In the song Tunic (Song for Karen) by Sonic Youth, what is the reference in the last verse’s phrase ‘Dan’s got a gig’? Who is Dan and what gig is it?
I always thought that the line is “the band’s got a gig.”
That’s possible. Lyrics websites often have inaccuracies. But on the dozen or so I’ve checked I’ve never seen it be anything but ‘Dan.’
I’ve just checked six sites and they all say ‘but Dan’s got a gig.’
The band’s own site:
Whenever one site has an inaccuracy, every other lyric site tends to have the same mistake. I’ve always assumed they all steal from each other.
My understanding does have the advantage of fitting the rest of the song. Not to mention, every other name given in the song seems fairly obvious in context. (Well, I’m assuming “Dennis” is Dennis Wilson.)
On edit: I swear I checked their web site, but couldn’t find the lyrics…
Yeah, navigation there is not obvious at all. I quickly gave up on clicking around and did a Google site search instead.
Ok, thank you. I didn’t know that about lyrics sites.
This thread comes up 3rd in a Google search of the phrase ‘Dan’s got a gig’ even though all the lyric sites have it too. In fact, it came up 3rd an hour ago, soon after I first posted.
99 times out of 100, lyric sites just copy what 's already out there. There are many, many wrong lyrics posted on the intratubes.
What is the tunic? Is it meant to suggest an angel’s garment? Was there a tunic in the walk-in closet in which Karen’s mother found her unconscious the morning she died?
The tunic is mentioned twice in the song, first here:
And then a couple verses later:
Does anyone know what the tunic might signify?
On the “Goo Interview Flexi”, included as the last track on the deluxe Goo reissue, Kim says “Karen Carpenter. She was so skinny when she died that her clothes hung on her like a tunic.” I suspect that’s the best answer you’re going to get.
I found it. She (Kim Gordon) also says,
By “us,” I think Kim means other women who feel pressure to be thin. But it could refer in a more general way to [Karen] wanting to be perfect for her public in her singing and performing. I wonder how aerobics could have saved her life though.
Presumably by serving as a healthier way to improve her self-image.