"I can't see New York" and the September 11th Attacks
I cant see New York is one of the most heart-wrenching songs on the entire album. In the song, Scarlet has traveled to New York, where she witnesses as the plane crashes into the World Trade Center Towers on September 11, 2001. The song is written from the point of view of a woman trapped in one of the planes. It is about what she felt, saw, and heard in that crash before she died. She has not reached her destination. She set out for New York, and though she is physically there, she cant see New York, as [shes] circling Down through white cloud, falling out (Amos).
On that fateful day in September of 2001, so many people were shocked to see such a blatant attack on America. Most of American society did not understand the reasons behind it. Though there is never any reason to kill anyone, the World Trade Center Towers did not go down without a history.
There are so many people that are oblivious to certain people, places, and events, until they are forced to confront it. For example, precisely how many people before the war in Vietnam knew where Vietnam was? Furthermore, how many people cared? The answer is that no one cared. It was viewed as unimportant, and thus everyone was shocked when their sons were drafted to war, in a country no one had even heard of.
The whole world stopped and turned to watch the World Trade Center towers fall on September 11, 2001. Furthermore, American society was shocked and horrified. How could something like this happen? Rage and hatred were spurred inside American people. Mostly, though, there was confusion.
However, it is obvious that something like this does not just happen. No terrorist group, whether from Afghanistan or another country, randomly decides to attack anyone, let alone America, which is viewed to be the most powerful nation in the world. There are events, places, peoples, and times that lead up to things like this.
If a person were to talk to someone from Afghanistan who is unaffiliated with the terrorist group, which the majority of Afghans are not affiliated with, there would be a great deal learned. After describing the shock and horror one felt after the 9/11 attacks to this Afghan individual, an answer to that person might be along the lines of Wow, that is exactly what it is like every single day here.
Just like that, maybe Americans would understand how ignorant they have been, as ignorance is one of the only truly legitimate excuses as to why someone would not understand the reasons for an attack on America. Regardless of whether the President or the government knew of these attacks beforehand, it should not have been a complete shock. For most of American society, it was a wake up call. Unfortunately, this is how American society had to learn of their ignorance.
Finally, American society has something in common with Scarlet after the September 11th attacks: they are beginning to question certain people and events they never thought to question before. Though a great number of people are being influenced by mainstream media and taking on the beliefs of those in power, there is also an increasing amount of people taking it upon themselves to fight for what they feel is right, and argue against what they feel is wrong. Since the United States has gotten involved in the war in Iraq, people are beginning to disregard what the American government is telling them, and they are starting to express their feelings on this war. Perhaps, on a different level, they are finally fighting for the true democracy the American government always promised, but has yet to deliver.
The song starts out very slowly, giving the listener a sense of loss and abandonment. After the line, Is there a signal there? (Amos), the drums are introduced to the song, and, at that moment, one gets the sense of a crash. One can almost see the planes crashing into the towers at the moment there is a crash of drums.
The emotions continue to run high throughout the epic seven-minute song. The song changes tempo many times. It slows down with the I can't see New York (Amos) refrains. These parts are very vivid as this woman remembers that her lovers lips are warm (Amos), as she fears she will never feel them against her lips again since she cant seem to find [her] way out of this Hunting ground (Amos). While Amos sings these lines, the guitars and bass almost fade away, and the drums stop, grabbing the listeners attention, and making them concentrate on this womans heart-broken words.
On that fateful day in September of 2001, so many people were shocked to see such a blatant attack on America. Most of American society did not understand the reasons behind it. Though there is never any reason to kill anyone, the World Trade Center Towers did not go down without a history.
There are so many people that are oblivious to certain people, places, and events, until they are forced to confront it. For example, precisely how many people before the war in Vietnam knew where Vietnam was? Furthermore, how many people cared? The answer is that no one cared. It was viewed as unimportant, and thus everyone was shocked when their sons were drafted to war, in a country no one had even heard of.
The whole world stopped and turned to watch the World Trade Center towers fall on September 11, 2001. Furthermore, American society was shocked and horrified. How could something like this happen? Rage and hatred were spurred inside American people. Mostly, though, there was confusion.
However, it is obvious that something like this does not just happen. No terrorist group, whether from Afghanistan or another country, randomly decides to attack anyone, let alone America, which is viewed to be the most powerful nation in the world. There are events, places, peoples, and times that lead up to things like this.
If a person were to talk to someone from Afghanistan who is unaffiliated with the terrorist group, which the majority of Afghans are not affiliated with, there would be a great deal learned. After describing the shock and horror one felt after the 9/11 attacks to this Afghan individual, an answer to that person might be along the lines of Wow, that is exactly what it is like every single day here.
Just like that, maybe Americans would understand how ignorant they have been, as ignorance is one of the only truly legitimate excuses as to why someone would not understand the reasons for an attack on America. Regardless of whether the President or the government knew of these attacks beforehand, it should not have been a complete shock. For most of American society, it was a wake up call. Unfortunately, this is how American society had to learn of their ignorance.
Finally, American society has something in common with Scarlet after the September 11th attacks: they are beginning to question certain people and events they never thought to question before. Though a great number of people are being influenced by mainstream media and taking on the beliefs of those in power, there is also an increasing amount of people taking it upon themselves to fight for what they feel is right, and argue against what they feel is wrong. Since the United States has gotten involved in the war in Iraq, people are beginning to disregard what the American government is telling them, and they are starting to express their feelings on this war. Perhaps, on a different level, they are finally fighting for the true democracy the American government always promised, but has yet to deliver.
The song starts out very slowly, giving the listener a sense of loss and abandonment. After the line, Is there a signal there? (Amos), the drums are introduced to the song, and, at that moment, one gets the sense of a crash. One can almost see the planes crashing into the towers at the moment there is a crash of drums.
The emotions continue to run high throughout the epic seven-minute song. The song changes tempo many times. It slows down with the I can't see New York (Amos) refrains. These parts are very vivid as this woman remembers that her lovers lips are warm (Amos), as she fears she will never feel them against her lips again since she cant seem to find [her] way out of this Hunting ground (Amos). While Amos sings these lines, the guitars and bass almost fade away, and the drums stop, grabbing the listeners attention, and making them concentrate on this womans heart-broken words.
