow elder." Maybe that's the tie-in? The other images I'm seeing in the song are floral and faunal.

posted by occhiblu 13 December | 22:52

Ooh, even better: Yellow Elder

posted by occhiblu 13 December | 22:54

I found another reference to the painter Beauford Delaney. It's in the comments.

posted by lilywing13 13 December | 23:15

The song seems to be about colour (if it's about anything) and I believe Miko is right.

I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice
Tables of paper wood, windows of light
And everything emptying into white.

A simple garden, with acres of sky
A brown-haired dogmouse
If one dropped by
Yellow delanie would sleep well at night
With everything emptying into white.

A sad blue eyed drummer rehearses outside
A black spider dancing on top of his eye
Red legged chicken stands ready to strike
And everything emptying into white.

I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice...
And everything emptying into white

posted by deborah 13 December | 23:30

Wow! I agree with the interpretation in lilywing's link. Excellent! It also gave me a completely new understanding of the song, suggesting that it was written during an extended hospital stay, so that Cat Stevens is contrasting the muted white world of the hospital with the intense color and concreteness of the outside world.

Cool. I love when a question opens up new knowledge.

posted by Miko 13 December | 23:38

Considering that's been one of my ever-favorite-comfort songs since, oh I dunno, forever, I'm kind of ashamed I've never looked into it more. That particular album was a huge part of my childhood, including the fact that my mom had a cute crush on the guy at the time. The song Into White was also a fine lullaby for my own children. And I'm sure that some of the symbolism has bled over into my own paintings without me even being aware.

All that said, I'm happy to agree with Miko about new knowledge.

posted by lilywing13 14 December | 01:08

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