John Cale, OBE (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-so… Read Full Bio ↴John Cale, OBE (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground in early 1965. Though best known for his work in rock music, Cale has worked in various genres including drone and classical. Since departing from the Velvet Underground in 1968 he has released over thirty albums. Of his solo work, he is perhaps best known for his 1973 album 'Paris 1919' and the song of the same name, art rock works reminiscent of film scores and tuneful pop music being perhaps the most accessible of his pieces.

Born on 9th March 1942 in Garnant, Wales, Cale spoke only Welsh until the age of seven, when he began to learn English at school. He went on to study viola at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where he became involved in avant garde music. He traveled to the U.S. to continue his studies, thanks to the help and influence of Aaron Copland, and met and worked with various avant-garde composers, including John Cage, while becoming fascinated with the new Anglo-American art movements.

In 1965, he co-founded the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed. Though best known for his work with the band, Cale has produced a massive body of work that ranges from tastefully arranged strings and piano over Dylan Thomas poetry to barely-suppressed, nigh-psychotic aggression set to high-energy avant-garde rock. Cale's style is almost impossible to pin down, as almost every album contains new experiments and influences. He is also well known as the producer of such works as the debuts of The Stooges, The Modern Lovers, and Patti Smith (the critically acclaimed 'Horses'). He also played a major role in Nico's 'The Marble Index'.

He's released some compilation works such as 'Seducing Down the Door: A Collection 1970-1990' that attempt to show the range and depth of his music. Cale was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as member of the Velvet Underground in 1996, and he was also appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2010. As the years have gone by, he's had a wide variety of tours, additionally dealing with his own personal demons.

Hemingway
John Cale Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I always held on to the thought
That if they loved you long enough

You'd find out what was missing
When they finally called your bluff

The line between the friend and foe
Is abitrary still

Drowning in piña coladas
As the bulls prowl around the ring

He didn't have, he didn't get
You didn't have the help you wanted
And when you saw, you saw Guernica fall

The hillsides exploded
And bodies filled the air
There was nothing left of Havana
In your thousand-yard stare

He didn't have, he didn't get
You didn't have the help you wanted
And when you saw, you saw Guernica fall

You've got a thousand-yard stare
You've got a thousand-yard stare
You've got a thousand-yard stare
You've got a thousand-yard stare

You've got a thousand-yard stare
You've got a thousand-yard stare

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to John Cale's song "Hemingway" depict a sense of disillusionment with relationships and the inevitable disappointment that comes with them. The opening lines suggest that there is something missing, an unfulfilled desire, that one can only hope will be revealed over time. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that this hope is in vain, and that the relationships we invest in may ultimately fail us.

The line "The line between friend and foe is arbitrary still" is a poignant reminder that even those closest to us can let us down, and that our attempts to draw clear lines between friend and enemy may be futile. The mention of piña coladas in the following line could be interpreted as an attempt to escape this reality, drowning one's sorrows in alcohol and ignoring the bulls prowling around the ring.

The final verse of the song seems to be a reflection on the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, specifically the bombing of Guernica. The juxtaposition of the exploded hillsides and bodies filling the air with the line "there was nothing left of Havana in your thousand-yard stare" suggests that the singer has experienced their own trauma and is no longer capable of looking at the world in the same way. The repetition of "You've got a thousand-yard stare" drives home this sense of disconnection from reality, a numbness that results from being let down too many times.

Line by Line Meaning

I always held on to the thought
A belief that persisted over time

That if they loved you long enough
If someone truly loves you for a long time

You'd find out what was missing
You will discover what is lacking in life

When they finally called your bluff
When you are exposed for pretending to be someone or something you are not

The line between the friend and foe
The boundary between companions and adversaries

Is arbitrary still
Remains up to personal interpretation

Drowning in piña coladas
Consumed by a need to escape reality

As the bulls prowl around the ring
In the midst of danger, like a bullfight arena

He didn't have, he didn't get
He lacked and did not obtain what he desired

You didn't have the help you wanted
You lacked the support you needed

And when you saw, you saw Guernica fall
Experiencing the chaos and destruction of war