A question regarding "sweet scarlet"

[shunra]

hi

I'm not a native english speaker but I know that ''scarlet"is a kind of red color ,but I looked up in the dictionary and the slang meaning was "someone who is sexually immoral",does anyone know what is the meaning of this word in the song?

[Vivian]

Cat wrote the song for Carly Simon who he was dating at the time. That's all I know.

Peace,Vivian

[butterfly]

Yes, that is my information, too.
"Once she came into my room, feathered hat an' all, wearing a warm wool shawl, wrapped around her shoulders"............ a very longingly melodie. (Dont know, if this is the right word)!

[shunra]

I know that he wrote it about her ,but what did he mean by the word '' scarlet" ?was he refering to that slang meaning or did he mean something else?

[Deleted]

I believe the 'scarlet' refers to red wine...#As we drank down the wine, to the last sweet scarlet#, and #Every bottle's empty now#.

[suncatcher]

polygor said:

I believe the 'scarlet' refers to red wine...#As we drank down the wine, to the last sweet scarlet#, and #Every bottle's empty now#.

Yes, polygor - Here is one description of Sweet Scarlet:

Sweet Scarlet is a cranberry-strawberry fusion in the sweet wine category. There’s no mistaking the smells and tastes, but it’s interesting to see how they combine. If you just let this wine sit in the glass the unmistakable smell of strawberry hits the nose; swirl the glass around and cranberry becomes the dominant smell. In the mouth it’s a similar sensation, with sweet strawberry in the mouth, finishing with the tartness of cranberry, and I could swear there’s some cinnamon that sneaks its way into the mid-palate. It is because of the cranberry finish that this wine does not come off as being overly sweet. Ice cold is the best way to serve this wonderful dessert wine … great on its own or, believe it or not, with a stick of red licorice.

All those gates have opened now, and through the light
Has shone
Ah, but the song carries on...so holy

~Sun~

[m@kansascity]

thanx suncatcher for those infos, very interesting

sweet scarlet is my favourite cat stevens song

[shunra]

Thanks for the infomation

But I still wonder if there's double meaning here,a kind of a pun ...he breaks up with her "I want you so to know,there's no bridge between us" maybe because she was unfaithful ,sexually immoral-"scarlet" ...?I suppose only cat himself can answer that for sure ...but I am still curious..

[Deleted]

sweet scarlet is my favourite cat stevens song [/quote]

...and has been mine too since I first heard it way back in 1974.
My love of the song reminds me of an unrequited teen age crush I once had. How about you?

[Chris]

I agree with Sun and Polygor. Scarlet most likely refers to the last red drop of sweet wine. I never connected scarlet woman to sweet scarlet before you mentioned it. (still don't see it). Even though I read 'The Scarlet Letter' by Hawthorne years ago.

I love the piano score on Sweet Scarlet. What a gorgeous song.

[shunra]

It is one of my favorite songs too.. :)that's why I really wanted to understand it more deeply and to know if there is some hidden meaning in it ...Iwas not familiar with the term "scarlet woman"before I looked in the dictionary, is it a familiar term in english?and what is this "The scarlet letter"that you mentioned refers to?Because english is not my native language I always feel that maybe there are things that I miss, or d'ont undrstand the hidden meaning between the lines because of it.Apart from that I feel that many of cat's lyrics are quite complex and symbolical but maybe in this song it is really only sweet red wine... ;)Although there is a poetic oppsition between ''holy" and "scarlet":"Ah,but the song carries on... so holy"

[philotheatoo]

In America, the word scarlet has more than one meaning. One meaning is the color red, another is a description of wine, and the other means sexually promiscuous. To use the word scarlet when describing a woman in America would be an insult. I cannot imagine Yusuf, then or now, using this word in that context, especially in a public song. Since I too have heard the song hundreds of times and never thought the word scarlet was anything other than a color, I am sure it is NOT a negative connotation of a person. It is probably all as clear as mud now! ;D

[shunra]

Thanks philoteatoo

It is much more clear now Ididn't know this term is so insulting ...

[Chris]

shunra said:

and what is this "The scarlet letter"that you mentioned refers to?

The Scarlet Letter is a 19th century American Literature from novelist Nathanial Hawthorne. It is a must read for most American school students, well at least it was when I was in high school, many years ago.

[suncatcher]

Hi, Shunra!

On a lighter note, I wanted to mention that it's dawned on me (from your introduction in the "Introduce Yourself" thread) that you're a new Cat fan. So maybe you'd be surprised to know that Carly Simon recently released an album which is named after (and contains) the song, "Into White," which Cat wrote around 1970.



Here is a You Tube video of Carly Simon singing her cover of Cat Steven's "Into White."

And here is the link to Carly Simon's Official Website for Into White. This website has a wonderful video where Carly discusses why she chose Cat Steven's "Into White." When describing how she feels when singing it, she says, “I feel that I’m in a dream that he had when I sing it . . ."

I think that's so beautiful!

And here is a quote from a recent interview Back in the spotlight with Yusuf:

Q: Speaking of old friends, Carly Simon is an old friend of yours and titled her recent album after one of your early songs "Into White." What did that mean to you? Did you ever speak to her about it?

