Monday, April 10, 2006

Three Bells

Anyone else notice "Three Bells" being played in the last two episodes of The Sopranos? The Jim Ed Brown classic came on just prior to a young man's unfortunate encounter with mafia strongmen (just before he was about to go sculling) in last week's episode. And in yesterday's installment, we hear it once again as Vito Spatafore checks into a motel to either commit suicide or go on the lam from his own crew. Perhaps some of the lyrics from "Three Bells" can shed some light:

All the chapel bells were ringing
Twas a great day in his life
'Cause the song that they were singing
Was for Jimmy and his wife
And the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation
Bless oh Lord this celebration
May their lives be filled with love.
From the village hidden deep in the valley
One rainy morning dark and grey
A soul winged its way to heaven
Jimmy Brown had passed away
Silent people gathered in the chapel
To say farewell to their old friend
Whose life had been like a flower
Budding, blooming till the end
Just the lonely bell was ringing
In the little valley town
Twas farewell that it was singing
To our good old Jimmy Brown
And the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation
May his soul find the salvation
Of Thy great eternal love


Poor Vito. Getting caught in a leather bar, wearing that hat and that dog collar. "Hey guys, it's a joke," was all he could say. (What else could he say?)

2 comments:

jon said...

Just a bit of Soprano's banter. It's odd: It really seems to me that Tony's going soft. The whole business last week about caving to Johnny's demands on the Barone deal, and then that crap with Janice of all people; then this week caving in on whacking Johnny's problem captain. Not only is it a bad move--it'll draw heat getting (more) involved with a guy who could cave to the feds at any minute--he didn't want to do it in the first place. From what he says to Melfi about weakness and that he kicks the shit out of his bodyguard shows he knows this, but it doesn't seem to me that he's able to stop it. Sure, he's physically not up to snuff, and having one's pancreas blown apart will do that, but from a guy who was so quick to take care of business first, it seems odd that he'd be a softy now.

Perhaps this is how David Chase presents a fundamental political problem: At bottom perhaps the only authority is brute force, for no one can be convinced if they aren't willing to be convinced. Recall: Polemarchus forces Socrates into the conversation that would become the Republic. Even Socrates wasn't able to talk himself out of a jam. That Tony knew this is clear by him picking a fight with the biggest, baddest dude available to show the crew he's still got it. But, following this, will he make more namby-pamby decisions?

And what was up with the puking? Was he that disgusted at himself, or is he physically that weak?

That Dude said...

"Gloom is your business and business is good"

"Hey, it's just a joke"

HIGH-larious...

My guess is that they dont whack Frankie Valli...now that Johnny Sack went down in th eyes of Phil, Tony may see an opportunity to whack out Phil and Johnny and get in good with Frankie since he would become the boss.

Right Wing Attitude