the theme of the song:
a protest against the futility of war and the senseless loss

civil war inside 南方美麗的哀愁

the alternative perspective: from the South rather than North
the mainstream interpretation of the American Civil War
the North: anti-slavery, justice
the South: slave keepers 蓄奴者 evil
The cruelty of war: a war between brothers
 (聖經的悲劇 like Cain and Abel, Cain killed Abel.)


Sweet Sir Galahad
Sweet Sir Galahad (Mimi's second husband)
Came in through the window
In the night when
The moon was in the yard.
He took her hand in his
And shook the long hair
From his neck and he told her (Mimi)
She'd been working much too hard.
It was true that ever since the day
Her crazy man had passed away (died)
To the land of poet's pride,
She laughed and talked a lot
With new people on the block
But always at evening time she cried.

And here's to the dawn of
their days
She moved her head
A little down on the bed
Until it rested softly on his knee
And there she dropped her smile
And there she sighed awhile,
Of those years that
numbered three. (sorrow of three years)

Well you know I think my fate's belated (被延遲)
Because of all the hours I waited
For the day when I'd no longer cry.
I get myself to work by eight
But oh, was I born too late,
And do you think I'll fail
At ever single think I try?

And here's to the dawn of their days.

He just put his arm around her
And that's the way I found her
Eight months later to the day. (man died that day)
The lines of a smile erased
The tear tracks upon her face,

A smile could linger, even stay.
Sweet Sir Galahad went down
With his gay bride of flowers,
The prince of the hours
Of her lifetime.

And here's to the dawn
Of their days,
Of their days.

Joan Baey 寫給妹妹Mimi Farina widow
Richard Farina died in a motorcycle accident
忌日是Mimi的生日

courtship 追求
Mimi died in 2001