A: I did, and I was totally surprised and honored that she'd done that - particularly with that song because I always thought that was one of my little gems of a song. Even though there isn't great meaning to it, it paints pictures, which I used to love to do with words and I still do with words. I was very honored and I thanked her very much. I did speak to her when she told me that she recorded it and titled the album after that song.

[/i]
So Cat/Yusuf uses words such as "holy" and "honored" when speaking of his friend, Carly Simon. For what it's worth, in my humble opinion, they are friends who were - and still are - truly respectful of one another.

Thank you for giving us so much to think about, Shunra!

~Sun~

[shunra]

Thanks for everything suncatcher!

Carly Simon is truely amazing..her voice just transcends you to a realm of warmth and love...It is a very nice cover...
(though I have'nt found the video she talks about why she chose the song)
And the interview with yusuf was so interesting too

[m@kansascity]

polygor said:

sweet scarlet is my favourite cat stevens song

...and has been mine too since I first heard it way back in 1974.
My love of the song reminds me of an unrequited teen age crush I once had. How about you?[/quote]

ha... me too

this one and How can I tell you bring tender memories of great teenager love stories. you know, those when your love dream never come true... no one else but Cat could provide a better soundtrack in those days - and stil today they resonate true and honest!


btw, great thread, everybody, very appreciated it

[Chris]

Have you seen this cover of Sweet Scarlet? Very Nice

[m@kansascity]

what a beautiful song thanx christine

[flemmishfangent]

This was really a fine explaination you all did here.It's great and let to think deeper of Cat's songs.Regine

[suncatcher]

shunra said:

Thanks for everything suncatcher!
(though I have'nt found the video she talks about why she chose the song)

You're more than welcome, Shunra! I'm glad you liked Carly Simon's "Into White." The video I mentioned is on her website for Into White, under VIDEOS, where it says, WATCH NEW VIDEO - INTO WHITE. You need to click on one of the players under the picture of Carly to view the video.

I hope you enjoy it!

~Sun~

[suncatcher]

admin said:

Have you seen this cover of Sweet Scarlet? Very Nice

Thank you, Christine!

I agree - it's very nice. The guy is pretty good, and I liked hearing "Sweet Scarlet" sung by someone new - it let me appreiciate the song just for itself.

~Sun~

[philotheatoo]

What a beautiful rendition. I am happy to see she recovered with such grace and bravery.

[sueinhollywood]

Sweet Scarlet? He's referring to her RED HAIR! And the wine, probably. And everybody believed in free love in that era before AIDS.

She's a beautiful woman. I don't imagine it was easy for her growing up in America even though she had money because her mother is black and jewish and her father is white.

I think she is underrated as a singer and songwriter, probably because like a lot of women she took time off to raise children and fight breast cancer. But she is a GREAT singer.

[shunra]

Her mother was black and jewish? I know she's jewish but I had no idea she's half black..from where do you know that?

[sueinhollywood]

When she was born in the forties this was a very racist country. Even Jewish people were not considered white. My mom is Italian and Asian and she said people used to cross the street and walk on the other side.

Her family is famous. Her mother was a social activist who helped a famous black baseball player buy a house in an all-white uppity suburb in Connecticut I forget his name.

She got to go to all the Dodger games after that and had her own little uniform or something.

Her father co-founded Simon and Schuster publishing.

You can probably find it on the internet!

[margiaustralia1]

Hi everyone

According to Cat, the 'scarlet' was the bottle of red wine he was drinking with Carly Simon.

[Tallulah]

Feb 11, 2008 18:35:46 GMT -5 suncatcher said:

polygor said:

I believe the 'scarlet' refers to red wine...#As we drank down the wine, to the last sweet scarlet#, and #Every bottle's empty now#.

Yes, polygor - Here is one description of Sweet Scarlet:

Sweet Scarlet is a cranberry-strawberry fusion in the sweet wine category. There’s no mistaking the smells and tastes, but it’s interesting to see how they combine. If you just let this wine sit in the glass the unmistakable smell of strawberry hits the nose; swirl the glass around and cranberry becomes the dominant smell. In the mouth it’s a similar sensation, with sweet strawberry in the mouth, finishing with the tartness of cranberry, and I could swear there’s some cinnamon that sneaks its way into the mid-palate. It is because of the cranberry finish that this wine does not come off as being overly sweet. Ice cold is the best way to serve this wonderful dessert wine … great on its own or, believe it or not, with a stick of red licorice.

All those gates have opened now, and through the light
Has shone
Ah, but the song carries on...so holy

~Sun~

[Mr. Monti]

Sweet Scarlett describes the wine. It's pretty clear - "We drank down the wine to the last sweet scarlett." While this may have been initially been inspired by Carly Simon, it seems to be about a woman who has passed on, maybe even killed herself. I'm looking at this line: "She cut loose a life that she never really wanted," and the lines "all the gates have opened now, and through the light has shorn" which certainly could suggest she now resides in heaven. It's one of my favorite Cat Stevens songs and the mournful interpretation sounds very much like an elegy. It's an interesting structure. "Come let us drink again," suggests it's happening in the present. But then, "All these days are frozen now," suggests that it's now a poignant memory of past love.